STILT FIELD circa 8:30pm—The Session C Costume Dance Party has mercifully landed on the coolest evening of the summer so far. Outkast’s “Hey Ya” blares out of the Big Top’s sound system as the sky wanes a deeper blue. Costumed campers and counselors are spread all over the Big Top and the adjacent Stilt Field, dancing, chatting, juggling, and otherwise milling about. The song switches to Chappel Roan’s “Hot To Go”, prompting the majority of the people in the Stilt Field to rush into the Big Top. As the chorus comes around the throng moves in cult-like unison, performing the ritual arm movements.
Tonight’s crowd is a festive assortment of everything the Costume Barn has to offer: dresses, jumpsuits, blazers, gowns, vests, hats, wigs, robes, capes, trench coats, scarves, masks, face paint, wings, horns, ears, claws, rainbows, animal print, plaid, polka dots, stripes, checkers, sequins, lamé, corduroy, fleece, leather, denim, spandex, glasses, ties, clown shoes, pom-poms, gorilla suits, et cetera.
“Tonight is just a bunch of people dancing and having fun together,” says Lex, 10, Yellow Tipi. “I’m dressed as Mal from Descendents. Her character starts out bad, but then helps the good guys in the end. I just saw this dress in the Costume Barn, and it fit. The Dance Party is loud and fun as a really good party. Camp is amazing!”
“We’re doing a whole Hundred Acre Wood group costume,” says Teen Staff Sha’Him, dressed as Winnie the Pooh. “Nobody else wanted to be Winnie, so I guess I kinda took one for the team. Winnie the Pooh is a chiller. Sometimes you just gotta stop and find something good to eat.”
“I was Jason Mendoza from The Good Place, but I took it off so I could do more dance moves,” says Ripley, almost 12, Orange Tipi, instantly dropping down into the splits. “I do hip-hop and gymnastics. This party is lit, literally! There’s little lights all over the stilt poles. Everyone is screaming and dancing their butts off!”
“There was a group of us dressed up as bros, but now I’m the only bro left,” says Mia, 10, Orange Tipi. “To be a bro you need a beanie, some sort of vibey T-shirt, and basketball shorts. Then you just dab your friends up, fist bumps, high-fives, the whole thing. It’s an exercise in boyishness.”
“The boys are dancing in dresses!” exclaims Riley, relaying a new development from the Big Top.
“The Dance Party is super fun, funner than last year” continues Mia. “Everybody is dancing. I don’t have a go-to dance move. Honestly, we’ve just been jumping up and down.”
“I’m a person from Titanic; it’s my favorite movie besides Hamilton,” says Charlly, 10, Gold Tipi. “Clothes from that time are like fancy, long, old dresses, and for the boys it’s tuxedos and little caps. Everybody today just wears baggy gray sweatpants—very boring! The Dance Party is really fun, but I’m not very good at dancing. Camp is one of my favorite places in the world, one of the top two!”
LAKE SHUTTLE circa 2pm—The AC struggles against the accumulated heat from a morning of sitting in the unshaded parking lot. I crack a window for the wind chill in the meantime. Scraggly trees with clumps of mistletoe and large swaths of blackberry line the windy easement. Having just dropped off the lifeguards, I drive with only the arid scenery for company. Suddenly two quails dart across the road, followed by a line of baby quails. I pause to take their family portrait as they skitter through the dry grass.
Back in Camp, I load up the Ford Explorer with a rowdy group of campers who fill the ride with an uninterrupted cascade of inanities. Back at the Lake, the campers disembark and I take a moment to appreciate their finger-drawn graffiti on the Shuttle’s dusty exterior.
The middle Sunday of every two-week session is graced with a late wake-up time. Campers and counselors are free to sleep in until 10am, if they so desire, though the relaxation doesn’t last long. Starting at 10:30am today, all of Camp was marshalled into performing the much-feared Mid-Term Tipi Clean-Up. Today I interviewed some of the survivors of this grueling ritual.
“We’re using a two-pile system,” said Django, 12, Flame Tipi, wiping a mat with broad, circular strokes. “We’re in it to win it! I think the prize for cleanest tipi is ice cream or something. Definitely worth it for a little extra effort. For the second week I’m looking forward to doing stilt walks and Adventure Night—I mean, Tipi Clean-Up Night.”
“We’ve been cleaning every morning, so today’s clean-up was pretty painless,” said Wyatt, 13, Green Tipi. “We worked as a team, but I did most of the work—no, I’m just playin’. Doing big clean-up makes me feel like I’m leaving and arriving at the same time, you know? The first week of Camp was pretty fire, and the second week looks like it’s gonna be even more fire.”
“Tipi clean-up is the epitome of teamwork, and the realistic part of communal living,” said Administrative Manager Mayahuel Montoya. “Each tipi has an area to clean up around camp, in addition to their physical tipis. We try to match up counselors with their teaching areas. I like to think of it as the counselors helps the campers, and then the campers help the counselors.”
“Sometimes, over the course of a session, conflicts can build up between people,” continued Mayahuel. “Mid-Term Clean-Up is infused with the grand spirit of a social reset. It’s like putting gesso on a canvas, so it can be ready for the masterpiece of the Big Show. It’s also a great opportunity for us Camper Advocates to have a window into the team dynamics developing in each tipi, to see how they’re vibing.”
