With Snow in Short Supply, Winter Camp for the Blind Had Plenty of Snow Activities

Photo by Janell Hurst

As some predicted, the snow was disappointingly absent during the 2012 Winter Camp at Au Sable in Grayling, Michigan, February 5-10. "But the camp itself did not disappoint," said Peggy Hansen, associate director of National Camps for the Blind. All 34 campers left camp in high spirits.

This was not the first year the Michigan winter camp has provided outdoor activities for blind campers. Patricia Page, executive director of Christian Record Services Canada, initiated the Michigan winter camps 13 years ago, busing blind campers from Canada and also accommodating some campers from within the United States.

The organizers anticipated snowless days, so they took the campers on a "cruise" to Alaska, and some warmer areas such as Bermuda, Mexico, and Hawaii. "The evening activities gave everyone a taste of each of those exotic places. But there was enough snow to enjoy some winter activities 50 miles away. These included downhill skiing on Challenge Mountain, as well as snowmobiling and snow tubing," Hansen reported. "As campers boarded the bus for home, new snow was coming down."

The Michigan venue was a convenient spot for campers from across the US northern border, and was a part of a cooperative effort between the Christian Record Services international office in the USA and its Canadian sister organization. The headquarters for National Camps for the Blind® (Canada) is in Oshawa, Ontario.