Monday, June 30th

Welcome back to the Birch Blog!

Today was the first full day of camp and we were blessed with great weather all day. For breakfast we had waffles and orange slices, with orange juice and hot cocoa too. After breakfast our first day of classes started! Hilltop, lakeside, and seniors made their way to their new swimming classes, boating and canoeing classes, sports up on the A-field or Arts and Crafts in the lodge. The camper favorite today was sports where they played Nuk’ Em, a get to know you game so that the boys can get to know everyone in their neighboring cabins.

Dinner, our biggest meal at noon time, rolled around after campers were able to get in some rounds of tetherball and knock hockey. We had Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, and green beans, a camp classic. The boys grabbed their Camp Store treat for rest hour and enjoyed some well earned rest.

We were able to enjoy the wonderful lake for general swim. Afterwards, the weather remained gorgeous for seniors boating, lakeside sports and hilltop arts and crafts.

Activity period was a great time for new and old campers to play Gaga ball, jump off the tower, and even play badminton. Overall it was a jam packed first day and the campers are excited for the next!

We ended the day with grilled cheese and chocolate pudding pie for our supper meal and dessert, another camper and counselor favorite.

Up on the A-field we played capture the flag and headed in for a quick dip! The campers are very ready for their rest and already excited for breakfast tomorrow.

With love from Wamah,

Jocelyn

Boys' Camp!

Hello and welcome to Boys’ Camp 2025!

Today we welcomed all of our campers, new and returning, to Camp Asto Wamah. Campers arrived today, checked in and said their goodbyes! After meeting their new cabin mates and counselors, the boys took a tour of camp and learned about all the rules and important places around camp.

After general camp rules, learning all the counselors names and director introductions, the new campers headed into the lake for their swim test. The returning campers joined later for a quick general swim before supper.

Cookee bell rang and new and old campers refreshed their skills on setting the table, preparing for our meal of hot dogs, tater tots, baked beans, and veggies. The traditional first day supper meal, including brownies for dessert, left everyone full and ready for a game up on the A-field.

The boys made their way up to the A-field with their tied shoes excited for the first evening program of the year. Drew announced rules for Medical War and the campers had a blast in the classic first day dodge ball game. After a quick dip to cool and dust off the campers got ready for bed before taps rang.

The campers had a great time with their new cabin mates and fellow campers on the first day and are excited for these next two weeks!

Love from the lake, Jocelyn and Grace

Coed - Day 2

Hello everyone!

We had another hot day here at Camp Asto Wamah, and it looks like we have another day of heat before it cools down!

The morning started off with blueberry bread, a camp favorite. After cleaning cabins and helping with camp duties, it was time for classes to begin. The campers were very excited to get in the water!

For dinner, we had ravioli and chocolate pudding. One camper said, "Well the website wasn't lying, the food here is phenomenal!" which we can all agree with!

Next up was a shortened Rest Hour and a long General Swim! After our last class of the day, it was time for Activity Period. The Hunter (our big sailboat) went out with some campers and staff! Of course, we also had campers jumping off of the Tower, and drawing and Frisbee was offered too.

Supper tonight was tacos with peaches for dessert, and then we got ready for Evening Program. Tonight we played Spies and Smugglers! The Smugglers have to bring up tickets with points on them up to the A-Field while avoiding the Spies. The Smugglers can hide the ticket in their clothing, and the Spies get three guesses to try and find the ticket!

We finished off the evening with some camp songs, a Quick Dip in the lake, and Popsicles for a snack!

Enjoy the warm weather tomorrow!

Sami

First Full Day of Camp!

Hello everyone!

For our first full day of camp, we started the morning off with some waffles. One of the favorite waffle topping combinations is peanut butter and syrup  We also had some cantaloupe, orange juice, and hot chocolate! After breakfast, campers cleaned up their cabins and helped with Camp Duties.

It was a very hot day, even right next to the lake, so we set up water stations around camp to make sure everyone stayed hydrated! Morning classes included swimming lessons, boating, Arts & Crafts, and Sports!

