Camp in all its Beauty

Sunset over Whitefish Lake 

This fall, Mother nature has blessed us with all of the weather we could possibly wish to experience in northern Minnesota. From temperatures reaching the 60's throughout early November, to a blizzard bringing in nearly 20 inches of snow, we are thankful this Thanksgiving for all the beauty these conditions have provided.

November typically prompts us to head indoors as it brings colder temperatures, with highs reaching in to the 40's. This November we experienced temperatures twenty degrees warmer than usual. This provided an ideal setting to continue spending time outdoors, including many bonfires and enjoying the nightly sunsets over Whitefish Lake!

Director hotdog roast
in early November

Our transition from these warm temps to snowfall happened in a short weeks time. Mother Nature decided she wasn't going to bring on the snow gradually this winter, she was going to start us off in a total whiteout- 18.5 inches of snow fell last Friday. Although this provided for much less than ideal driving conditions, it layered camp in a white bliss. For most of our alumni, campers, and staff who have only seen the wonders of Foley in the summertime, observing camp in these conditions is truly a unique experience.

Jack, a longtime camper and staff, was in awe as he walked passed the Chapel last weekend. Jack said it perfectly, "This is beautiful. Camp is always beautiful, but this is something special. For many years I have seen this place so full of energy and excitement. Seeing it calm, covered in snow, and quiet made me take a step back and really appreciate how secluded and fully immersed in nature we really are."

Director Alli Faricy took full advantage of this snowy opportunity and captured some fascinating shots of Camp Foley in its winter form, enjoy the pictures below.

We encourage you all to #optoutside and find the beauty in everything you encounter this Thanksgiving!                
    

  

         

B is for Breathtaking

Summer camp campers and counselors at Camp Foley come from all over the

Photo by Camper Genevieve S

world (last summer 24 states and 11 foreign countries to be exact), a fact of which we are immensely proud. On the first day of each session, one can hear tales of the bright lights of New York, the beaches of Cancun, and smooth Parisian accents drifting through the air, and it is often wondered how we all ended up on the same piece of land in northern Minnesota.

After a few strokes of a canoe paddle through the Whitefish waves or a night of stargazing on top of the marina, it’s easy to see why Camp Foley is so magnetic. Campers fall asleep to singing loons and wake up to crystal blue skies peeking through the pines. They look out over the summer camp from the top of the climbing wall and wave to the sailboats as they skip over the Minnesota water on wake boards. And on quiet afternoons walking the trails, they can look straight ahead and see nothing but trees.

Check out our work...

Now summer camp is well and truly under way, we would like to cast your minds back a month or so to our Outdoor Education program this spring. We had such a blast teaching our sixth-grade visitors about the beauty and value of earth, and we believe they had a great time too!

Take a look at this short video which shows some pages of the students' workbooks, along with audio clips of the kids talking about their favorite memories of visiting the center.

We want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who took part in our Outdoor Education program this past spring! See you next time...

- Marie and Alli, Directors