This week, Sky Ranch said goodbye to a long time friend: Our Hobart Dishwash Machine, otherwise known as Hobart. After faithfully serving the camp for almost 30 years, Hobart finally came to the end and was laid to rest . . . in the back of a pick up truck on its way to being recycled. Over the years, Hobart touched the lives of thousand of campers–who fondly looked forward to quality time with Hobart during KP, perhaps while getting to wear a funny hat.
(In truth, Hobart had been limping along for many years and finally was unusable after the windstorm last year caused a power surge to knock out much of it electric system. It has been replaced with a used industrial low-temp baking dishwasher, which will allow us to wash all our dishes, including cooking sheets. After going the whole spring doing dishes by hand, it is nice to have a functional dishwasher again!)
As we say goodbye to Hobart, we welcome our ADS-AFB Bakery Machine. And since ADS-AFB doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, we will keep everyone posted when a new name has been bestowed.
Up at Sky Ranch, we are busy preparing for the coming summer of ministry.
Over the past several weekends, many volunteers and friends of camp have been working diligently to get camp up and running, giving much needed attention to projects big and small. Projects include: New decks on Sorrow and Hope, Parks, and Walesa Youth Cabins, new walk way for Christ Lodge, new staff office in Christ Lodge, expansion of the Outdoor Chapel, and near completion of the Nature Center Remodel. Additionally, much work has been done to clean up trees from several wind storms over the last year, including more than 100 downed trees in the cabin area along. All of this is work that could not be completed without their faithful help and services.
As part of these weekends, we have had volunteer groups from many Lutheran congregations, including: Christ, Highlands Ranch; Abiding Hope, Littleton; Joy, Parker; Highlands, Denver, First, Longmont, Shepherd of the Mountain, Estes Park; Trinity, Loveland; as well as many individuals. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of these weekends.
This week we turn our attention to campers, with the arrival of our first Environmental Education participants on Thursday. The Summer has arrived!!
Last weekend was filled with fellowship, vision, brainstorming, and time spent in community. The leadership staff for the 2012 summer staff met at Brad’s house to begin the preparation for an incredible summer of ministry! Friday kicked off with a reunion of sorts with people flying and driving in from California, Kansas, and South Dakota. After a brief moment to reconnect and catch up on everyone’s lives in the past year, it was time to get down to business with a brainstorming session on what it means to be a part of the leadership staff at Sky Ranch. The night ended with a thought provoking devotion focusing on the summer theme: Everyday Grace.
Saturday was another full day of brainstorming, discussion, and channeling our inner creative selves. The day began with some devotion and a focus on specific roles for the summer. In the afternoon, with incredible weather, there was time for a game of Frisbee—turns out Frisbee is not any of our strong suits. . . except for maybe Peter Gonia. After a short break we were back to brainstorming ways in which we could promote creativity and tradition this summer . . . how do we tell the Sky Ranch story? Overall, the day was productive and filled with new ideas ready to be applied to the upcoming summer.
Sunday was Sky Ranch Camp Sunday at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Fort Collins, Colorado. We had the opportunity to do the children’s sermon, play games, sing songs, and sign campers up for a week at camp. It was wonderful to catch up with kids and parents from summers past and hear the excitement from first time campers looking forward to a week up at Sky Ranch. The weekend served as the perfect introduction to the summer. It left those involved excited, anxious, and looking forward to a summer experiencing God’s grace high in the Mountains of Colorado.
Once again, it is time to hit the road. For the next two weeks, Brad and Andy will be on the road recruiting passionate young adults for the 2012 Sky Ranch Summer Staff. Below is the schedule and schools that they will be visiting–if you know someone at one of those schools who would make an excellent addition to the summer staff, encourage them to stop by the Sky Ranch table.
Please keep Brad and Andy and our future summer staff in your prayers, as decisions are made and plans formed in the build up to summer. Camp is just around the corner!