For dinner we had chicken tenders, and dessert was raspberry sherbert, which cooled everyone off! After that, we headed to the camp store where campers could get candy and any toiletries or postage they might need! We had a shortened Rest Hour because of the heat, but that gave us time to go over rules for an extended General Swim!

After the last classes of the day (Sports, Boating, and Arts & Crafts) we had Activity Period! Offerings included Ultimate Frisbee, basketball, and jumping off the Tower.

Supper was meatball grinders, with Jello cake for dessert! Then we all headed up to the A-Field for Capture the Flag. After the game, a lot of campers and staff jumped in the lake to cool down before bed!

See you all tomorrow!

Sami

Wednesday, August 14th

The sun was shining bright this morning when the campers filed into the lodge for english muffins, cantaloupe, oranges, cereal, and orange juice/hot chocolate. Following breakfast the campers cleaned their cabin and headed off to their first, second, and third period classes! For first period some of the campers (level 6 and above) were able to swim to frog island and back! The campers enjoyed the swim and even brought back some rocks to remember this magical journey! The day continued on with the sun shining, which we are thankful for! For dinner the campers had a new favorite: Goulash! Which is a macaroni tossed with tomatoes, ground beef and topped with cheese! Alongside this meal was salad and ranch dressing, and whole wheat bread! For dessert the campers enjoyed ice cream bars (which was perfect on this hot day). Following dinner the campers headed over to store to pick their choice of candy. The candy options today were M and Ms, Reese Pieces, Air Head Extremes, Twix, Kit Kat, and Skittles. The campers then headed to rest hour and took an hour to write letters (hopefully) and take a nap. After rest hour the campers headed in for general swim! Some campers were enthusiastic that they passed into a new level and got to swim in either deep water or intermediate! Activities that were offered today were jumping off the tower, hula hooping with Nick, and my personal favorite: hiking the nature trail with our resident expert Matthew! Following activity period the campers were excited for our second eat out!! The sandwiches today consisted of turkey, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato and peanut butter and jelly! Alongside this meal was chips, cookies, and watermelon! Evening program tonight was non stop cricket whereby campers hit a tennis ball, one at a time, ran around the cone and scored a point for their team! After evening program the campers headed down to the flag pole to either go in for a quick dip or sing songs on the logs! Snack today was ice pops! Tomorrow is our traditional Thursday evening meal: banquet! We look forward to this meal!

Kaitlyn

Tuesday, August 13th

This morning the campers were greeted with French Toast, cantaloupe, cereal, orange juice, and hot chocolate! Following breakfast the campers headed off to swimming, boating, arts and crafts, and sports. Campers began to show off their talents in swimming and boating in hopes of passing onto the next level! Dinner today was my personal favorite: lasagna! This cheesy pasta goodness was served with baguettes, and salad and ranch dressing! After the campers were filled with lasagna they headed off to their cabin for rest hour to make bracelets, (hopefully) write a letter home, and took a nap! After rest hour and campers went in for general swim whereby they swam with a buddies and worked on their strokes to pass swimming! Activities that were offered today for activity period were: jumping off the tower with Sophie, tether ball competition with Fatou, and sunfish sailing with Kyleigh. Supper this evening was chicken fingers, mac and cheese, pickles, apple sauce, and chips! Evening program tonight was a game that has been banned for 15 years (since 2007!). The game is called Triad which is a three way round of soccer! There were three separate teams and each team was trying to score their ball in the other teams goal! The campers loved with once banned game and they look forward to playing it again next year! Catherine allowed the campers to take a quick dip following evening program which many campers took advantage of. The weather has been beautiful and we are sad that camp is almost coming to an end. Until tomorrow,

-Kaitlyn

Monday, August 12th

This morning the campers got to sleep in a little bit which was a nice surprise! Breakfast this morning was chocolate chip and banana bread with orange juice and hot chocolate! Swimming, boating, arts and crafts, and sports all took place this morning AND the weather was beautiful! Dinner this afternoon was a camp favorite, Shepards Pie!!! This meal was served with a tossed salad and ranch dressing! Following rest hour the campers were dressed in bathing suits and ready to go swimming in the lake! However, it began to downpour so the campers went to the upper lodge to play board games. For activity period the campers were allowed to go off the tower, make friendship bracelets and bead braids in their hair! Supper tonight was pulled pork sandwiches, assorted chips, and fresh vegetables. For dessert we had Christmas in August!! The campers had sugar cookies topped with Christmas sprinkles and frosting. During the meal it began to downpour so evening program was held inside. Tonight we played "Deck the Counselor" whereby each cabin picked 2 names from a hat and these were their new counselors to perform a skit with! The skit that won (spoiler alert) was cabin 5 and this was a skit about dance moms!

