1970’s

Meet Carol Wahl!

Published on by Kathy Baker

Carol Wahl was the riding counselor in 1974 and 1975 at Camp Maqua. “I had taken my horse with me to college and I ended up teaching a student who was a part time draftsman in Bay City for an architectural firm. His boss’ wife was on the board of the YWCA and that is how I found out about the job for the camp,” said Carol. “I was the riding instructor for two years and did not teach the year I was pregnant for my first child, since they considered it a liability. In 1977, I taught at another camp.”

“The first year I was at camp I met Pam Moore, who ended up as my college room-mate and was also in my wedding. I had transferred from Saginaw Valley to Central in 1974, so that was the summer between colleges. I met many of the staff at camp that also attended Central, where I joined a Sorority. I remember a girl named Mary Toburen.”

Her riding program centered on this philosophy—“ to teach good, applicable techniques of riding, including how not to get hurt on or around a horse, while still having fun”. She used general methods for beginners, intermediate and advanced riders, which included formal lessons, and competitive games that taught control and confidence for trail riding. She stressed good form and techniques and rules. but felt like the summer of 1974, she worked with horses that were in bad condition.

“My cabin was actually the staff house near the lodge on the screened in porch of the second floor. (Dutton) I have memories of good food in the lodge, ”S’Mores” at the many campfires and a lot of singing.”

Read More

Tales of Tails On The Trail

Published on by Kathy Baker

 

 

Brooke Charland was the riding director in 1969 and left wonderful notes about her summer with nine horses to handle eight girls in each class. (The extra was for rest and replacement.) Mert and Ollie Webb saddled and unsaddled their horses with the help of the staff.

The horse shelter with stalls had been finished in time for the sessions and protected the horses from the strong winds and sun and provided a place for the hay and oats. There was an old trailer near the shelter that housed saddles, bridles, brushes, currycombs, fly spray, first aid kits and other items.

Gail and Lori were her assistants, and they helped with the division of classes into beginner, intermediate and advanced. The beginners had the morning classes when the horses were fresh. The intermediate classes learned to trot. Every advanced class is a joy,” wrote Brooke, who loved how quickly they learned. Most of the girls had either owned horses or had a genuine love for riding in the advanced class.

Across the road from the ring was Beaver’s Bend, where most of the beginners rode. The main path was behind the ring, tennis courts and riflery range. There was a flag beside the trail that indicated when shooting was in progress, and the lead rider was always instructed to yell “horses” before passing the range and again when leaving. The path went past the range and out into a hilly field, which was a big circle with side trails that ended at Explorer’s Hill. (Only the advanced riders could ride those steep, narrow hills.)

Donna Harwood was the activity director the summer of 1970, but her main responsibility was in the riding area, with Mary Swantek as her assistant. (Donna had been the the riding assistant the summer of 1968.)

Read More

Overnight Biking and Horseback Riding Trips

Published on by Kathy Baker

img_7554A circle bike trip was one of the clearest memories for fair-skinned Nancy Keeler (1973-74), who ended up in the Infirmary with a sunburn. Six girls, accompanied by Pam Hartz (1966-75) and Mary Bent, biked nine miles the first day, twenty miles the second day, and another nine on the third day.

“I was totally wiped out,” she said., “but they gave us salt tablets. We stopped along the way on lawns and people would bring out water and lemonade to us. It was a more trusting time back then. I remember one of them bringing “Gorp” out to us, which was M&M’s, raisins and peanuts.”

In 1974, James Sweeting evaluated the camp for the state and had noted that a three- day trip had been planned. Sue Patenge was the director at that time and had given her blessing to this adventure.

Another biking trip led by Mary Bent and Pam Hartz took six girls for a two-day overnight camping bike trip. They spent the night in pup tents, cooked over an open fire, packed lunches and rode the Rifle River campground trails. At night they had foil dinners and returned on the third day with “scraped knees, sunburns and pleasant memories”.

Bonnie Schlatter recalled three or four different groups of girls she led on a bike hike in the seventies. “One was older and I don’t know if I suggested it, but I took a few on a bike ride and headed to Tawas, ending at the Lumberman’s Monument. I know we had to be picked up at the end due to the rain. We got drenched,” said Bonnie, who still loves to bike.

“The Peddlin’ Pals” were Mary Surabian, Debbie Agarwal and Bonnie. They started their bike trip on July 6, after some short practice trips heavily loaded. On the first night they stopped at Tawas Point State Park, and the second day into Osoda for lunch and on to their destination at the Lumberman’s Monument. According to the “Loon”, they encountered the rain at the Foote Dam and were picked up, but continued their ride around Long Lake the following day, with sun, swimming and a picnic.

