Cascades Camp Blog

One of the renovation projects that we’ve been working on at Cascades is the remodel of Brightwood Stations’ Deep Woods Chapel.  Awhile back a crew demolished the old chapel set-up and just today Alan Thomas, our Operations Manager, and Rob Mohrweis, our Associate Director, have begun work on the main staging.  Our summer staff will complete the job by putting in the seating and doing some other beautification pieces during staff training week in June.

The Quilters are Here, the Quilters are Here!

Right now Cascades has over 80 women staying with us in Timberidge lodge.  But these aren’t just any ladies…these ladies are quilting extraordinaires.  They have taken over Rainier Center and set-up their quilting stations to enjoy one another’s company as they work diligently on some exquisite pieces!

Here it is folks…

The news you’ve all been waiting for…

This year we are building a CLIMBING WALL at Camp Timber Rock!!! Built on the side of the water tower, and standing at 50 ft. tall, the Climbing Wall will likely look something like this:

Make sure you’re signed up for an action-packed week at Cascades – this new Climbing Wall is just the beginning of taking Camp Timber Rock to the next level!

Here’s another new offer to keep in mind!  Over the last few years we’ve offered a “Buddy Bucks Bonus”, which is a discount given to returning campers when they invite a friend that has never been to Cascades before, both children receive $25 off their registration fee. We’re now allowing you to “stack” multiples of this discount on top of each other, and even offering that once you fill an entire cabin with new invited friends (7 campers) not only can everyone stay together but YOUR WEEK AT CAMP IS FREE! As you think about those kids from school, the soccer team, or church to invite to camp, know that both our sponsorship and our full-ride scholarship funds are ready to ensure that absolutely no child is denied a camp experience because of any finical hardships or even simply a need to trim family budgets this year.

To register for camp, (click here).

As we draw closer and closer to summer a lot of the projects around Cascades shift towards summer preparations.  One such project includes the new luggage cart for Brightwood Station.  ”The Wagon”, as it’s named, is about half way done at the moment.  Dan Clifford, our Special Projects Manager, is just finishing up the last six boxes before he adds on the roof. In the end this luggage cart will be outfitted to look similar to a Conestoga wagon!

Supporter Quote:

“Cascades Camp and Conference Center is a place where futures are determined!  People of all ages make decisions at Cascades that change them and their communities forever.  From young people considering ministry to marriages being healed, it is a place where the voice of God finds its way through the clamoring sound of life filled with email, cell phones and schedules.  [At Cascades] you experience solitude and a renewed assurance of God’s love and grace.”

            -Rev. Mark A. Novak 
             Superintendant of the North Pacific Conference
             of the Evangelical Covenant Church

Welcome to our newest series of staff reflections!  One Thursday a month, a year-round staff member will share their thoughts on life at camp.  Our hope is to be able to connect more with you, our readers, as we continue to do ministry at Cascades all throughout the year.

It is a blessing to be able to live here year-round and see the ways in which God works in what we call the “off-season” too.  Guest groups come and use the lodging facilities year-round, we have volunteers come out and do service projects, there are several Covenant retreats including the Men’s/Women’s retreats and the Jr. High and High School retreats, general upkeep of the grounds, as well as summer planning all consume the time of those who work at Cascades throughout the year.

I guess I should introduce myself, my name is Claudia Fisher, some of you may know me as Dirt or Mother Dirt.  I came to Cascades as a camper in 1998 and 1999, was a SALT in 2000, and began on summer staff in 2002 as a member of the O-Team.  I have worked at Cascades for the past seven summers now.  After the summer of 2007 I stayed around to be the Program Intern and am now working as a permanent member of our Program Team.  I tell you all this not to bore you with my history, but to let you know a bit about how much I love this place.  I grew up going to church, but met Christ in a way that I understood the need for a relationship with His Son when I was a camper at Sunrise Ranch in 1998.  It was at the Discipline of Silence, which we continue to do to this day for all our campers, that my life was forever changed.  I promise you that I am not saying any of this just because I work here-but I truly believe in the power of this place to change people’s lives forever.  I can tell you countless tales of campers meeting God for the first time, being challenged to deepen their walk, or even deciding to go into ministry after spending time at Cascades.  Maybe it’s in the water…but I have a feeling that God has ordained this place to be a safe haven for many-a place where all can come and experience our Creator anew.

Thank you all for your continued prayer and support of the ministry of Cascades Camp and Conference Center.

Blessings,

Claudia “Dirt” Fisher

One of the yearly tasks to keep Cascades in top shape is applying moss killer to the roofs of all our buildings.  This photograph was taken as Cean “Torque” Williard, this year’s O-Team Intern, just finished up the roof of the Kitchen Expansion of the Nisqually Dining Hall.

The Cascades Insider is a new feature to our blog.  Rotating between special updates, staff reflections, and supporter quotes, the Cascades Insider is designed to give you all a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on at camp year-round!

This week we will be taking a look at a special project completed by Boyscout Troop 266.  Eric Meyers brought some of his fellow scouts out to camp to work on his Eagle Scout Project.  Cascades’ fishing dock has been in need of repair for awhile now.  Eric and his friends built an entirely new dock!  We are so happy to have this wonderful new dock and hope you all get a chance to come out and use it!

Believe it or not, those two grassy planks are the old Cascades fishing docks.

The dock is fitted to its supports and is about ready to have the styrofoam set in place.

One of the longer projects was nailing each board into place.

After a hard days work, the guys are proud of their accomplishment as they stand on top of the finished product!  Thanks guys!