-Kaitlyn

Sunday, August 11th

Today was a much anticipated day in the campers’ minds: TRACK MEET!! The day started off gathered around the flag pole and the campers were welcomed with waffles and peanut butter, hot chocolate and cereal! Following breakfast the campers cleaned their cabin and headed off to the A field to begin track meet! The events that took place were standing long, running long jump, softball throw, 50 yard dash, and mid distance run! The campers cheered on their respective teams (green and white). The morning ended with a general swim in which the campers all went in with a buddy to swim around! Dinner was a track and field classic: ham and buttered noodles, corn, wheat bread, and tossed salad! Following dinner the campers went to their cabin to lay down and (hopefully) write letters during rest hour. Immediately after rest hour was the marathon, a race down camp road that ends at the lakeside washstand. After the marathon was our team triathlon, which involves passing a baton between runners, swimmers, and boaters. Everyone has a part in this relay. Next up was swim races where campers could compete against others in their swimming area to earn points for their team. The campers were very hungry after all of the events that took place in the afternoon, so supper tonight was pickup! This is the camp version of leftovers and it’s a great chance to eat something you enjoyed again! After supper we had our classic track and field day evening program: a series of different relays where green and white teams in each area compete against each other in soccer ball kicking, dodgeball passing, hoola hooping, and an obstacle course.

-Kaitlyn

Friday, August 9th

The morning started off finally warm!!! The campers enjoyed French Toast, oranges, hot chocolate, and orange juice. Following breakfast the campers cleaned their cabins and headed off to their first, second, and third period classes. Swimming was finally in the water!! Campers were soooo excited to show off their swimming skills to their teachers! Boating, canoeing, and sailing were conducted on the lake as well! Dinner today was meatballs and gravy, mashed potatoes, and a tossed salad with ranch dressing. After dinner the campers picked a candy of their choice from the camp store and headed off to rest hour. Although it was finally warm today, the rain was not able to hold off for general swim and the campers headed up to the upper lodge to play board games! Campers enjoyed activity period which consisted of making friendship bracelets, playing gaga ball, and drawing! The campers were beaming with excitement this evening because it was announced that evening program would be talent night! All afternoon the campers worked on skits, and perfected their singing! For supper the campers enjoyed a camp classic, grilled cheese and tomato soup! We were so excited when Chef Laura announced that dessert would be chocolate pudding pie!! As mentioned, evening program was talent night! Campers sang songs, performed skits with their cabins, said dad jokes, and even played the ukulele! Due to the impending storm we had the campers head off to bed and get snuggled in before it began to rain! We hope that tomorrow will be a sunny day!!

-Kaitlyn

Thursday, August 8th

This morning the campers munched on blueberry bread for breakfast and were warmed up with fresh hot cocoa on this chilly morning! Due to the weather (again) swimming was inside. For swimming class, the campers were challenged with a game of swimming related jeopardy containing fun facts such as: how far across the lake, how long has Catherine been the waterfront director, and what stroke is the term "pull, breath, kick, glid" from (breaststroke). Luckily, the campers were able to navigate the Columbia lake in rowboats, canoes, and sailboats for boating class! Although it was a bit windy, the campers were excited to head out on the lake. Following our morning classes, the campers enjoyed cheese ravioli, fresh baguettes, tossed salad and ranch dressing for dinner! Rather than head in the water for general swim, the campers played a camp wide game of Camp Asto Wamah Scattergories! Following our "indoor general swim" the campers headed off to fourth period, activity period, and second counselors swim. The campers were eagerly awaiting supper which consisted of chicken melts, laura's famous Utah sauce, chips, vegetables, and apple sauce! Chicken melts are a hit here at camp, and many of them had one for the first time and LOVED it! After supper the campers headed off to evening program which we played a new game which is a mix between "Step it Up" and Carnival! The campers went bowling, shot nerf guns, battled with swords, played Wordle, and played a spin on "Name that Tune" featuring camp lyrics and songs! After evening program it was finally time for the campers to head into their cabins for bed. We hope that tomorrow will give us some sun and we look forward to another great day at Camp Asto Wamah!

