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"What is the bond that binds us, friends of the
Clearwater trail... "
This quotation is part of a longer one that Clearwater campers recite at our Council
Fires/camp fires and it reflects the impact our trip program has on our campers. In a
group of Clearwater campers or alumni, you will always hear "Do you remember that
trip to..." Our program is one that presents opportunities for campers to use skills
learned in camp in new settings, to be a part of a group all working towards a common
goal, and to be at one with nature.
 The
Clearwater trip program fulfills an important and unique role in the total Clearwater
experience. Our out-of-camp trip groups are small, usually eight girls and two counselors.
Trips are not hurried, for it sometimes takes a slower pace to respond to the beauty of
nature, to realize that a person can cope and be comfortable in an environment markedly
different from any before encountered. Such discoveries build self-confidence and expand a
girl's knowledge of herself.
Each small
trip group of campers takes on the responsibility of planning the trip and problem-solving
along the way. The trips provide a tremendous sense of accomplishment and conclude with a
full report to the camp at the next Council Fire.
The type of trip, its destination and length are determined by camper desire,
skill, and previous experience. Some trips are by canoe for two or three days along one of
the many northern Wisconsin waterways. Other trips may be to the 
New Land, a permanent
site which was originally only a fern-filled spot in the woods by a trout stream.
For the
skilled, older campers, trips of up to ten days are taken with with backpacks to Isle
Royale or the Porcupine Mountains or by canoe to the boundary waters of Canada and
Minnesota and by sailboat or kayak to the Apostle Islands.
When
campers leave on a trip, the entire camp gives them a send-off as they "honk out of
camp" and welcomes them home again, as schedules permit. Returning trips usually have
composed a song which they share after a meal. Many of these songs have stood the test of
time becoming part of Clearwater's songbook and are sung by generations of campers.
Yes, the
Clearwater trip program truly is one of the many ways that our campers become bound in the
camping spirit.
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