“There’s more important things than leaving evidence for archaeologists of the future,” complained Clowning Instructor Riley Soloner, brandishing a plastic bag full of micro-trash. “I want to preserve the present, so we can have a future!”
“We’re doing everything in groups,” said Tess, 15, Purple Tipi. “We had an inside crew wearing only socks, so that we could maintain a dust-free zone—a dust quarantine, if you will. Cleaning the Costume Barn was really challenging. It’s just such a large area with so many obstacles. I found some sparkly pom-poms on the ground, and they were low-key pretty. It was with a heavy heart that I threw them in the trash.”
“Clean-up was a little stressful, but our tipi worked well together,” said Eloui, 14, Purple Tipi. “I found a piece of peppermint candy. I didn’t eat it; it was very dirty. The tipi is frustrating to sweep because of the shape of the walls and of the tarp floor. Overall, it was a good teamwork experience, and it brought us closer together as a tipi.”
At noon, campers were summoned to the Rainbow Theater for the Lost & Found Fashion Show, after which Riley, assuming his recurring gnome persona, recited a delightful poem about micro-trash:
“ I frolic out of giants sight where gnomes commune in earthly delight But where giants walk and stomp and prance they leave behind their evidence
Micro Trash! A likely story…
Scraps and shreds and pieces and bits I remain peaceful, I don’t throw a fit I pick it up, do my inspection then catalog the items in my collection
What’s that resting in my dirt? A tag torn from young giant’s shirt What layeth before my two gnome feet? A wet wipe dried up in the heat
Pen cap, costume scrap, popsicle stick Dropped, discarded, flung, flicked A hair tie knotted with dusty strands Ribbons, wrappers, rubber bands
Pillow feathers, old name tags, Torn off corners from candy bags Scotch tape, duct tape, masking tape Plastic chunks of every shape
Buttons, string, beads, thrown Cast to the wind like seeds, sown What’s hiding ‘neath my leaves and moss? How lovely, your used dental floss
Paper towel, paper cup I see the trash, I pick it up Paper cup, paper towel Walking past micro trash? That’s foul
Micro trash: barely perceptible Deliver it to the nearest receptacle If you pick a piece once left behind Just once per day, that would be just fine
To clean a mess, no matter who made it The gnomes will thank you, we appreciate it “
TIPI CIRCLE circa 9:30pm—“Everyone please rise and stand behind the logs,” says Performance Coordinator José Garcia. The campers whisper excitedly as they clamber outside the circle of benches that surround the fire circle. The woods have darkened to a single, all-encompassing black mass of cricket song. A jagged opening in the canopy reveals that the sky has retained a faint blue glow, even in this late hour. As the audience finishes repositioning, four counselors somberly enter the circle, arranging themselves around the campfire in the cardinal directions. Coming to a strong, neutral stance, they stare silently at the fire. The audience quiets in anticipation.
“Earth!” suddenly shouts one of the four. They then produce a pitcher full of rocks and dirt, and, walking around to the other three, distribute the dusty matter to cupped hands. With a quick nod, they all begin juggling the earth, each creating a messy shower of debris that quickly dissolves. The campers giggle. They emphatically end in unison to modest applause.
“Water!” shouts the second of the four, producing a pitcher of water, and again distributing the contents to the other three. Each juggler strains to keep their cupped hands watertight. Again, they juggle. The masses of water dissolve even more quickly than the dusty dirt.
“Air!” shouts the third, who proceeds to pretend to pour air to the other three. Again, they juggle, this time to a chorus of ironic cheering.
“Fire!” shouts the fourth, producing a juggling torch which he sticks into the flames of the campfire. The fuel-soaked torch instantly bursts into a bright flame, which is then passed to the other three torch jugglers. The audience roils with applause as in unison they begin juggling. Just outside the circle, Drummer Paul Gaffney plays an ominous rhythm on the drum kit while Teen Staff Gabby sings operatic melodies as soundtrack to the spectacle.
The club jugglers are followed by a round of flaming flower-stickers, and then a round of flaming poi and spin staff. With each successive round, the music and cheering become more intense. The cheering becomes almost deafening as Unicycle Instructor Lucas Johnson mounts a flaming unicycle. For a special finale, Clowning Instructor Milla Blackwelder slowly eats fire on bended knee, extinguishing the only remaining flame and casting the circle into darkness. The crowd erupts with applause.
Surely a lullaby will ensue, followed by tooth brushing. I steal away to my blog lair behind the Puppet Grove to review my notes. Earlier today, Camp was visited by a cast of characters from the year 2075. During their visit, I spent some time with the Camp polity to learn more details of these improbable events.
I encountered the first group in the Tipi Circle, a dozen campers and counselors sitting in the woodchips and painting the three large plastic hand-shaped chairs that live around downtown Camp.
“There’s like, time travel stuff,” observed Jade, 14, Maroon Tipi. “I’m painting the nails on this hand chair to leave my mark. The thought of people fifty years from now seeing my art is a fascinating concept. In fifty years, I’ll probably live alone in a cottage in the woods with a bunch of plants.”