-Kaitlyn

Wednesday, August 7th

The morning started off a bit chilly so the campers warmed up with a mug of hot chocolate, waffles, and cereal. Following breakfast the campers got dressed (in sweatshirts and sweatpants) to head to swimming, boating, arts and crafts, and sports, all of which occurred inside! The campers spent the morning playing board games, drawing pictures of the lake and painting masterpieces. Dinner today consisted of Texas Hash, bread, salad with ranch dressing, and for dessert we enjoyed Laura's homemade chocolate chip cookie bars! After rest hour the campers headed to the lodge for board games such as the game of life, remaking a puzzle, Guess Who, and Apples and Apples. Tonight for supper was eat out! The campers enjoyed their choice of turkey, ham, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Luckily the rain held out and we were able to eat our magnificent sandwiches around camp! After supper the camp played a game of Spies and Smugglers! After a night of running up and down the hills and onto the A field, the campers were tired and some even went into the lake for a refreshing quick dip! The campers are now snuggled in bed and we hope the rain holds off tomorrow so that we can enjoy another day in the lake!

-Kaitlyn

Tuesday, August 6th

The morning started off with english muffins topped with jelly or cinnamon butter, and cereal. Following breakfast the campers cleaned their cabins, finished their camp duties and made their way to first, second, and third periods.

Due to the rain the campers first period swimming, and sports was inside and we played scattergories. By the time second period rolled around the rain stopped and the campers were able to go in for swimming and take boats out. For dinner we had ziti, baguettes (a camp favorite), a tossed salad with ranch dressing, and a fresh glass of water. After dinner the campers grabbed snack from the store and headed off to rest hour. Following rest hour the campers went in for general swim and headed to fourth period. Following fourth period the campers went to activity period which consisted of jumping off the tower, sailing in the sunfish, drawing, and gaga ball. Supper was chicken patties, bbq chips, mixed vegetables, and applesauce. After supper the campers played a big round of capture the flag! The campers headed off the bed in hopes that the rain would hold off in the morning!

-Kaitlyn

Monday, August 5th

After check-in on Sunday, campers were excited to begin our first full day of camp! We woke up to a beautiful sunrise and light breeze, which was much appreciated given the warm temperature.

Breakfast consisted of waffles and peanut butter (or butter, if preferred) and then campers and staff went back to their cabins to clean and get ready for morning classes. After camp duties (everyone helps to keep camp clean!), seniors started off in swimming, lakeside started with arts & crafts, and hilltop started with sports. The lake was perfect for swim lessons; everyone stayed in the entire time and enjoyed cooling off. Campers were able to start projects in arts & crafts and played the name game in sports. During smallcraft, campers listened to safety rules so they can begin rowing, canoeing, and sailing tomorrow.

During Counselors’ Swim, some campers took advantage of the beautiful weather and went fishing or boating with friends. For dinner, we had chicken tenders with corn and rice, with butterscotch pudding for dessert. Campers then headed off to store and Rest Hour. Following Rest Hour, campers went in the water for their first General Swim of the session. Most campers stayed in for the entire swim; the water was perfect!

During Activity Period, campers were able to go sailing on the Sunfish and the Hunter (our large sailboat), to jump off the tower (we had 27 people, so there were a few rotations!), to draw, and to make friendship bracelets.

For supper, we had Tacos with all the fixings and chocolate cake for dessert. Following supper, campers went to the A-Field for Evening Program, which was Medical War (dodgeball). They had a great time and were able to cool off with a quick dip in the lake before bed.

We look forward to tomorrow!

Double rainbow following a thunderstorm while we ate dinner in the lodge on Sunday!

