It’s hard to imagine circumstances in which teenagers would willingly surrender their cell phones and iPods, yet Maureen Martin, program director of YMCA Camp Menogyn in Loretto, watches that happen all summer long. “It helps that there’s no reception up here, no towers anywhere nearby, so that makes it not as hard,” laughs Martin. “It’s the iPods that they have a little trouble giving up.”
Menogyn, which in Ojibway means “to grow fully,” is a camp dedicated to offering wilderness experiences (hence the technology ban) to help campers build a connection to the great outdoors. The camp offers a progression of single-gender trips that allow kids to acclimate to the whole “roughing it” experience. Beginning in 7th grade campers can dip a toe in with a Voyage Nouveau, an 8- to 11-day adventure introduction that heads to the Boundary Waters, Superior Hiking Trail, or Isle Royale to develop basic backcountry camping skills and team building.
From there trips get progressively longer and more involved: The Esprit d’Amitie expedition is two weeks long and builds on previous skills by offering longer routes and more challenges (the trip is built around themes of rock climbing, backpacking, or canoeing) while the Joie de Travail is three weeks spent either canoeing in Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario or backpacking in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The progression escalates until campers reach the pinnacle: a 50-day invite-only expedition traveling to desolate Northern Canada, Alaska, or the Yukon, or rock climbing in the High Sierra.
Why do campers subject themselves to these intense off-the-grid experiences? For Martin, who was a Menogyn camper before she became program director (she has participated in and led a 50-day trip), the benefits are clear. “I think the value, especially in this day and age when kids are inside so much and getting further and further away from genuine nature experience, is to get away from the distractions of life,” she explains. “Getting away and living simply, working hard, and feeling accomplished gave me a lot of self-confidence, which is important for teenagers.”
Menogyn honors those accomplishments at the end of each of the summer’s roughly 100 trips by hosting welcome-back ceremonies in the form of a banquet and campfire. After all, “they’ve learned to live without a shower!” says Martin.
Doing without comes at a steep price, however: the shorter trips begin at $735, while one of the 21-day trips tops out at $2,330. Martin acknowledges what parents think when they see the fees — “The sticker price is higher than most residential camps” — but adds that Menogyn offers $60,000 in “camperships” each year to alleviate the burden to families whose budgets can’t accommodate the splurge.
Explore and respect
Much like Menogyn, Audubon Center of the North Woods offers a series of wilderness adventure camps that immerse kids in the outdoors while promoting environmental awareness. One key difference, however, is that most of Audobon’s camps take place at their 535-acre lakeside property in Sandstone. Campers who feel more comfortable with their outdoors skills can then opt to tackle one of two wilderness expeditions: the Namekegon River Expedition, which involves canoeing and camping on the river, or the Voyageur’s National Park Expedition, where experienced canoeists can build on their skills while exploring the islands of Minnesota’s only National Park.
“We wanted something new and interesting to offer people, and looking at feedback and what folks were interested in doing, we decided to offer more on-site,” explains Katie Kleese, Audobon’s co-director. Of the four programs that take place in Sandstone, Kleese is most excited about The Way of Wildlife, a week-long session that lets campers ages 10–13 explore the lives of wild animals. Participants learn the basics of animal training and get hands-on work with everything from frogs to the camp’s eight resident raptors. “This would have been my dream camp as a kid!” laughs Kleese.
During the other on-site camps, like Forts, Fires, and Fishing or Rocks, Ropes, and Roughing It, participants learn the basics of fire-building, how to construct shelters for people and animals, and where to find wild edibles. Kleese adds that all sessions emphasize the principle of “leave no trace” and low-impact camping. Those skills come in especially handy for the campers who choose the advanced off-site expeditions designed for those ages 12–17.
“There’s a lot to be gained by having an extended experience out where you don’t have access to bathrooms and electricity, it’s a sense of adventure and exploration that also teaches kids how to respect the wilderness and how to have fun and be responsible while doing it,” says Kleese. “It’s an empowering leadership experience for kids.”
Audobon’s camps range in price from $249 for the onsite sessions to $420 for a week canoeing in Voyageur’s National Park, and Kleese says the camp has taken a slight hit from the economy.
“We went through a dip a couple years ago and didn’t have the demand we wanted, but we’re seeing it increase again which is really nice,” she explains, adding that creating new programs has added to the interest.
Monica Wright is assistant editor of Minnesota Parent.