“Time is a thought-provoking subject,” continues Jade. “Consciousness is a sort of time travel, whether you’re awake, asleep, or under anesthesia, the passing of time is so elastic. Living in the past is rough, the future is unknown, and the present is backwards. If we collectively support each other, that’s how we can fight back.”
“These hand chairs are used to honor campers who get three strokes [see: merits] in one dinner circle,” says Art Instructor Pharaoh Fleischman. “Today we’re doing a makeover for these chairs to improve that part of the process. I think art is a way to spread love and that uplifts everyone. I hope the visitors from the future will be inspired by our values of inclusion, appreciation, and kindness.”
I was pleased to meet nearby in the Tipi Circle one Rhea Porter, my journalistic counterpart from the year 2075. Apparently, she teaches at the Dead Bug University, which I will found in the year 2039.
“I am leading a field trip with some of my journalism students to study the past,” she said, notebook in hand and a large press lanyard displayed on her blazer. “In the year 2075, we primarily base our journalism on facts, so it’s interesting to see how things are done in your time.”
“We hope to use the data we gather on this expedition to improve Bitcoin distribution,” continued Rhea. “I’m discovering that many of the details in our textbooks are inaccurate. We hope to fill our historical gaps so that we can better our own present time. Sorry, I’m feeling very tired. Time travel really takes it out of you!”
Moving to the Big Top, Camp’s acrobatics hub, I find another dozen campers puzzling over a strange array of tumbling mats and other props. This was described to me a Rube Goldberg machine.
“I don’t know why we’re making a machine, but we’re doing it anyways!” said Yoshiko, 10, Gold Tipi. “The machine has two rollers bump the duct tape ball so it rolls down this chute, drops on the broom which turns the fan on, and then pushes a ping-pong ball down a slide. This machine probably won’t solve world hunger, but it will probably do something fantastic. Time will tell!”
Still in the Big Top, I encountered two villainous characters, self-described oligarchs from the year 2025. Two assistants tailed them, carrying bunches of grapes.
“This past of 2025 is very cold,” asserted Laika God, CEO of Humans Inc. “I can’t help but notice that none of these campers are mining for raw minerals.”
“There’s too much hope in the air; I find that disconcerting,” said Sven Ringtone, heir to the Ringtone fortune and President of Uber for Lithium Mines. “Uber for Lithium Mines, it’s a company that empowers anyone to have the benefits of mining for lithium, even if they don’t have a car. All these children are laughing without any apparatus to harness their excess energies. Very wasteful.”
The pair paused for the administering of a quick snack of grapes from their assistants.
Heading up the road I saw a camper sitting on a log, reading alone in the shade.
“I’m just chillin’ with my book, Where the Crawdads Sing,” said Delphine, 11, Turquoise Tipi. “It’s a really good love story—at least parts of it. It seems there are a bunch of people from the year 2075 here today. Now there’s a bunch of activities for us to change the future so that we don’t have to survive on gelatinous energy cubes. My main hope for the future is that we don’t get submerged in water from the melting ice caps.”
I continued to the Puppet Grove to find the construction of a massive paper mâché toothbrush underway, one certain restless camper looking on skeptically.
“I don’t believe these guys are actually from the future,” said Sebastian, 11, Blue Tipi. “I get the meaning—‘We can change the future, yada yada yada’—but do we have to be so silly about it? If I wanted to inspire people, I would make a poster with a big eye, and you can see a city in the pupil. Then in big letters it would say ‘THE FUTURE IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER’. I like some mid-20th century propaganda, but I guess it depends on which one.”
While fetching paper and pencil for Sebastian, a camper strolled by, covered head-to-toe in paint.
“I started off at the nail salon, and then when I got to the Art Grove I just went wild,” recounted Ellie, 13, Scarlet Tipi. “Art lives on. In history class we see old art and we learn about the details of their lives. I want people of the future to know that we care about the world and are willing to fight for it. That’s why I’m covered in paint.”
Soon thereafter, a conch was sounded, calling everyone back to downtown Camp, where campers shared with each other the fruits of their whimsical exploits, and made final contributions to the time capsule.
TROLL PATROL circa 4:30pm—Waters milky with silt reflect yellow sunlight and, where shadowed, wobbly upside-down snapshots of the green foliage. Ridges of round river stones protrude from the muddy bed in strange patterns, the footprints of winter torrents. On the eastern bank a grove of bay trees reaches out of an expansive blackberry patch. Here on the western bank, tall oaks and pines stretch their limbs over a sandy shore where a large group of teen staff have made their perch. All around, sandaled campers busy themselves with the various industries available at Streeter Creek.
“We’re making a dam to make the creek bigger,” says Henry, 11, Blue Tipi. “The idea was to block it so it gets bigger, and we can have more play area. So far it hasn’t worked yet. The sand doesn’t hold. You need to use a mixture of sand, mud, rocks, and leaves. The creek still flows no matter what. Water always finds a way.”
“It’s cool to see how the water seeps through; it’s very satisfying,” says Valentin, 12, Orange Tipi, also helping with the dam project. “As soon as you plug a hole, another crack appears. I love that you can come down here, hang out, make stuff, and there’s water. Most people find the water really fun and relaxing. I know I do!”
