A Roof Over Our Head

Not only is there a roof up, but the covered porch is there as well. This is the part of the Cabin Restoration Project that I am most excited about…the Covered Porches! More details soon….

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Shawnee Cabin going up!

It didn’t take long for our new friends to throw up a floor system and the walls on the new Shawnee Cabin. They did all this work in only 2 days! It won’t be long and I’ll have some pictures with the roof on and a covered porch. Check back soon…

Also, they have poured the footers for the Spilman Lodge addition. It should be any day that they come back and start putting the floor system in. I’ll be sure to add some pictures soon…

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Spilman Expands

We have broken ground on the new addition to Spilman Lodge! (Click on the picture to the right to see what it will look like.) We are excited about a 24’x18′ expansion going onto the Choctaw Arapaho side of the Dining Hall. This new room will give us more dining space which will be crucial with the addition of a few new cabins. There will also be an 11′ cover front porch that will stretch the length of the building. The porch will be covered with a green metal roof, with traditional log spindals used for the railings. This front porch will be wide enough for additional rocking chairs for campers to hang out and enjoy their free time! With a little help from a local architect, we believe that this addition to Spilman will be a definite improvement that we can all be proud of. This project should be compete within the month, so check back often to see pictures!

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A little paving…

So we have had a few roads around camp that needed constant attention. Marty (sometimes mistaken for Jack Bauer) would be on his tractor weekly scraping the roads and keeping everything smooth. But never the less, there would be some rough spots. I recall hitting my head on the roof of a camp truck a few times b/c the roads were so bumpy, and at least one of those times Ron was driving…

In an effort to prevent major problems in the future, we have paved a strip of road leading up the hill towards TBI and the old infirmary…just up that first hill. We also paved the driveway and parking area around the Chapel. These minor additions look great and should make it a little easier to get around camp!

This ws just a short strip to the top of the hill…the main problem area. The rest if still gravel and works fine!

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New Staff Cabin – Apache

Back when I was an Apache we didn’t have the new fancy Apache bathhouse. Our old bathhouse was in the bottom half the two story Apache Cabin…connected to Cabin 3. Well, Marty has spent weeks renovating this old bathhouse. He is turning it into a brand new Staff Cabin. The Apache TL and a few other Central Staffers will be the first to live in the cabin with new walls and a new ceiling. They will be living in perhaps the nicest bedroom in camp. Although it’s still a construction zone, you can see Marty’s project is coming together! We have a few more buildings breaking ground soon. Be sure to check back for those pictures.

I have also posted here a picture showing the progress on the new Shawnee Cabin! They have the pillars finished and they are in the process of filling them with concrete. The floors system will start going in tomorrow! Things are moving along…and should be ready for you this summer! More details and pictures coming soon…

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Ridgecrest in the Fall

I wish everyone could spend a few weeks at Camp Ridgecrest in the fall. The colors are bright, and the temperature is perfect. Since you can’t take a stroll around the lake with us, then we’ll just give you a few shots that will make you want to come visit. Thanks to Karen, our local artist behind the camera.

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Snow at Camp…in October!

We woke up to an unexpected white blanket of snow today at Camp Ridgecrest! Well maybe less of a blanket and more of a dusting. Either way, it’s cool to see Camp Ridgecrest with snow on the ground. Thought you may want to take a peek, so here you go!

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Pouring Footers

We started pouring concrete footers for the New Cabins yesterday! Ron got in on the action, getting down and dirty to make sure the New Cabin on Shawnee Hill is just right. That’s right, if you are a 2nd year Shawnee, then you may get the chance to be in a brand new cabin. What will be different? Well, the biggest change will be that you will have a covered porch and a metal roof! It’s been cool to see dump trucks, cement trucks, and all kinds of equipment rolling around camp. Lots of cool stuff is happening! I’m excited for you all to see it when you show up this summer!

It won’t be long and we’ll be starting on the Spilman Lodge (Dining Hall) addition! We currently have an architect putting some final updates on the plans, and then we’re off and running! Within a few weeks, we’ll be pouring more footers. I think you’ll love this new addition! It will give you a new covered porch on the front of Spilman, with more places to hang out and enjoy the rocking chairs. Plus, we hope to add a new Foosball Table area, and of course a little more eating room in the Choctaw/Arap side of the Dining Hall.

I’ve noticed how much time the Contractor puts into the foundations of these buildings. They have to be inspected multiple times, and everything has to be just right. If the foundation of any building isn’t rock solid, then it’s sure to fall. I can’t help but think about my life and how I follow Jesus. If the foundations of my faith aren’t strong, if I don’t know what I believe or why I believe it, then my faith probably won’t withstand the hard stuff in life. So, what do we do about it? Keep running after Jesus, and do what we can to know him more. The more you know Jesus, the stronger your foundation will be. Real Life, the “good stuff,” is found when following Jesus.

Well, thats all for now, but check back soon for more pictures and updates. Be sure to Subscribe to this blog to the right… See you soon…

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Breaking Ground

So we’re building some new stuff for next summer! Stay tuned for more updates, but check out these pictures of us breaking ground on Shawnee Hill. We are adding one cabin in between cabin 7 and 8. This new cabin is almost like a preview of what all our cabins will look like in a few years. I think you’re gonna like them!  Here is a few pictures of us clearing a few trees and underbrush.  I’ll be sure to update you with more pictures over the next few weeks and months as camp gets closer…

We have also started our Spilman Dining Hall expansion! You’re gonna love having more room to eat, and a new covered porch off the front of Spilman. This massive piece of equipment took out these 3 trees in about 20 seconds. He gripped them with it’s claw and snapped the tree in two….then he pulled the entire thing straight up out of the ground. This was a sight that any one of us would have been impressed with. I’m thinking about adding a Back Hoe Skill for next summer! What do you think?:) Now that’s my kind of Volvo!

Check back soon for more pictures!

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Blog…Not Blob?

We are embarking on a new Journey here at Camp Ridgecrest. We always feel like we have so much to say, but never the time to say it. That’s about to change! These are the first issues of the Ridgecrest Blog. This new addition consists of 3 main pages, all of which can be accessed separately from our website:

1. News: With all the exciting changes happening around camp this winter, we wanted to keep you informed! Look here for pictures, videos, and the latest word from within Camp’s gates. Located on the Parent Tab and Camper Tab.
2. Parent Resources: A page just for Parents with helpful articles, websites and even videos. We plan to update this page as we learn about new topics, and materials that we think will be helpful to you! So please check back often. We are committed to helping you as a parent as you do your best to raise boys in today’s society. Located under the Parent Tab.
3. Weekly Devotions: A word or two every week from Camp Ridgecrest for you to share with your son or daughter, pointing them back to Jesus. We want to help facilitate great conversations about who God is and what Jesus has to do with us today! By emailing and adding these devotions to our website, we hope to be of some assistance to you as a parent. Located under the Parent and Camper Tab.

It is our desire that these new features on the Ridgecrest Summer Camps website will both enhance your child’s camping experience and further equip and encourage you as a parent. For your convenience, you can “subscribe” to each blog, adding it to your RSS feed at the top of your internet browser. If there is anything else we can do, please don’t hesitate to ask. Give us a call at 1.800.968.1630.

Posted in News | Tagged Boys Resources, Camp Ridgecrest, parents, Ridgecrest Blog, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, Weekly Devotions | Leave a reply