Friday, August 2nd

This morning we had French toast for breakfast and started packing during cabin clean up. In sports we did the trust fall, an obstacle in our ropes course and played Gaga in arts and crafts. Testing continued in swimming and boating and many campers passed into new levels. Lunch was ravioli with sorbet for dessert. Immediately after rest hour we had fourth period and then we played pirates! Pirates is typically an evening program game but we didn’t get a chance to play this session so we played instead of activity period we played a shortened game. Afterwards we had a general swim to cool off. For supper meatball subs and jello cake for dessert. Then we headed back to our cabins to pack up everything we didn’t need for the night and morning. Next we went to the lodge to watch the slideshow and finally went to campfire where we did swimming, boating, track and field, and kitchen awards. We sang lots of songs, enjoyed s’mores, and headed off to bed for the final time. Thanks for tuning in to the birch blog this session, stay tuned for the second girls blog!

Grace :)

Thursday, August 1st

Happy banquet day! This morning we started off our day with English muffins, jelly, and cinnamon butter. After cabins were cleaned and camp duties were completed, we headed off to first period. Some of our senior swimmers had the opportunity to swim to frog island, a shallow area across the lake from camp. The girls who completed the swim got to bring back a rock from frog island and sign our frog island book. Testing for swimming and boating also began this morning and some campers moved up a level in their classes. Afterwards, we had our traditional banquet dinner which is tuna salad, egg salad, and PB&J’s. We have a lighter meal because of the large supper we have at banquet. We were eager to get in the water after rest hour for general swim as it was very hot out today and counselors offered activities in the water for activity period. Finally, it was time for banquet! We enjoyed our thanksgiving dinner and ice cream despite the heat in the lodge. Then we had a quick break to cool off outside and came back to do year awards and songs. Every camper received an award that corresponds to how many years they have been going to camp. Many girls keep their year awards and bring them back to camp each year. Our LTs also received their clipboards, a symbol of completing LT year. Afterwards, we had a special opportunity to do our candlelight service out on the lake. One by one, each cabin came down to the dock and one camper read a passage about light. Then staff members lit their candle boats and placed them onto the lake. This is a rare occasion as it is often too windy to put the candles out on the lake. We sang good night songs and went to bed silently, giving everyone a chance to reflect on their two weeks here at Asto Wamah.

Grace :)

Wednesday, July 31st

This morning we had a half hour sleep in which was much appreciated by campers and staff. Everyone was well rested for breakfast which was bagels, jelly, cream cheese, and cereal. There was a brief bit of rain during the morning but that didn’t stop us from going out on boats, playing sports on the field, and swimming in the lake. For dinner we had a pasta bake with beef and tomatoes and butterscotch pudding for dessert. The weather continued to hold out so we were able to go in the water for general swim and be outside for fourth and activity period. Many camper enjoyed Gaga, basketball, the tower, and sailing. The weather started to turn so we had to have our eat out inside. Each cabin ate their sandwiches, chips, and big juice at their regular table. It was still a lot of fun even though we couldn’t be outside. For evening program we played a classic camp game, Deck the Counselor! In this game each cabin is randomly assigned two counselors and an LT and they must prepare a skit that corresponds with the theme. Tonight’s theme was movies or tv shows and some skits featured scenes from Minions, Inside Out, and Dance Moms. Afterwards we sang songs, ate snack, and went off to bed. Tune in tomorrow for the banquet blog!

Grace :)

Monday, July 29th

Today was a rainy day here at camp! We slept in a half hour this morning which everyone appreciated after our long day yesterday. For breakfast we had blueberry bread, cereal, and cantaloupe. Morning classes were inside due to the rain. For swimming we played scattergpries, boating we had a boat drawing contest, sports we played 7 up, and arts and crafts went on as usual. For lunch we had a camp favorite, Shepherd’s Pie, and vanilla pudding for dessert. The weather started clearing up after rest hour so boats went out for fourth period and our LTs worked on their lifeguard training in the water. Supper was pulled pork sandwiches with chips, veggie sticks, and applesauce. For dessert we had sugar and chocolate chip cookies. The field was still damp from the rain so we played murder by night! In this game the LTs lead groups of campers to solve a murder mystery: who was the murderer and what the murder weapon was. Spoiler alert it was Amelia with a dodgeball! Then we sang songs and headed off to bed!