“The mud makes your skin really glowy,” says Jillian, 11, Turquoise Tipi, her face covered in creek mud. “After doing a mask, your skin is all shiny. In order to get clean, you have to smother yourself in dirt; It’s called skin care. The creek is a peaceful place. You shouldn’t splash or be loud. If you’re stressed out, you should come here and get in the water, even if you only get in up to your waist.”
“I started doing masks at the creek two years ago,” says Livia, 10, Turquoise Tipi. “Now that I’m in my double digits, it’s important to take care of my complexion. The vibe is very calm. When the sun shines, you can really feel it on your skin. The creek is a must. Don’t skip it!”
“I missed afternoon stilts, so I came here to complain with my friend,” jokes Amayah, 14, Rainbow Tipi. “I like to come here for the birds, the trees, the crickets. It’s a peaceful energy, good vibes. I think the teen staff come here so they can congregate and not get split up. They love to chill here.”
“I’m just chilling with Amayah,” says Eva, 13, Rainbow Tipi. “The creek is my go-to spot when I want to chill. Today I’m just catching tadpoles and yapping. Here’s one now!”
She dips her cupped hands in the water, but the tadpole slips away.
“The creek is peaceful but playful, even more so than downtown Camp,” continues Eva. “It’s more natural. The nature is untouched.”
“It’s an essential part of my routine, definitely,” says Liz, 14, Rainbow Tipi. “It’s just so peaceful down here. Oh, there’s another one!”
Liz tries her hand at catching the tadpole and after a false start is successful. She holds the baby frogling up for a moment before releasing it back to the water.”
“I like the creek because it’s not dusty,” says Teen Staff Jojo, 16, Maroon Tipi. “It’s about connection, ebb and flow, community. I’m not gonna swim but I like to feel around with my toes. My advice is when you come to the creek, observe the vibe upon entry. So at the creek, so in life.”
“I had a henna appointment with Hannah,” says Teen Staff Carmelo, 16, Indigo Tipi, brandishing his new arm art. “I got a fish, which makes sense because we’re in water. Where there’s fish, there’s water. I’ve noticed the blackberries are coming in nicely. There’s always something to see at the creek. It’s a verdant oasis.”
“It’s like ten degrees cooler down here,” says Teen Staff Aya, 16, Purple Tipi. “I lived in Reno for like ten years, and this creek is the complete opposite. For example, there’s no slot machines, there’s no pavement, and there’s no sheriff comedy shows.”
“I just came to cool my feet,” says Dance Instructor Emma Dewey. “The creek is an interesting tension between life and destruction. The water supports life, but it also erodes the land, exposing these tree roots. It’s our resident Camp dragon. In Chinese folklore, ‘dragon’ is kind of a misinterpretation; they’re water-based beings primarily. They don’t have wings, but they sometimes fly to fulfill their celestial purpose. They’re composite creatures, made of parts of different animals of the land. Camp’s creek dragon is definitely part deer, part lizard, part snake, and part water-skeeter.”
COSTUME BARN circa 7:30pm—Sunbeams cut through at a nearly horizontal angle, casting stark shadows on the maze of clothing racks that comprise the Costume Barn. A dozen or so campers scurry back and forth, searching for the perfect attire for tonight’s talent show, the Tornado of Talent. Some hold dresses to their fronts to quickly gauge size while others fiddle with ties and other accessories. A number of counselors aid campers in the application of face paint and safety pins.
I encounter a quintet who have dressed as individual colors of the rainbow for a skit they prepared.
“It was Indigo who had the idea originally,” says Gisele, 10, Yellow Tipi. “At first, we weren’t gonna do it, but then at the last minute we said, ‘What the heck!’ I’m going as the color yellow because it was the last color left over, and I’m not picky like that. For me, the rainbow represents how everyone is different.”
“There were two colors left and I didn’t want to be yellow so I picked green,” says Jasper, 7, Lime Tipi. “I like green because there’s lots of stuff that’s green: trees, cars, bushes, trash cans. Our friend dressed as red isn’t in the photo because she was unicycling or something.”
“I used to like green, but now I’m in a blue phase,” says Indigo, 9, Yellow Tipi. “I just like blue because it’s a dark color. I usually like darker colors. For our skit we have the three primary colors come out first, and then the secondary colors pop out from hiding and we form a full rainbow. I thought of this idea for an act last year, right when I was driving away from camp. It’s fun to do a group project, and when I was six, my favorite thing to paint was rainbows.”
“My favorite color is pink, so I picked the closest thing I could get: purple,” says Ariana, 7, Yellow Tipi. “I like how the purple can be light like violet, or mixed with blue to make a cooler purple. Lots of times purple reminds me of flowers.”
“I like that it takes two colors to make orange,” says Jacque, 10, Gold Tipi. “It’s kind of like me because I like to do two things at once. For example, I like to make friendship bracelets while watching TV. Orange is a powerful color; it’s like the mixture of the sun and blood. I think the rainbow shows us different personalities. Red is tough, orange is tough but soft, and yellow is always smiling and laughing. Green is crazy but chillin’, blue is super chill, and purple is chill but strong.”
