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By all accounts camp has never looked this good!  Opening day is just a week and a half away and the place looks amazing.  The staff members who have been helping out here for the past two weeks have been a huge help and continue to impress us every day with their hard work.  As a reward we are taking them all on the Penobscot River this week for some class IV and V whitewater rafting and camping.  Should be a fun time for everyone involved.

The Go Kart course is nearly finished, as are renovations to our beach house, the in-line hockey rink, and cabin 10.  Our new wake boarding boat is all broken in and ready for campers!  The rec hall has new walls, ceiling, bathrooms, and lights and is absolutely stunning.  I have also almost completely replaced all of our “old” light bulbs with compact fluorescents to help us approach our goal of being the greenest camp around.

I hope that many of you readers will be joining us this summer!  I will post pictures of the rafting trip, renovations, and whatever else catches my eye later this week.

All of our planning and research has culminated in this week of intense work on the Go Kart course.  Yesterday I added another skill to my ever-growing resume: cement pouring/leveling.  With the help of the staff members who are already here at camp we poured the foundation of our Go Kart shed.

Part 1: Drill holes, plant poles.

Before we could pour the cement, though, we had to use our combined intellects to drill holes and plant poles.  Using our trusty tractor-mounted auger we drilled eight four-foot deep, two-foot wide holes to plant our telephone poles/roof supports.  (Getting some of the poles from the local phone company was another adventure unto itself).

Step 2: Level the poles

Poles in place, we then used the big yellow level to make sure they were straight.  An un-level pole is an unhappy pole.

Step 5: Steps 3 & 4 are boring, 5 is fun.

After raking (step 3) and boxing in (step 4) the area we were ready to start pouring!  After donning homemade trash bag waders Jackson and I gave the cement man the thumbs-up to start pouring.

Step 6: Spread and level

I know that we look like professionals but the above picture was actually our first time dabbling in cement spreading.  With the sun beating down, we struggled to move the barely fluid mix around the box and into the holes.  Always in our minds was the very real risk of the cement breaching our thin plastic waders and leaving third degree burns on all of the skin it contacted.  Luckily we got out unscathed.

Last Step: Make it pretty

Cement poured and leveled, it was time to make it pretty.  In a few days we will pop off the wood box and hopefully a mostly rectangular, solid, and sturdy foundation will remain.

The long awaited and much anticipated Go Kart course is finally coming together!  Below are some pictures of the first few partially completed sections.  It is looking amazing and from first hand experience I can tell you that the Go Karts are fast, fun, and you all with love them!

The Straightaway

The Hairpin Turn

Still under construction...

Holly giving the new Kart a spin

Jenn ClementsMy name is Jenn Clements and this will be my first year at Camp Birch Hill. I am a junior at the University of New Hampshire working for my teaching degree. In addition to going to school I am a girls lacrosse coach and am so excited to be teaching lacrosse this summer at Birch Hill. I love all sports and being outside so I know this will be an amazing summer!

Caitlyn Feeney

Caitlyn and her horse, Phinn

This will be Caitlyn’s fourth summer as a counselor and sixth year at Camp Birch Hill overall.  She will be celebrating her 20th birthday this summer at camp.  Caitlyn is finishing her sophomore year at UMass Boston where she will be joining the nursing program next spring.  She is the director of our equestrian program and is bringing her horse, Phinn, to camp.  He is a three year old male thoroughbred and a really sweet horse, according to Caitlyn.  Phinn will be a perfect camp horse!  Caitlyn can’t wait till BH ‘09.

Emily ScharffHey! I’m Emily Scharff and I just finished my freshman year at Colorado College.  I spent my fall on a NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) Semester, which included learning Wilderness First Aid, mountaineering, rock climbing, canyon travel and telemark skiing in the Rockies.  At college, I am studying foreign languages (Spanish and Italian) and Sports Science and I have been playing hockey, skiing and hiking a lot! I am a huge sports fan and I love everything outdoors. This will be my second summer at Camp Birch Hill and I am very excited to be teaching street hockey, climbing wall, soccer and other land sports!

Ryan King

My name is Ryan King, flying in from the UK, and this will be my 3rd year at Birch Hill.  Recently graduated from Bath Spa University in Graphic Design; I am more than excited to be returning and yet again hoping to claim the Birch Hill cup for the 3rd year running. I have taught Photography, Archery and some Soccer classes in the past. Whether it be PC Poker or 11 vs 11 Soccer it will be the best time of your lives. Keeping you updated with the daily events of Birch Hill and making sure everyone, including counsellors, have an awesome time. Expect too much fun I would say.

Kristin WilsonI am originally from Atlanta, Georgia where I was born and raised. I am 22 years old and a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Go Heels!) and I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism (concentrating in photojournalism) and I double majored in International Studies. This will be my first time in the state of New Hampshire and also my first time working at a summer camp. I’m really excited about Birch Hill–I’ve heard nothing but great things about it– and I’m really excited to meet everyone! I will be teaching dance, which is a passion I have pursued for the past 13 years, and I will be taking some pictures around camp (now that I have my new, spiffy Journalism degree). I’ve wanted to be a camp counselor ever since I watched the Disney show “Bug Juice” when I was younger, and I’m really excited that I now have the opportunity!

Sarah Dik

This is Sarah and it will be her seventh summer at Birch Hill. She lives in Boxford, MA but her home for the summer is at camp.  You will see her at the rock wall pretty much all day with a few ceramics classes here and there and, of course, some field hockey. She can’t wait for the Birch Hill campfires, counselor hunt, and some PC extreme rock jumping!  Sarah is so happy and excited that it is almost time for camp again and can’t wait to meet all the new campers and counselors!

John Shapiro

Very artsy.

Hi, I’m John Shapiro, I’m 22 and I just graduated college with a Bachelors in Fine Arts. Although originally I’m from Europe, I’ve lived in New Hampshire for the past 5 years (in fact right across from the camp…). I’m pumped that I’m gonna be heading up the Arts and Crafts department. I’ve visited the camp and checked out the place and I have to tell you that this summer’s campers are in for a great time! We are going to be creating some great work and yea, we are gonna completely repaint the bus this year with all of your great ideas!