Grace :)

Sunday, July 28th

Happy track and field day!! We started this special day off with French toast for breakfast and our usual camp duties. Then it was off to the A field for our morning events. Hilltop, lakeside, and seniors rotated between three events: the running long jump, standing long jump, and the softball throw. Everyone did an amazing job and cheered loudly for their teammates. Then campers competed in the 50 yard dash and our new event, the mid distance run. These two running events were super fun and there was even a staff race which got very competitive. Afterwards we had a general swim to cool off before our classic track meet lunch of ham and noodles! Dessert was green and white cake and campers got to eat the cake that corresponded to the team they were on. Next up we enjoyed an extended rest hour to get ready for the r afternoons events. Immediately after rest hour was the marathon, a race down camp road that ends at the lakeside washstand. Campers who didn’t participate cheered their friends and teammates on along the course. After the marathon was our team triathlon, which involves passing a baton between runners, swimmers, and boaters. Everyone has a part in this relay and it is definitely my favorite part of track meet. Next up was swim races where campers could compete against others in their swimming area to earn points for their team. Everyone was hungry after a long day of running around so we had pickup for supper. This is the camp version of leftovers and it’s a great chance to eat something you enjoyed again! After supper we had our classic track and field day evening program: a series of different relays where green and white teams in each area compete against each other in soccer ball kicking, dodgeball passing, hoola hooping, and an obstacle course. After a long, exciting day we were all excited to go to bed! Stay tuned to find out which team won!

Grace :)

Our senior swimmers getting ready for the final leg of the team relay!

Saturday, July 27th

Happy Saturday! This morning we woke up to bagels and cereal for breakfast and then took cabin pictures. Campers also switched bunks during cabin clean up because it is the midpoint of the session. During sports we played parachute games such as cat and mouse. During arts and crafts campers had the opportunity to tie dye bandanas and scrunchies. For dinner we enjoyed chicken parm, pasta, and salad with butterscotch pudding for dessert. Mail was read and candy was eaten during rest hour and afterwards everyone jumped in the lake for general swim! Activity period brought fun activities such as basketball and hair braiding. Before supper we picked captains and teams for our track meet tomorrow. Supper tonight was eat out so we ate hot dogs, chips, and cookies out by the waterfront. Campers enjoyed eating with friends from other cabins and getting a change of scenery during mealtime. Shortly after supper we put our tied shoes on to play step it up! This game involves campers playing mini games such as dodgeball throw and corn hole to earn beads. Campers then run beads to their team’s “robots” who take steps according to the number of beads deposited. This was our first green vs white competition and we already had a very competitive atmosphere. At last we were off to bed! See you tomorrow for a special track meet blog!

Grace :)

Friday, July 26th

We woke up to a beautiful sunny morning, which was a welcomed change from the past few cloudy and drizzly days. Below is a picture of Carmela bringing in the boats to start the day.

After breakfast and cabin clean-up, we enjoyed swimming, boating, canoeing, and sailing on the lake. Everyone took advantage of the weather during Counselors’ Swim; some campers went fishing while others took out smallcraft with new friends. For dinner, we had meatballs with gravy and mashed potatoes. Rest Hour was much needed after our busy morning!

General Swim was awesome - everyone went in and enjoyed free time with their friends. During fourth period, the Hilltop nature class went fishing with Riley and Jill (pictured below). They caught some impressive looking fish!

Activity Period gave campers the opportunity to jump off the tower, to go paddle boarding, to go sailing on the Hunter (our large sailboat), and to play various field games. For supper, we had grilled cheese and tomato soup, and then churros for dessert!

Campers then went up to the A-Field for Evening Program, which was garbage collector. Garbage Collector is similar to handball, but there are multiple balls in play and depending on the color of the ball, you can earn a different number of points for your team. Since the campers worked up a sweat on the field, many of them chose to go in for a quick dip before heading off to bed.

We look forward to another beautiful day tomorrow!