I make my way to the Tipi Circle where people mill about in the dramatic sunlight of early evening. Two banjo players commiserate on a fire circle bench while nearby a pair of fully costumed campers discuss their upcoming karaoke performance.
“I’m singing ‘Hot To Go’ by Chappel Roan with Eloise,” says Carly, 10, Yellow Tipi. “I just like to sing along. My favorite song in the song circles is ‘Camp Town Road’. It has a nice beat and it tells you all about Camp. I really want to see what the other people are doing for Tornado. I’m kind of scared to sing, but this is a good place to practice. I need to practice in front of a big crowd, and the people here are really nice.”
RAINBOW THEATER circa 9:30—“Why are there so many songs about rainbows,” sings a camper on stage, covering the 1979 Muppets hit “Rainbow Connection”. The audience hangs on each word, some quietly singing along with the performance. The massive lighting rig illuminates the stage to the point where they may as well be a planet in space.
“Thank you Mattias and thank you Zora in a frog hat!” hails Clowning Instructor Riley Soloner at the conclusion of the song, prompting a second round of applause. “This next act has the most intriguing name: ‘Love? No.’ What a title! It’s not my personal opinion, it’s just the name of the act,” quips Riley, dressed as emcee character Sal Dente, an homage to one of Wavy Gravy’s favorite emcee characters, Al Dente. “Please make Quill feel welcome with ‘Love? No’!”
The crowd cheers as Quill enters to share an original poem. Suddenly my view is obstructed by Performance Coordinator José Garcia.
“We need you to tune a banjo,” he whispers, full of the intensity of a show-runner mid-show. I slip backstage to find the out-of-tune culprit.
“It’s pretty in tune, I just wanted someone to double-check,” says Ivand, 15, Rainbow Tipi. We step aside to a bench near the fire circle where I produce my tuner. “I’m pretty excited, but mostly I’m nervous,” she confesses. “Tonight, I’m performing ‘Fearless’ by Pink Floyd. As a baby my dad would sing ‘Nobody Home’, and some of my early memories are hearing Pink Floyd around the house or watching Live at Pompei.”
“I’m pretty used to performing on stage, but I still get nervous; I don’t think that ever goes away,” continues Ivand. “I love hearing all the voices here. They’re nervous but brave, like me. It’s nice to see.”
The banjo is in mandolin tuning, which throws me off for a second, but soon we are all dialed in. I steal back to the theater to enjoy the last few acts of the show.
TIPI CIRCLE circa 8:30pm—A campfire burns, mixing the aroma of smoke with that of bug spray. The fire is surrounded by a cylinder of rocks and mortar, which itself is surrounded by a disk of dusty earth, the stage for tonight’s Fire Circle. The evening is sure to be filled with songs and poems offered by campers and counselors alike.
“So you think, so you think you can tell,” sing two teenage campers, one strumming a deep four-string banjo.
The disk of dust is surrounded by large wooden benches, laden with campers. The campers are surrounded by counselors who stand or sit in camping chairs. The collective audience sings along with the fishbowl part of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”.
The audience is surrounded by an even larger disk of earth covered in woodchips, the living room carpet of Camp’s Tipi Circle. The woodchips are surrounded by fifteen tipis whose open oval doors yawn toward the fire, completing an energetic loop, a torus of communal activity and belonging.
The tipis are surrounded by large tree trunks which eerily recede into the growing darkness. High above, three times taller than our tipis, the canopy looms in bushy blobs. The pulsating sounds of crickets emanate from the creekside brush.
The banjo twangs out the final riff and the audience applauds.
“Can we please have Flame Tipi gather by the Costume Barn,” says MESH Lead Hannah Fritz. As parallel programming tonight, half of the tipi groups will be treated to a labyrinth-walking ceremony, presided by Winnarainbow Founders Wavy Gravy and Jahanara Romney. As Flame Tipi gathers, the previous tipi group returns and rejoins the audience.
Earlier today I spent some time among the denizens of Winnarainbow to collect performance reviews of last night’s Teacher Talent Night.
“The best one was the dubstep juggling act,” said Anna Marie, 13, Scarlet Tipi. “There was so much going on, my senses were dazzled. Everyone was in funky costumes, and the music was funky too. It was very crazy, bright, and fun. Everyone here is so free and open. It’s a very safe space.”
“Mostly the best act was that one—what’s it called—aerials,” said Lyric, 9, Indigo Tipi. “It was so classified, like, it was very good. They went all the way to the top and then all the way down. I don’t know how they did it. I want to learn how to do that.”
“Stilts and unicycle was really cool,” said Matthew, 11, Blue Tipi. “At one point a unicycler went under a stilter, and they actually fit quite nicely. My first thought was, ‘I want to do that!’ I like Teacher Talent night because the tricks are more advanced. It was action packed!”
“Teacher Talent Night was a smashing success,” said Stilts Instructor Maya Blackshaw Nichols, who helped as a spotter. “It can be hard to create an act that’s more than just walking on stilts, but we collaborated with unicycles to create a parade feeling. Lucas rode his unicycle underneath Nova on stilts, which was highly entertaining. The rest of the show was so good—Peace Choir, Experimento. By the end I was crying.”
