When the winter weather finally breaks and it appears that spring has truly arrived (although we can still receive a dusting of snow), it is the habit of a group of my friends to gather for a camp. We have the good fortune to have access to a large wooded property with an ancient maple sugar shack near the middle of the woods. Over the years we have repaired and stabilized the building and have created a modest camp shelter. Of course, “comfort” is a relative concept since the sugar shack has no running water, no electricity, and no central heat. But the roof is solid and we have camped there year-round.
Many times when we gather in camp, we have a project or two to complete. Over time we have rebuilt walls, dug and constructed an outhouse, installed a woodstove, created a dedicated cooking area, and have split and stacked many cords of firewood. Other projects have included stabilizing the shack’s foundation, building bunks, hanging tree stands, setting traps for beaver in season, and constructed ground blinds. As we have completed these projects, we learn more about working together, which makes the next project go even more smoothly. We have moved from being individuals to being a team.
That’s not to say that out time in camp is all work and no play. We spend considerable time in conversation, just catching up on the details of what has happened to each of us since we were last together. We cook and eat outstanding food in sufficient quantity. Sometimes we simply wander through the woods to note the changes on the land. There is no shortage of activities and most of the time there is no hurry, either. There are usually enough hands to complete any work we want to do and more than enough time to finish the tasks.
Sometimes each man in camp has a small personal project or two that we want to take on, in addition to any larger project for the group. But the primary “activity” we want to accomplish is the renewing of our bonds of friendship and to support each other as we talk about our daily lives back home. It is not uncommon for us to devote the majority of our time to conversation. We realize that the most important thing we can do it to keep our friends close. The support system we have built for each other is more important than out camp building or any project.
Often one or more of us will get the idea around the same time to have a camp and the others in the group will quickly agree. The specific days of the gathering and the basic menu are set rapidly and we spend the time before camp in eager anticipation. We converse about any project, add or subtract menu items, and discuss the logistics of our future time together. After so many years of friendship there are few things we don’t know about each other and there have been many life events (good and bad) where we have supported each other. The friendship is what makes our camps some of our favorite times of the year.
