Unforgettable Campfire and Camping Memories

Compiled By: Alicia Kroell

From outdoor adventures to meeting new people (who end up being lifelong friends) camps have created countless memories for kids throughout the years. Whether a bit embarrassing or inspiring, experienced Portland campers were happy to share their favorite memories.

[My favorite was] singing songs from my favorite musical at the time – Fiddler on the Roof – with the boys’ tent camp counselor and others. The boys’ and girls’ tents had both ended up in one large teepee due to weather, and we sang through the night as rain dripped off the ends of the teepee onto the ground about six inches below. We were warm and snug with a fire in the center, with smoke escaping up through the smoke hole, just as it should.

In between rain storms, I remember jumping into the lake from a rope swing, along with other boys and girls. At that age, I was feeling pretty adult, part of the Age of Aquarius, and sporting my first peace-sign necklace with shy pride.
Susan Stayer Curtis, age 55
Loon Lake Camp near Reedsport, OR

Playing pranks on our horse-camp counselor was pretty memorable (we mailed him a banana every week for one year, which he received in rotten semester-sized chunks because we only had his home address), but even better was the year senior-high horse camp packed into the Wallowas and stayed with Harry for three days. (Harry is the caretaker for an old mining camp near Aneroid Lake, and he is a mountain man.) His favorite hymn is “How Great Thou Art.” I remember singing that hymn around the campfire one night, looking up at the stars and seeing more clearly than ever how great God was.
Michelle Fischer, age 20
Wallowa Lake Camp in Joseph, OR

I always loved going to our all-church Fall Frolic at Suttle Lake. I loved the fresh air, campfires, singing, camaraderie and especially kayaking on the lake. Somehow the weather was always beautiful up there in the fall, and it was fun to be with my church family of all ages in a casual setting.
Laura Templin, age 45
Suttle Lake in Sisters, OR

My favorite camp memory was when STARR [Sports, Theater, Art, Rock and Roll] Camp at Magruder cleaned out the boathouse, and on the last night had a big dance party in it. I’ll never forget that night.
Rachelle Trump, age 15
Camp Magruder in Rockaway, OR

Mine would have to be performing “I Believe in a Thing Called Love,” with Dan Miller for Workshop. I think we also did “Roxanne.” And maybe a Killers’ song, too, using plastic silverware as instruments. Man, that was classic.
James Lohkamp, age 19
Suttle Lake in Sisters, OR

It was the summer before seventh grade and I had an awful time because it was during that super awkward period in my life when girls were really mean and I really couldn’t take it. But, I had this shirt that, I guess, resembled the shirt of “Where’s Waldo,” and these older (seemingly “hot,” at the time) guys thought it was really funny and cool. So, at dinner for the next few nights, these guys would chant my name for, like, 10 seconds and then the main guy of the group would stand up and yell, “I love you, Hannah!” And the rest of my cabin was totally jealous and I was totally awesome.
Hannah Blacksin, age 19
Camp Walden in Ontario

I learned to respect my body and that my body was a temple. I learned that because I got caught kissing with my then-boyfriend.
Ally Hubbard, age 18
Dundee Presbyterian Church Camp in Fremont, NE

It happened my sophomore year at MADD [Music, Arts, Dance and Drama Camp] between Jacob and me during drama games on the deck between Smith and Heron. We were playing an [improv] game called Freeze. I came into the scene and it changed to a dating scene. Towards the end, Jacob proposed to me; I said “yes” and as soon as “yes” came out of my mouth, Jacob stage kissed me out of the blue. I didn’t expect it, but it wasn’t totally surprising either. What made it more memorable was the fact that we knew as soon as something happened like this, one of the deans would walk up and, sure enough, as soon as Jacob started “kissing” me, [our dean] Sarabeth, came walking up the pathway and all she could see was Jacob and me kissing, and she had no clue what was going on. Everybody there just started laughing hard.
Eric Severson, age 18
Camp Magruder in Rockaway, OR