“The best act would definitely be aerials,” said Clara, 8½, Yellow Tipi. “It’s kind of crazy how people can wrap stuff around their legs and arms and fly around in the sky. I already know one aerials trick, Man on the Moon, but this session I want to learn Music Box. That’s where you wrap the silks around your legs. It’s called Music Box because you look like a little fairy that’s on top of a music box. The whole night was impressively filled with talent.”
“The best act was Experimento with puppets and clowns,” said Procyon, 12, Flame Tipi. “It started with Memo in the center falling asleep in a chair, and then these puppet waves popped up carried by clowns like he was in a dream. There were jugglers; so much was going on. It was a mystical ambience. I was filled with awe and wonder. Overall, it was a pretty fun night.”
CHESS GROVE circa 3:30pm—A gentle breeze is lulling the warm afternoon into a sort of dream state. The bay trees stingily shed their leaves one or two at a time, sprinkling flashes of yellow against the verdant backdrop. A pair of adults grimace over a tense chess game while a pair of campers at a neighboring table assemble bracelets from a large beading kit.
“I never remember en passant,” laments Filmographer Jordan Romney, pouring over his chess position.
“Some people call it the infield fly rule of chess,” recalls Juggling Instructor Memo Gosnell, analyzing from the opposite side. “I don’t know much about baseball, but that sounds right to me.”
“We can make you one, JP!” offers Callum, 14, Purple Tipi. “Just pick some colors and I’ll put it together,” the say, gesturing at the bounty of color-sorted pony beads.
“Camp has its mechanics; it slowly breaks down and gets looser, and then we tighten it up,” muses Quill, 13, Purple Tipi. “I was here last session and I noticed that things got relaxed in the middle, but then getting ready for the Big Show made it much more structured. Camp is like a clock where all the parts are broken, but there’s a smiley face on the inside.”
“I’m familiar with a lot of my tipi mates from past years,” says Callum. “I feel like learning juggling unlocked a new part of my brain; it’s a new way to think about timing. At Camp there’s no need for overwhelm. You can find joy in classes and take time for yourself. Here you go!”
Callum hands me my new bracelet and the pair rush off to be in time for 4 o’clock stilts class. I drift over to the adjacent Art Grove which has populated during my impromptu jewelry appointment. A small portable speaker fuzzes out some moody, esoteric indie music for the enjoyment of the dozen-odd artists.
“It’s kinda like an upside-down landscape,” says Sofia, 10, Gold Tipi. “I was inspired by—I actually have no idea. Sometimes I just like to paint without a plan. Camp is great, as always. The sandwiches today were really good—better than Subway! This session I’m mostly going to do unicycling. Once I get ‘unified’ I’ll ride my unicycle everywhere I go!”
RAINBOW THEATER circa 8:30pm—“Let’s outline her beautiful, bulbous head,” says a faux Bob Ross, painting a live subject on stage, eliciting giggles from the audience. “And now the arms. Arms are one of my favorite things to paint!”
The first hints of darkness are edging into Camp as the horizon glows golden. Still plenty light out, the Rainbow Stage appears only slightly more luminous than its natural surroundings. Oaks tower over the scene, their splaying limbs covered in a furry coat of reddish moss. More acts cycle through the stage—Juggling, American Sign Language, Songwriting. Tonight the campers are more enthralled and less fidgety than last night. Drama Instructor Kushi Beauchamp has donned the guise of Marty McFly the Mosquito in service of performing emcee duties for tonight’s Teacher Talent show.
“Give it up for the songwriters!” lauds ‘Marty’. “Now, I have to address something that happened earlier. So I’m a mosquito, and someone brought up bug spray. It happens all the time. But I actually feel bad for the guy who invented bug spray. You know why?”
“WHY?” chime the campers.
“Because he had to start from… scratch!”
The joke draws a good laugh and Kushi continues introducing the acts, one by one. Improv, Drama, Peace Choir—wait! Peace Choir is my class! I was enjoying the show so much I almost missed my cue. I rush backstage to grab my guitar and gather the singers. Looking over to Performance Coordinator José Garcia I send him a thumbs-up to signal our relative readiness.
RAINBOW THEATER circa 9:30pm—“Hi, I’m Rose, and I’m collecting bugs,” says Singing Instructor Rose Goyette from center stage to a crowd of excited, squirming campers. She steps to the side, gesturing toward a teenager who has entered the stage from behind the large metal rainbow.
“Hi, my name is AnnaLee, and I’m a cool caterpillar,” says the teen. She too steps to the side as a young camper emerges.
“I’m Sophia, I’m an aphid, and this is my leaf,” says the camper, holding up some sort of green stuffy. More and more campers enter the stage in this fashion, declaring their bugginess and subsequently joining the stage right clump—a ladybug, a fly, a Junebug.
A camper then hops into view enveloped in a sleeping bag, giggling at her own antics.
“I’m Yoshiko, and I’m a worm!” she proclaims.
The final camper takes center stage and pauses for dramatic effect.
“I am the only bug that no one can catch: a butterfly!” The display elicits a smattering of claps and wooo’s. The group then fans out into a line for the big reveal.
“And we are… the Gold Bold Bug Catcher Tipi!” they chime in broken unison.
