Heard on the Trail!

Every year, camp Upham Woods is the setting for making many memories that stick with people for a lifetime. This comes through new experiences, exciting events, and good friends. Sometimes, we don’t know where the next bit of inspiration will come from. “Heard on the Trail” is a way to pay tribute to the experiences of our campers, parents, and staff, by sharing some of the best things that have been overheard. What follows are actual quotes from participants, chaperones, or Upham Woods staff members. They can and will be anything from insightful to silly, but will always be genuine.
  • “Look at you, ten minutes ago you said out loud that you could never do anything like this, and now you just did it”
    • Said by a chaperone to a camper after completing a challenging hike and climb.
  • “I don’t want to go home yet, can I stay another week?”
    • Said by a camper after open enrollment camp
  • “You are aware that you just did that in front of your mother, aren’t you?”
    • Said by a staff member after seeing a camper douse himself with a full water bottle
  • “It’s good that we give them a chance to practice here (in the lagoon) first, before we take them into the current. All the explaining about a canoe and how paddling works in completely useless unless they get a chance to try it out and learn it by feeling”
    • Said by a staff member during a canoeing lesson
  • “I thought it was going to be slimy, but it was just really smooth and dry too”
    • Said by a camper after touching a snake for the first time
  • “I just realized that I’m in the front of the boat.”
    • Said by a camper being shuttled to Blackhawk Island