We got to go to a ranch that took us on horseback around some really neat places in the “outback” [as] they called it. My girlfriend and I decided to run our horses, which we were not supposed to do. We apparently did not cinch our saddles correctly and both of us fell off our horses. Neither one of us was hurt, except for our pride [as] 30 other girls sat on their horses laughing at us. We got in a lot of trouble and spent the rest of the week on KP duty [kitchen pick-up], cleaning the outhouses and the shower houses. A lesson well learned; [we] had a great time though.
Kandi Templin, age 48
Mountain Dale in North Plains, OR

I was 12 (maybe?). My group, the “Little Lumberjacks,” was on a hike [and] some kids decided it’d be smart to play with a hornets’ nest. It didn’t turn out well. I got stung six times, the most out of everyone. I got put on some sort of medication for the day that made me fall asleep. When I woke up it was near the end of the day and the camp was having the meeting before everyone left for the day. I was then presented with a clay sculpture of a hornet for what happened. Not exactly what I wanted after this particular traumatic experience.
Tim Misar, age 18
Rainbow Valley Sunset Camp

I remember being extremely homesick. My parents sent me cookies and recordings of my dad reading me bedtime stories to try to make me feel at home. These didn’t work and they had to come get me halfway through the week.
Jim Hubbard, age 22
Camp Foster in Lake Okoboji, IA

I was asleep at camp, and in my dream I was talking to this girl, I think about pretty mundane things, like the weather, and then she started going, “A blah mugh burt blah mug tut tut.” I got really confused and realized this must be a dream so I woke myself up to find my friend, Hayden, blurting nonsense out of his mouth.
Jackson Borghi, age 18
Camp JCA Shalom in Idyllwild, CA

There were these bathrooms that were wooden, and you went in two at a time. I was very afraid. And one of the times I fell in. Then another time I just wet my pants before I got there.
Amy Misar, age 16
Rainbow Valley Day Camp in North Plains, OR

My favorite memory is from two years ago; I was the PA (program aide) for a troop of about ten 8-year-olds and while we were moving from activity to activity throughout the second day, they all decided that they were going to pretend that they were surgically attached to my hand. I spent the entire afternoon with a cluster of little girls holding my left hand. Not an easy task when you’re hiking in the woods.
Stephanie Mijo, age 18
Camp Yamhill in Yamhill, OR

Licking a slug while out on the trail.
Jeremy Hartman, age 31
Outdoor School in Oregon

I liked Cub Scouts. I was in it for four years. All the people made it fun to go to the camps. All the activities really stick out in my mind like archery, BB guns and all the fun boy stuff.
Richard Kroell, age 16
Camp Ireland in Hillsboro, OR

When I was at summer camp every Tuesday and Thursday, we’d get the canoes and we would play this game called “canoe swamping.” There would be 12 canoes on the lake and [we would] paddle around and try to get [in]to other people canoes and try and tip other kids out of their canoes.
Sean VanDomelen, age 19
Camp Meriwether in Cloverdale, OR

I went out sailing on a boat no more than 10 feet long with Rick Campbell, who was a self-described pirate enthusiast. We never flipped, but did manage to let in a few ripples over the leeward gunnel.
Philip Scrange, age 17
Camp Magruder in Rockaway, OR

[It was] my first church camp experience and I was probably 12 or 13 at Camp Magruder. We had communion with bread and, I think, Coke. [We went] out to the sand dunes… probably because it got us out of the buildings; that was out where we could look out across the ocean and see the waves come in. Being out where you could really see the ocean, enjoy the sand, enjoy the grass and have fun out in the lake was great. Particularly, just spending time around the campfire and having time with lots of new people [is a favorite camp memory].
Virginia Bender, age 77
Camp Magruder in Rockaway, OR

One of my favorite camp memories took place during my sophomore year of high school at MADD (Music, Art, Dance and Drama) Camp. It was at the end of the week – the very last campfire. At the last campfire the seniors always give a candle to a younger camp attendee, symbolizing passing on their light, their spirit, their passion for camp. My sophomore year I received a candle from a girl that I didn’t even know knew my name. She was one of the popular girls and we had never really talked. But when Abbe walked over and sat down next to me and told me how much she admired me and loved my passion we both started crying. I held on to that candle for a couple more years. But the memory of that night lives on.
Alicia Webb, age 22
Camp Magruder in Rockaway, OR