As the weather gets colder and the sun sets earlier, we start daydreaming about hot summer days by the lake. What used to be the time for kayaking, campfires, and climbing has now become the time for hot chocolate, gift giving, and holiday traditions. Even though the colder days feel long, you are never far from the joy of summer camp memories.
With warmer weather and blue skies on our minds, let’s take a moment to remember some of our favorite moments from last summer at Mah-Kee-Nac. We hope this brings a little bit of warmth to you this season and gets you just as excited for next summer as we are!
Stockbridge Series “Marathon”
The annual Stockbridge Marathon is a 1.7 mile race that loops through the woods and up and down the hills of Camp Mah-Kee-Nac. This event happened in the first week of camp and it was a great way for the boys to start practicing key camp values like perseverance, sportsmanship, and camaraderie. Campers cheered for each other as they finished the race. Afterward, they celebrated their achievements together as a team and kicked off the start of another great summer.
Adventure Trips
Our campers get the chance to go on many different adventures during their stay at summer camp. On one of our favorite trips, our junior campers (TJC) spent a day at Zoom Flume – New York’s #1 rated family water park. They slid down massive waterslides, rode on a lazy river, splashed around the rip-tide pool and much more!
On another exciting trip, our eldest campers – the Senecas – experienced a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Costa Rica where they volunteered at a local day camp as counselors. During the week, campers enjoyed surfing, hiking, sailing, and ziplining through the rainforest. They also explored Costa Rican culture and much more!
Hike to Mt. Savoy
Midway through the summer some of our Upper Seniors (USR) were able to participate in an overnight hiking trip to Mt. Savoy. They hiked through the North Pond Trail where they were able to set up camp and prepare meals by a bonfire. After a night spent sleeping under the stars (and a little rain!) and lots of exploring, swimming, and fun, the boys returned back to camp ready for the next challenge with lots of great stories to tell.
Polar Bear Plunge
Every Friday morning at camp our campers participated in a Polar Bear plunge! During this fun tradition, campers woke in the early morning hours and head down to the lake. They recited the Polar Bear chant and jumped into the bone-chilling water. Afterwards, they celebrated with their fellow campers and made lasting memories with their friends. On the real chilly mornings, we celebrate with Hot Chocolate. What better way to kick-off each weekend than with a splash?
Camp Mah-Kee-Nac Olympics
Campers were put to the test in the 70th annual Camp Mah-Kee-Nac Olympics. The boys were divided into eight teams: Namibia, Mexico, Finland, Brazil, Solomon Islands, Madagascar, Sweden, and Croatia – a nod to the eight nations in Mah-Kee-Nac Olympic history that have fallen just short of an Olympic crown.
They battled through several competitions including Tug of War, the Lake Swim, and the Biathlon – where one team member has to both run a race and shoot archery. After lots of hard work, grit, and determination from all teams, team Namibia came out on top.
It is so fun to highlight some of our favorite moments from camp while we are feeling nostalgic during the off-season, but there is so, so much more that is not listed here. We fill our summers at camp with jam-packed activities, and each day brings something new and exciting. But what cannot be captured in a list like this is what we miss more than anything – the friendships and the memories that come along with summer camp.
For Alumni, luckily, we have made staying in touch with fellow campers easier than ever with our Alumni Facebook and LinkedIn groups. Join now to start connecting with former camp members and hear more about what is going on in their lives outside of camp. Just because camp has ended does not mean your connections have to!
We are counting down the days until we are back under the summer sun hearing the buzz and excitement from all our campers. We know your child is eager to get back to camp and back to creating new memories, so enroll now for Summer 2025 and start planning ahead for the next summer season. We hope to see everyone back in person soon!