“Alright, let’s give six big claps for our six-legged friends from the Gold Tipi!” says Clowning Instructor Riley Soloner as transition music begins playing over the PA. Tonight Riley is performing the emcee function for Camp’s traditional opening night entertainment, Tipi Skit Night.
“Okay, can I get another volunteer to pick the next slug?” he asks. Over a dozen hands shoot up. “Yes, you there.” A camper approaches Riley and reaches blindly into a Seussian hat filled with plastic banana slugs, selecting one. “Can you please read the slug into the microphone?”
“Red Tipi,” says the camper.
Chappel Roan’s “Hot To Go” is queued up, causing the already squirmy crowd to explode with dancing and singing. As the chorus comes in, every child starts performing the prescribed arm movements. The song is faded out as Red Tipi begins their skit. Three counselors sit on the edge of the stage, all pretending to read from a large picture book.
“Once upon a time there was an awesome Tipi who drank lots of water,” recites Singing Instructor Val Le. Suddenly a camper pops their head into view from atop the metal rainbow. In quick succession, the eight-or-so campers introduce themselves from this lofty perch. “And they all lived happily ever after, because they were the well read TIPI!” The punny punchline elicits a mixture of groans and giggles.
Before Riley can even ask for a new slug selector, twenty campers shoot their hands up, many literally jumping out of their seats in the hopes of being chosen. This rhythm of stilted acting, ravenous slug selection, and pop-music transitions will continue until each of Camp’s fifteen tipi groups have had a chance to introduce themselves. Slightly before the end of the program arrives, I surreptitiously make my way over to the toothbrushing zone where I wait to collect my daily quota of camper quotations.
“Camp is really good because I like coming here again,” says Lily, 10, Gold Tipi. “I’m excited to my friend, Juliana. What I liked best about today was the skits. Our skit went good. I don’t think anyone messed up. I’d definitely recommend this camp.”
“Microwaving limes was a funny topic,” recalls Felix, 11, Blue Tipi. “Touring around was nice to have a refresher. The new lighting system is really cool, the way the lights can make the rainbow look like any color, it can make different moods.”
“Today was pretty nice, pretty decent,” estimates Eloise, 9, Yellow Tipi. “Some of the tipi skits were funny, but I don’t remember which ones. This session I want to try silks, and I’m also going to try to keep my slice of the tipi cleaner than last year.”
“It’s funny how hard it is to remember your name when you’re on stage,” points out Lifeguard Milo Costello. “Some of the tipis who were trying to go as fast as possible, the kids kept forgetting their own names, and that was pretty hilarious.”
“Our skit was a ‘W’,” says Teen Staff Ash, 15, Indigo Tipi. “The tipi skits were fire. Ours was not the most fire, but we did okay.”
“Camp is better than good,” says Cav, 10, Yellow Tipi. “This is my favorite place on Earth. Everyone is laughing, having fun, and doing their own thing. This session I’m gonna try and do stilts, improv, clowning—everything! I’m always prepared with emergency mustaches,” he says, producing a small pouch full of differently shaped lip wigs, and demonstrating his favorite.
GREEN ROOM circa 4:30pm—The weather often seems to get slightly hotter for Big Show, as if the sun moves in a little closer for a better look at our performances. Today’s show is also running quite long, compounding the situation. I like to think of these times of discomfort as opportunities to be extra professional with our showmanship, and the campers are doing exactly that, poised backstage for their entrances or making final costume adjustments in the Costume Barn. Here in the Green Room, several dozen children are participating in the age-old performer tradition of staring dead-eyed at a television screen.
“Clowning on stage, Experimento on deck, and Monster Cycle in the hole!” announces Camper Advocate Lexi Takaki, briefly pausing the television. In response to this announcement, a smattering of campers stand up and jog away toward the Tipi Circle, aka backstage, to prepare for their acts. Lexi presses play. I make my way around the periphery of the Green Room crowd to garner some final quotations.
“It was a really good oldest-camper year,” says Aydin, 14, Ultraviolet Tipi. “I’m definitely coming back for Teen Staff if I can. Last night we had an oldest camper ceremony at the Labyrinth. It was dark and the stars were out. The vibes were chill but also sad because this was our last year as campers. We held hands in a circle and walked the Labyrinth.”
“This session I learned how to juggle clubs from Eden,” continues Aydin. “It took me like three days, but now I have a pretty solid pattern. Next year I’ll learn how to pass. I had an amazing tipi and the vibes were awesome.”
“The first week was rough, but the second week was good,” says Ophelia, almost 13, Scarlet Tipi. “We had some drama in our tipi, but Joaquin helped us sort it out, and I wrote a ‘Sorry’ note to my friend. The Big Show is my highlight of the session. I like performing for a new audience. It feels more exciting. It’s like you’re in the world of Camp for two weeks, and then the parents come, and it becomes the real world again.”
“All campers backstage for the Camp Songs Finale!” announces Lexi, cutting my interviews short. I grab my guitar and gather with my fellow musicians, in the gravel just beyond downstage right. We are all hot, dehydrated, and covered in dirt, but ultimately excited to put on our three-song set. The first tune, Black Sabbath’s “The Wizard”, is a camper favorite. Nodding at Drummer Jeff Brown, he counts us off, rapping together his sticks.
“ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!”
Thanks for reading along this session! Have a safe journey home and, as always,
Stay hydrated, —J. Payseno, Editor
PS A bonus interview with Ginger’s toddler Robbie: So, Robbie, how was this session for you? Did you get to do everything that you wanted to do, or are there still some dangling loose ends out there for next session? “This chair broken.” How old are you? “Two.” This session was notable for its bevy of classes and talented teaching staff. Was there any skill in particular that really resonated with you, or do you consider yourself more of a jack-of-all-trades? “I just played those drums, and they’re cool.” Now that this is your second year at Camp Winnarainbow, are there any areas of improvement that you’d care to identify?
“This chair’s starting to broke.” Any final thoughts you’d like to leave our readers with as we close out Session B, 2025? “I don’t have a tipi; I live in a house.”
CHESS GROVE circa 3pm—I move my pawn to c5, to Niko’s surprise. “No one at my level knows c5,” he remarks, scratching his chin and staring intently at the pieces. I’m currently on a mission to avenge Chess Instructor Memo who was bested by Niko earlier this session. He’s proving to be a formidable opponent, opening with a solid London System. Memo emerges from the kitchen with two pitchers, one with ice water for the kids, and one with ice coffee for us adults. This exactly the advantage I need to win this game.
Capoeira Instructor Mniska Lamb pulls up in the Lake Shuttle, reminding me of a prior commitment at the Lake. Niko and I agree to adjourn our game, and I run to gather my tools. The last full day of Camp has arrived and seems to be speeding by.
LAKE VERONICA circa 3:45pm—“We’ll be done with our dominoes game in just a minute,” says Lifeguard Lucien Lamb. “Five seconds for each move!”
“I’m trying to count!” laments a camper, holding two handfuls of dominoes.
Lucien tires of waiting and tosses down his dominoes. We begin making our way up the hill.
“I was gonna win anyway!” chides Lifeguard Milo.
If you remember from Sunday’s Lake Lore post, Lucien and I were on a quest to find his grandfather Tinker’s initials in the concrete piers of the bygone waterslide. By chance, Mniska, Lucien’s dad—another of Tinker’s progeny—is driving the Lake Shuttle today, so he tags along for the excursion.
“Here’s the potential ‘JERRY’,” I say, pointing to a concrete pier with the letters E-R-R-Y visible through the dirt. Tinker’s government name was Jerry, so this might be the one.
Kneeling onto my kneepads I produce my wire brush and begin scraping away. I uncover an upper horizontal line with a downward vertical stem. It’s a promising start for a J, but as I continue downwards, the stem doesn’t turn at all. I wipe the last dirt away to reveal an unequivocal ‘T’.
The three of us burst into laughter while one camper looks on in confusion.
“Who’s Terry?” exclaims Lucien.
“I have no idea,” says Mniska. “But Tinker did sometimes go by ‘Blue Bead’.”
With this new information, Lucien and I continue search, but the beating sun doesn’t allow for much progress. Not desiring an episode of heatstroke I quickly dunk myself in the water and head back to Camp.
BACKSTAGE circa 9pm—Tonight’s evening program is the final dress rehearsal before Saturday’s Big Show. Campers who are about to go on stage mingle in the Tipi Circle with matching costumes. I’m using my backstage access to find how campers are feeling about the progress they made in their chosen disciplines this session.
“I didn’t get around to doing stilts last year, so this year I really went for it, and now I’m gonna be in the stilt parade,” says Stella, 13, Orange Tipi. “Next year I’m going to focus on juggling. I know the basics already, but I want to learn some tricks and how to juggle clubs. I think that people can come back year after year and always have something new to learn every time.”
“I wanted to do unicycle, but I had to do stilts,” says Lily “Next year I’m going to do more unicycle. I also wish I could have gone to the Lake more. Camp is magical. It’s not all fancy-schmancy, but it’s fun. There’s no other place like this.”
“I didn’t get to try everything; Camp went by so fast!” says Sage, 14, Orange Tipi. “I focused on Experimento this year, and I also learned the basics of juggling. For my last day here I’m just gonna hang out with friends and exchange phone numbers. It’s really respectful here. I liked a lot of the counselors. This place is really great.”
“I never made it to the Lake,” admits Fox, 12, Scarlet Tipi. “There were just too many other things to do during free time. My new addiction/obsession is balancing a stick on my finger. One morning I was doing it in the cocoa line and Memo showed me how to do it better. Ever since then I’ve been doing it all the time. I would say about 60% of my free time has been spent on stick balancing.”
“I really like that there’s more nature here compared to some other Camps I’ve been to,” continues Fox. “Here you sleep in tipis and there’s no video games. I feel like I’m connecting with nature.”
“I wanted to do aerials this year, but instead I did unicycling, acrobatics, improvisation, songwriting and stilts,” says Max, 12, Scarlet Tipi. “In my four years here I’ve learned a lot of cool stuff—stuff that I could never dream of learning somewhere else. I think the things I’ve learned at Camp will help me with life, whether or not I come back again. I mean, sure, I might not need to ever unicycle in my real life, but Camp is more than that. I learned how to take feedback, how to improve, and how to have a good time. I’m gonna miss Winnarainbow.”