Read More

Tripping Down The River

Published on by Kathy Baker

23505_115400925153588_1438907_n“One of our canoe trips from Mio to Grayling was spent in a tornado warning,” said Susie Utter, who was a CIT in the fifties. “We went to the banks of the river where it was lower and more protected, and it poured. We looked and saw whatever was holding all the Kotex pads had tipped over and emptied in the river! They were floating down the river!”

The canoe trips were always her favorite, but she hated learning to dump it over and straighten it out. For Susie, it was traumatic. But, those safety drills were valuable when the time came to actually canoe a real river and not near a shore on Loon Lake with the safety of the shore and staff.

Adventures came in many forms. For Cindy Morrison (1960) and Sue Kiltie (1960-68), who were at the end of the canoe paddling forward, it came when the canoe tipped over and everyone got wet. It came when they could stop at the store on the AuSable to purchase goodies and later at night, zip their sleeping bags together to stay warm. Cindy also thought it was an adventure to wash her hair and bathe in freezing cold water. One trip it rained so hard that she and another small girl crawled under the lean-to, scared to death.

Barb Rehmus, Charla Batsell and eight canoeists left for their three-day adventure in July 1975 with much advanced preparation. The kitchen aides carefully packed the supplies they needed with the help of Cabin C. According to the “Loon” arrangements were made with Jolly Redskin campgrounds for “shining, bright canoes to start their journey” and the campers packed their clothes in plastic bags, took a special canoe class and off they went! A fifty-five mile trip in sunny and warm weather ensued for twelve to fifteen hours. “

Read More

Beware and Be Aware!

Published on by Kathy Baker

lighteningThe elements, the wildlife, other campers on the river and unforeseen circumstances forced campers and counselors to remain on guard at all times. But, adventures were adventures, and unexpected incidents occurred, which were handled as they arose. Some were fun, some were funny and some were dangerous, but all were memorable.

“My most vivid memory of camp was in my last year (1962) of the overnight canoe trip,” said Ilene Zacher, who began attending Camp Maqua in 1959 at the age of ten. “I was with all my cohorts paddling the AuSable. I think they had bussed us to Grayling. It was a backpack type of trip. We embarked upon the river, pitched our tents, prepared our food, hiked the woods and learned about the flora and fauna. It was mostly about survival skills. We had to dig our own latrines, which was interesting and a first for me. I was awestruck by the AuSable and the high cliffs. The worst part of the trip was a thunderstorm with lightning. Our counselor would not let us stop. We were on schedule and she was going to stick to our schedule. Of course, no one got hit by lightning, but I just remember how scary it was.”

Anne Obey, (camper and counselor from 1960-70) had memories of a “heinously awful lightning storm” that sent everyone running to some stranger’s cabin, thankful that no one was home to see the campers trespassing and the raccoons that ate their breakfast.

Read More

Floating Food and Bug Sandwiches–

Published on by Kathy Baker

10177426_10202732006813156_7359505230034526984_n“I can remember piling eight kids and two staff members into an open truck with all the food and supplies and they would drop us off at Rollways. I look back now that I am a Mom and think—there were no cellphones, no place to contact anyone in an emergency, “ said Laurie Cone, (1962-68) who figured there had to be a ranger station somehwhere—“and driving in an open truck with deer possibly jumping out in front of us? I guess times were different. It was not a litigious world. It was a simple time and we didn’t know any better.”

Tracy Topping (1962-63) also remembered piling into the pickup truck with a “gaggle of girls” singing “We Are The Girls Of Camp Maqua” on the way to the river. “I don’t think that water in the river ever got above our knees and it was slow moving, but if you had too much in the canoe, it would get stuck. I can still see the string of hot dogs all hooked together that came floating down the river. We tried to save the food. I guess one of the canoes had capsized.”

Her sister Randi was at the front of the canoe line, when her sister was at the back. “We all witnessed the giant sausage links floating by our canoes. We were quite impressed that they floated and we tried to catch them,” she laughed, recalling how they were careful to duck the giant tree limbs in the current as they tried to catch the lost food.

Many girls, like Sue Purdue (1964-68), were city girls and took very few trips growing up. “I was very rugged and would not have known camping was in my blood, had it not been for Maqua. One year I was on one of those three or four day camping trips, which I did every session. We didn’t have tents, just sleeping bags. My cousin Laurie was a kitchen aide at the time and had packed the food. There were thirteen of us and she packed enough for six. Also, since there were no coolers, we had something with sour cream and it was in our stew or some dish. All I remember is I threw up all night, but she didn’t know.”

Read More