Neither of us had done much camping growing up, so when we were invited to join some new friends to go camping, we jumped at the chance. Despite our little boy being only 1, we were sure it would be great fun. Ahem.

Snow Mountain Ranch, the YMCA of the Rockies, is nestled among the lodge pole pines in near Winter Park. Before we were invited, the group had been doing the Labor Day weekend thing for a few years, so there was a routine that existed. We were excited to be part of a group which meant we had to be open to group activities and to sync up with established norms. The wives, generally, connected on shared meals on who would bring what. Guys set up the tents and got the fire going. Individual couples had to figure out how to manage the feeding and management of their own kids. For us, being new to parenting anyway, new to this group, new to camping and all that that meant, it was great that the others generously offered us help. Boy, this was going to be great.

We had arrived a bit later than most, so our tent spot was not ideal. We had this little two-man tent Dave set up that Lis furnished with our sleeping bags. Dano would sleep between us. Over Labor Day weekend, when the sun goes down, the temperature drops to somewhere between pleasant and Siberian. To stay warm, you actually had to be IN the fire. Sitting around the fire talking and laughing was fantastic despite the cold. We put Dano to bed after he fell asleep in Lis’ lap after exhausting himself running around. Lis wasn’t overly comfortable leaving him alone in the tent so far away, so she went to bed too. After a while, Dave joined his family in their first night ever camping. Thus began probably the worst night of our lives. Ok, overstatement, but wildly uncomfortable. Hard ground, WITH ROCKS!! that easily penetrated sleeping bags, Dano, a human pinwheel, did we mention freezing?, heavy snoring in the tent across the way. Between the two of us, we collectively slept about 30 minutes. Agony.

Why all the detail? To paint the picture of a young couple beginning to learn how to enjoy the great outdoors. If you have no experience with camping, well, your first year might be a touch disappointing. Expectations are high and reality is hard. Lots to do and the snippets of fun are fleeting. It takes time to see what the routines need to be, figure out what gear you need, develop a skill or two on packing, setting up a tent, starting a fire, and teaching your kids how to behave, have safe fun, and help out. Oh, and move the group to a temperature friendly location like the Sand Dunes.

And so, for the 3 days and 2 nights of glorious camping with our new community, we actually had a great time. So much so that we went every Labor Day (but 1) over the next 18 years.
So what are the takeaways?

  • Have modest expectations. It takes a few camping experiences to get the hang of it, to establish family routines, to gather (and bring) the right gear, to suffer valiantly together.
  • Camping bonds people. You share, coordinate, communicate, work together, sometimes suffer bad weather together, play together, and learn each other deeply.
  • Be gracious. Going to a deeper level with others can be uncomfortable. You’ll learn aspects of other couples that will hopefully cause you and your mate to have great conversations about the direction of your own marriage and family. Being gracious and not judgmental will give you time to determine if God will use you in other’s lives or if God is using them in yours.
  • If you have older children, get them to help at every step and be responsible for themselves and a task or two. And making sure the campground is THOROUGHLY  cleaned of trash teaches a respect for nature. It’s great if they can bring a friend.
  • Common values among the group makes for longevity. We only experienced this one group with fringe players coming and going over the years. The main thing was an openly shared commitment to God and family.
  • Watching everyone’s kids hiking, swimming, climbing, playing a thousand different games over the years brings a kind of ownership of everyone’s path. When a boy that you’ve watched grow over the last 15 years goes on to star on the baseball team, you own a piece of that. When a young lady goes on to become a doctor, you inflate just a little with pride in her being a part of your tribe.

If you grew up camping, then you already know – the outdoors, the beauty, the cold fresh air, the warm fire, the smores, the great conversations, the stars!!, the laughter. You already know that the hardships really aren’t so hard. This Letter is to those families that haven’t experienced the challenges of camping. It’s worth it.
Go get your camp on!

Lis and Dave Marr