from Yakko of 1995, 1997, and 1998

These are my memories of my first and only resident camp experience as a camper.

I went to Hilaka with a friend, Carrie, and we were in a program that focused on water sports. We swam in the pool every day, boated every day, and - yup, swam in the lake, too. We stayed in Wonken Tonken, and it must have been mid-1980s. I had two counselors - one named Biff, and another with long blond hair who was unusually young-looking for her age. The blond's last name was Manning, but I don't remember her camp name or her real first name.

One day, it was really hot, and we were all complaining about it, even during the quiet time after lunch in our tents. So, with a bit of quick thinking, Biff planned a whole bunch of water obstacles to go through - stomping through water-filled pails, getting water poured on our heads, limboing under the water coming out of a hose. At the end, as we finished the obstacle course, we did jumping jacks as we sang, "We're the Biffsters, the mighty mighty Biffsters! Everywhere we go-oh people want to know who we are, so we tell them we are the Biffsters..." over and over again. We chanted it the rest of the session.

The other thing I remember from that week is how homesick we were right from the start. I think the first night, we were frog marched back to the unit after dinner to pack up our stuff to sleep out under the stars on top of the boathouse. We all thought the counselors were crazy, and we cried and moaned and complained. Most of us wrote letters home to our parents complaining about the crazy counselors that very night and mailed them at the dining hall before going to the boathouse. Of course, it was a beautiful clear night, and we actually built a fire on top of the boathouse and had smores and sang songs and had a great time. After the fire went out, I think one of the counselors even told us mythology stories related to all the stars we could see. Some of us forgot our dropcloths, so hiding from the mosquitoes and the dew in the morning was tough, but it was a great experience. Other units camped out on the boathouse later in the week, and we were all so sorry we couldn't do it again. Needless to say, our parents got the letters after we'd adjusting to being there and laughed at us when they picked us up and we asked if we could go back next year.

from PJ of 1995-1999

I was a camper at Camp Hilaka from 1991 to 1994, a CIT in 1995, a Junior Counselor in 1996, and a Riding Instructor in 1998 and 1999. My camp name was PJ.

My favorite camp memory as a camper was the hike from Windy Hill (where they stuck us "Horse Sense" girls) to the dining hall. We had to go down the gas cut, across a little stream, and through some beautiful woods. I saw my first banana slug on a tree in those woods - I put my hand on it, and I remember it was really weird.

My favorite memory as a counselor was when a TV news show came to the camp and did a morning spot with us all in the background. The campers were all out at the dining hall singing songs and playing games. The news folks did interviews with campers and counselors. The riding staff got to pick their favorite horses and ride up to the dining hall. It was so odd to be taking the horses around that part of the camp, but it made us feel important :) I ended up taking a horse that had chronic gas attacks. I think she farted when we walked by the news camera!

My favorite camp song has ALWAYS been "Banana Slug". I still know the words (10 years later), and like to entertain my husband with them. Really, he just loves it when I sing camp songs real loud in the car.

Oh, another favorite memory - when I was a CIT, I helped Jelly Bean (another CIT) "bagel" the boy's tent. We also put Saran wrap around their beds, and tied them together.

from Dragon of 1997-99

I was one of the horseback riding instructors, along with my sister Jennifer (PJ '97). One of my favorite memories from camp was really every summer afternoon after lessons, when we would be hanging out at the barn and just relaxing and talking...

I think another memorable time that sticks out for me was when PJ and I went to our cousin's wedding and came back to camp. We decided to check on the horses, and walked into the barn in our dresses and high heels to realize that the horses had gotten into the barn and eaten a bag of grain and knocked some tack over. It had been raining, and so we were trying to herd horses through mud and dookie in heels... gross then, but funny now.

I think its hard to pick one memory because I have so many positive ones - I loved closing campfire and the walk from the dining hall down to the boathouse. I met so many great people at camp (ESPECIALLY in the summer of '97... that's my favorite summer ever, by the way!), and always had a great time, and I felt so free and young!!! I've met wonderful friends for life from Crowell/Hilaka, including Hickory, Oasis/North Bear, Wombat and Gecko.... I was sorry to hear that they had decided to stop funding the camp because it was such a big part of my life. I'll bet I could still find my way down past the dining hall, through the woods (especially that part where all the moss grew on the rocks before the creek!), over the creek and up the gas cut, and up to the barn or Windy Hill. Thanks for the memories!

from Hawkeye of 1984

I worked at Camp Hilaka back in the summer of 84. I have many fond memories of that summer. I worked on the water front staff and was known as Hawkeye. I was one of 5 guys working in the camp that summer. I can remember sitting around many of the camp fires sing songs helping out with crafts, but most of all I can remember how wonderful it was to be out canoing on the Upper Lake Linea. I also enjoyed many evenings hanging out in Amity House with other councilors Skye, MJ, Midget, W, Happy, Clown, Strawberry, and others. I can remember one night several of us even went down to the Old Mill Museum to see if we could catch sight of the famous ghosts. Since the original mill that stood there had been part of the Underground Railroad the stories always spoke of a little black boy and an older white woman. No one I know ever knew who they were. We didn't see the ghost but we were definitely startled by a raccoon on the trail on our way back to the campsites in the middle of the night. I believe I still have my notebook of addresses of all the counselors there that summer.