Stories and Memories Written by Alumni Campers
The memories are countless. Prime among them were the "mud wars", essentially capture the flag. We had forts out in the woods and the councelors took steel drums filled with the lime mud from the horseshoe part of the lake to the forts. We would then split the camp into two (maybe 3 ?) teams and raid the other forts to steal the flag. Mud balls were our weapons. If anyone was hit with a mud spot the size of a dime they were sent out to take their turn roasting a pig over an open pit fire, near what was then a tennis court. After the days warring, the whole camp gathered and had an arromatic roast pig diner while we recounted the highlites of the day. It was always fun to see who would be brave enough to eat one of the eyeballs. I recall one camper named Phil eating one.
Tom Graham 1964-1968
I attended Glacier Hollow in 1992 for the first Sylvania Wilderness 2-week trip and then worked in the kitchen for two years following. My brother, Jerry, also attended the camp during this time for 1-week and adventure trips. I am currently finishing my PhD at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, but spend most of my time in Panama (the country) working on the snake community at Parque Nacional G.D. Omar Torrijos Herrera.
I certainly attribute a lot to my days at Glacier Hollow for why I pursued a career in biology and for my research in the forest (although a slightly different type of forest now).
Julie Ray 1992
I went to Camp Mikquano from approximately 1973-1981. It was one of the very best experiences of my life. The era under Dr. Bob and his wife was really special, they ran a great camp experience and there was really amazing history there. My parentsdrove me up from champaign IL (about 8 hours drive?) each summer and I begged to stay longer every year but we could only afford the 3 week stay (not 6) as I recall. I believe I have a sizable brown trout that I caught in a pool off the Tomorrow river still mounted and hanging in the mess hall (last I saw). I could go on for many paragraphs about all the great experiences. We went horseback camping, I waded the Tomorrow river fishing, the mud fights, the sat night skinnydipping all-camp wash up (it was quite clean), the campfire stories, the awards (I still have the knife I earned for ? I forget what, I think 8 years as a camper or something). Dr. Bob had an old camp car with the key knocked off in the ignition so it started w/o a key, it had been sunk in a potato bog and it smelled like it. We kept our cabins clean sweeping them every morning, we reported to the bell ringing on the beach at breakfast. I know that lake inside out, have fished every corner of it and swam / dove much as well. We had old van bench seats to sit on on the beach near the dock, that 60s teal green color vinyl, it was comfortable for me then and fun. I recall when it was raining I went out into the woods and was able to start a fire with one match, and so earned membership in the "one match club" - it takes planning and effort to get a fire going in the rain, and it takes your mind off the rainy day too. In the late 80s I went back and talked with Dr Bob at his house near the lake and let him know how much I appreciated his leadership and mentorship. Several of the songs I now sing to my sons, I learned at camp mikquano... You probably know, the lake was over a natural deposit of something useful for fertilizer (phosphate rich ancient bird poop, as I was told) and was mined in the early 1900s so that the draglines created sharp dropoffs... this I can say is true, I know of a dropoff (looking right from the dock, out to the point) where the bottom went from about 5 feet deep to about 25, it was clearly (way back when) dug out. Great fishing. I hope your campers now have as much fun, and learn like I did 30 years ago -- it is a very special place.
Gerry Hensell 1973-1981
Stevens Point Area YMCA - Camp Glacier Hollow
Business Office: 1000 Division Street, Stevens Point, WI 54481
Phone: (715) 342-2980 Fax: (715) 342-2987