Camp Sugar Pine

Both Amara and her sister have been Girl Scouts since Kindergarten and they love all things Girl Scouts. But they especially love cookie season and for Amara, sleep away camp is something she has looked forward to for the past 4 years.  She kills it during Girl Scout Cookie season to help make her way to camp. Last year, Covid shut things down right after cookie season and after all that hard work (1200 boxes sold), she was unable to attend camp due to the global pandemic. It was a huge disappointment. This year the pandemic put a damper on the cookie season but both girls managed to sell well over 1000 boxes combined, with the hopes that maybe camp would open up.  Selling that much put Amara even further along to securing her season at camp and she had her fingers crossed. When we finally found out that camp would be open (with Covid restrictions in place), we all did a happy dance. But the number of attendees would be severely limited for safety reasons. Because of that, I was on-line the first minute registration opened and registered Amara for two weeks at Sugar Pine. This would be the longest she would be away from home and while we'd miss her (she might not miss us!), it would be such a wonderful part of her summer, especially after the past year and half of the global pandemic having rocked all our worlds. 

Being able to go to sleep away camp is a very special opportunity, one where a child can be a kid, have fun without parental influence, a place to make new friends and try new things. In camp, life long lessons and  memories are made. With high school looming after summer, I wanted Amara to have as much fun as possible. Still, we held our breaths, because with the pandemic not quite under control, there was a good chance things could be cancelled. 

Luckily for Amara, and all the other Girl Scouts who were ready to resume summer festivities, camp was a go. The only difference, no transportation. We'd have to drive her ourselves to Arnold. It'd be a long day driving there and back (about 6 hours round trip) but it would also give us the chance to see Sugar Pine in person (and allow me to take photos!)  So off we went on a Sunday morning in early July and left Amara at camp, once she got her lice check and passed the Covid regulations. 

A few days after she arrived however, and on the same day Havana and I were preparing to leave for Maui, we got word that a fire, some hundred miles away, was causing so much smoke at Sugar Pine, they'd have to evacuate.  In a normal year, I'd be in shocked and disappointed. But 2020 and 2021, they were far from normal so it barely fazed me. I mean what else could happen, right?!  The plan was to bring the entire camp all the way back to the Bay Area, to Camp Bothin for a few days, where they could have a few days of camp and then hopefully the smoke would clear and they could return back to Arnold. I dreaded this news for Amara and feared her camp days would end before they started. I called Sugar Pine and asked them to get Amara a message; did she want her dad to get her at Bothin and put her on a plane to Maui (I hope she realizes how lucky she is to even have that option!) or did she want to stick out? Brave, adventurous Amara was ready to stick it out, no matter the outcome.

 During Havana and I's first few days on Maui, I kept close eye on my email for the updates. Two days later, good news came. The girls were going back to Sugar Pine.  As an adult, the idea of three roundtrip drives to Arnold in less than a week seemed exhausting but Amara later told us, "It was a lot of fun. We got to go on a big bus and it went quickly."  Those camp memories I mentioned earlier; well this would be one of them. Full on camp fire evacuation, going to a different camp, trying new things, then going back for almost ten more days of swimming, hiking, archery, water sports, cooking, singing and late nights with new friends; wow, what a summer experience Amara ended up having.

As a life long Montessori kid, Amara planned, organized and packed all her gear for camp with little adult input. (and Mr, Kai, he wanted to go do but sadly, he had to stay home because otherwise, he might be bear food!)

All packed and ready to go!

We finally saw Sugar Pine in person. It was so beautiful amongst the redwoods and other trees.

Amara always gets patched for her archery. She is quite skilled.

Drop off.

Two sisters saying goodbye.

Some of the girls sleep in covered wagons like this. They come with bunkbeds inside.

Lice check! No one wants a lice outbreak at camp, or anywhere!

Don captured photos off pick up day. I was very sad to not see her until we got back from Maui.

One tired but happy camper (who started planning next year on the way home!)