By Shelby Danley
Olson Hall, Dining and Kitchen Building at Blue Lake Camp
The Blue Lake Summer camp has been a long standing tradition for kids in Modoc and surrounding Counties, and just closed out its 69th year! It’s an amazing experience for all of those who attend; playing camp games, learning new skills and forming friendships with those around them. This year’s camp schedule came upon a close snag due to the North Fire closing Jess Valley Road, but luckily authorities got control of it in time for camp to go on as planned.
The camp was originally started in 1955 by Karl Olson, and has been coordinated by locals ever since. Karl was the minister of the Federated Church at the time and on a visit out to Blue Lake he thought it would be a beautiful place for a camp and coordinated with local organizations, like the Forest Service, to make it happen! Blue Lake camp is still run by the Federated Community Church, with a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service every year. Kris Anderson has been spearheading the event for the last 30 years, she handles everything from scheduling camp, cooking, registration, volunteer coordination and more! She shared “What I love about it is that the community has always supported it. It’s always been a special place that Modocers, and many others have attended; some from all over the country. We have children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of past campers coming every year. It was emotional when we lost one cabin in the Blue fire in 2001, because we lost all of the history from those past campers’ sign-ins”.
The camp is open to children from 4th to 8th grade, and each camp lasts a week (Monday through Friday) every summer! The entire event is run by volunteers from the Federated Church and the community, anywhere from young teens to adults donating their time to make it the experience that it is. Volunteers help with everything from the yard work and repairs that are done before camp opens, to the cooking, teaching activities, registration and more! Every July the local kids and volunteer staff gear up, bring their sleeping bags and spend a week outdoors together and under the stars.
However, over time there has been wear to the Dining/Kitchen hall that’s progressively gotten worse. While the building itself has remained in great shape for being 60 years old, the footings and piers have started to sink and shift towards the lake. Fortunately, volunteer staff were able to make repairs enough for the camp to run this summer; but more permanent work will need to be done to bring it back to its original condition. They’re working on obtaining bids for the proper repairs, but the estimated cost to make this happen is upwards of $20,000 at the moment. Being that it’s run by volunteers, the camp truly relies on the community’s help to keep it running. Kris mentioned “Donations to help restore the dining hall would be greatly appreciated. While most of the construction, repairs and other needs are done by our very small crew of dedicated volunteers, this job is above our level of expertise and requires the skills of a contractor”.
The camp has evolved over the years, but has always held the same values and offered an experience that kids will remember for the rest of their lives! With the help from the community, the dream is to keep this summer camp open and running for as many years as possible.
As Blue Lake Summer Camp looks forward to its 70th year, the commitment of the community remains its strongest asset. With ongoing efforts to restore the dining hall, the camp’s future is bright, yet it relies on the support of the community to thrive. Whether through donations, volunteering, or simply spreading the word, every contribution helps keep the Blue Lake Summer Camp alive for the local youth. As many volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that the camp remains a special place for generations to come, they invite everyone to join in supporting this beloved tradition.
Volunteers can reach out to Kris Anderson for information, and donations to help with the building repair may be made to Blue Lake Camp, P.O. Box 1708, Alturas, CA 96101.