2012 Recruiting Schedule
Feb 9 & 10 – Pacific Lutheran, Tacoma, WA
Feb 14 – Augustana, Sioux Falls, SD
Feb 15 & 16 – Luther, Decorah, IA
Feb 20 – St. Olaf, Northfield, MN
Feb 21 – Gustavus Adolphus, St. Peter, MN
Feb 22 – Wartburg, Waverly, IA
Sky Ranch is excited to share a new promotional video for the 2012 camping season. Please enjoy and share with your friends! We hope it gets everyone excited about the great summer of ministry soon to begin at Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp!
Steve Miller, Sky Ranch’s Property Manager for the past five years, has resigned this month. We are grateful to Steve for allowing God to use his gifts so generously at Sky Ranch and Sleepy Owl. The impact of Steve’s hard work, with the help of many volunteers, can be seen all around Sky Ranch. We pray for Steve and wish him well in his new ventures. The Board will be evaluating the Property Manager position as it currently exists at its next meeting in January.
A week after a wind storm hit Sky Ranch with 100 MPH winds, Brad and Steve made their way up to Sky Ranch to begin the process of removing trees from buildings. They arrived to discover many new trees down and still no power at camp. Walking around camp, they discovered downed lines in the campground and trees leaning up against the wires on the trail out of camp.
The forest service should be up in the area tomorrow, cleaning up downed trees that are blocking to road. The hope is that Steve will be able to get to camp, and slowly begin the process of cleaning up. Once trees have been removed from buildings, our insurance company will be able to assess the damage.
Looking forward, the plan is to host several volunteer clean up weekends in January, March, and April. With helpful hands, we will be able to cut up trees, pile and burn the slash, and turn the logs into firewood. We will send out more information regarding these weekends after the holidays.
Life is good; God is good. Always. Despite the wind and the damage at camp, there is much to give thanks for this time of year–for the great ministry of Sky Ranch, for the many lives that have been touched and changed, and for the opportunities of tomorrow, as we all work together for Sky Ranch.
This past weekend a wind storm roared through Sky Ranch with wind gusts up to 100 mph! The storm left hundreds of trees down, all around the Sky Ranch property. And while we have thousands of dead beetle kill trees around camp, it was mostly green trees, full of needles and wind-resistence, that fell.
A group from Christ Lutheran Church, Highlands Ranch was at camp for a confirmation retreat when the storm hit. Fortunately, no one was injured and the group was in good spirits. Camp lost power Saturday evening and, when it hadn’t been restored by 8:00 am the next morning, the group decided it was time to go. Only to get out of camp, the group, lead by Gary Knutson, had to hack their way through 17 trees, primarily on Tom Bennett hill. And yes, the thought of Gary with an ax should be terrifying to all.
Power wont be restored to camp for another couple days. There is substantial damage around camp. A tree behind the lodge fell through the roof of the tool shed and onto a car from the CLC group. The vehicle has a crushed roof and shattered windshield. Another tree fell through the roof of the woodshed behind the lodge. There is damage to platform tents and numerous signs around camp. However, perhaps the most dramatic, the large Douglas Fir in front of the Backpack Center is now on the BPC roof.
We are working with the insurance company to assess the damage. At first it was said that this might fall under “ACT OF GOD;” however, we all know God is merciful . . . and our shower house doesn’t have a single scratch! Regardless, this spring there will be a lot of work to be done to clean up trees all around camp. As soon as we identify work weekends, we will let everyone know how they can help.
Here are photos of the damage. Prayers of thanksgiving that no one was injured, that the group made it out safely, and that there isn’t more damage.
During the last weekend in September, participants in the Digital Photography Weekend got to experience the wonder of Colorado fall colors at Sky Ranch. The colors couldn’t have been better and they were able to get some great images. Here is just a taste of some of the photos they captured.
We are excited to announce the birth of Sophia Marie Sprain. Sophia is the daughter of Andy (Associate Director of Sky Ranch) and Erin. Sophia was born on September 26, at 1:06 pm. She was 6 lbs 14.5 oz and 20.25 in long. While she was slightly jaundice and needed a bili-blanket, she is healthy and filling their home with great joy. In fact, she was so excited . . . she waited just four days before her first visit to Sky Ranch–a future camper in the works.
Thank you to everyone for the prayers and well-wishes.
