We just finished a week at Camp Fife at Goose Prairie, Washington. The camp is about 25 miles east of Mt. Rainier and is run by the Grand Columbia Council. The camp can hold about 350 campers at full capacity. The camp is only about 65 acres, but it is in the middle of a National Forest. Just up the road is a popular trailhead for backpackers exploring the eastern Cascades.
The camp has had its ups and downs over the last few years, but this was an extremely up year. Our troop had a ball, and the Scouts want to return. That’s a pretty big recommendation for a troop that has Camp Parsons in its own council.
We took 32 of our 45 scouts to camp this year since most of our older guys left the day after camp for an 8-day canoe trip in Canada. It was the last week of the summer for the camp and there were only two other troops there. There were about 60 people -- scouts and adults -- in camp last week.
1. Pre Camp Information and Ease of Arranging the Trip (including the leaders' guide) – A and C and A
The written material is pretty standard in my experience, but the sign-up was great. We were allowed to pre-register our scouts in merit badge classes ahead of time -- greatly simplifying start-up and advice-giving for our scouts. This earned them an “A”.
Even though we signed up in advance, we had to modify the schedule at the last minute. Since so few troops were in camp this week, some of the staff were let go early and the calendar had to be rearranged. The week before there were nearly 300 Scouts in camp, but only 50 when we were there. Our careful schedule got tossed out. This earned them a “C”.
Knowing that we had worked out a schedule with our boys, the camp staff really came through in fixing things up. They were very helpful in changing schedules and easily accommodated all the last minute “I want to change my schedule to match my friend’s schedule” requests. This bumped them back up to an “A”.
2. Check in/out Process - Arrival & Departure – A-
The check-in and check-out was efficient and painless. They don’t do swim checks until Monday morning, which earned them an A- instead of an A. I would like to get them out of the way as soon as possible.
3. The Campsite – A-
The campsites are scattered around an open Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine forest on the edge of Goose Prairie. All the campsites are close to the program areas and convenient to the central core of the camp. The campsites I walked through all had nice fire rings with log benches around them, a bulletin board, a garbage can, and a flag pole. All the sites had plenty of shade.
The camp has some really old wall tents which you can check out and set up, but they really expect you to bring your own tents. If you are a backpacking-oriented troop with a bunch of 2-man tents this can be a problem since they are too small for long-term camping. Given the condition of their old wall tents, I would plan on bringing your own.
I downgraded the score to a minus because there is not a kybo for each site. You share one with surrounding campsites.
4. Latrine & Shower Facilities - B
The campsites have kybos that are your basic Forest Service type -- smelly. They have running water and sinks, but there are no doors on the stalls. Not real nice -- but serviceable. The best thing about pit toilets is that Scouts can’t clog them.
The camp has a swimming pool with a shower house attached. The adult male shower room has two showers (with doors!), five toilets, hot and cold water, and electricity. For a Scout camp, it’s the Ritz Carlton. I assume the youth and female shower rooms are the same. It’s a real building – not the sort of grunge-chic plywood-over-rough-concrete with holes in the walls that I see at most Scout camps. It is a really pleasant place to get the dust off and recharge.
The new dining hall has four bathrooms – two upstairs and two downstairs. Since our campsite was so close to the dining hall I have to confess that I rarely visited the kybo and I’m not sure any of our Scouts ever used it.
5. Camp Administration - A
Enthusiastic and cooperative. They actively sought out ways to serve us.
6. Camp Commissioner Program - A
The commissioner came by once or twice a day to check on us. We also had three different staffers come by and tell us they were our Troop Guides. No problems, no complaints. They were good.
7. Camp Staff – A
Overall, very good. They were friendly, courteous and kind. The response to nearly any request was, “Sure, we can figure out a way to do that for you.” With the exception that a couple of counselors were not quite strict about the requirements (I don’t see how anyone could complete Cooking at camp), we had no problems.
8. Merit Badge Program - A
Pretty standard for this area, with two exceptions. The day has six 1-hour merit badge classes, which meet from 1:30 on Monday until 12:30 on Friday. There was plenty of time for other activities.
The camp has an unusual metalworking program they call “Foxfire.” It’s not just bending sheet metal, as they have two forges and anvils. The boys get to heat steel bars in the far and hammer them into various shapes. Nearly every boy made some kind of knife, except my son who made a L-shaped device for moving Risk pieces around on a board. Most of our boys took this program and earned the Metalworking merit badge. It was a lot of fun.
Horsemanship is a big area for this camp. I think I heard someone say that the camp has about 15 horses and mules. I’m not a horse guy, but the Scouts and a couple of our Scouters really enjoyed it. My son rode a horse for the first time, including the overnight trek.
9. New Scout Program - B
They have a Trail-to-First-Class program run in the Scoutcraft area. It seemed adequate, and the Scouts who participated liked it.
10. Activities for Older Scouts - A
Good Cope program, shotgun and black powder shooting, horsemanship, and a climbing program. One night during the week the zip line is open to all campers. The rope and wire cables all looked well-maintained and in good condition. Safety rules were rigorously enforced.
We had a good time with their Outpost programs, which are open to all Scouts and Scouters. Horse events require a special permission slip.
There are two overnight Outposts: canoe trips on nearby Bumping Lake and two horseback trips. We didn’t sample the canoe trip since the wind was really strong when we were there, but about 10 of our people tried the horse overnighter. All overnight trips return in time for breakfast the next day.
They also have two other “Outpost” programs which leave camp at about 6pm and return before dark. The first is a trip to a natural rock face for rock climbing. There is a short, easy pitch and a taller, more complex one. The other evening outpost is to an abandoned copper mine which was last worked about 1935. The “float ponds” for the mine are full of interesting rocks containing iron, iron pyrite, quartz, copper ore, and even some gold. The mining trip is hosted by a local resident who has a passion for local mining history. He is a genuine “colorful character.”
Scouts are transported to Bumping Lake and to the other outposts on the camp’s new school bus. It’s a bumpy ride, but it’s better than rounding up Scoutmaster cars.
They offer leader training: Safe Swim, Safety Afloat, and Climb on Safely.
11. Special Activities – Outposts A, other programs B
See the Outpost programs in #10. They also have campwide games on Friday afternoon and usually have a multiple-event “Iron Man” competition. All three troops in camp decided to forgo the Iron Man event and perform a service project that ended up taking three hours. After all that time shoveling gravel into potholes on the Bumping Lake Marina road, there wasn’t much enthusiasm for high-energy games anyway.
The “Tom Fife” award is the camp’s Honor Troop program, and the Commissioner’s award goes to the troop in camp that earns the most “Tom Fife points” for clean campsite, service, participation and all the usual criteria.
There is no adult leader challenge. Troop and patrol service projects are expected.
12. Chapel Program - B+
The have Scout Vespers every day Sunday evening after dinner. It lasted about 45 minutes and included an interfaith message and some singing of songs that were distinctly Judeo-Christian. Every meal was preceded by a prayer from a Scout, and we also prayed during morning flag ceremony. The prayers were whatever the Scout wanted to say – most were definitely Christian, but some were more Philmont-ish.
13. Dining Hall and Food – facility A+, food A+
They opened their new dining hall for the 2005 season. It can seat 450(!) people in very comfortable padded stacking chairs and is a wonder of the Scouting world. It is a big A-frame building with exposed LVL beams, a green metal roof and dormer windows. The kitchen is big, modern and full of stainless steel. There is a large meeting room over the kitchen with windows that look out over the dining hall. The east end of the hall is dominated by a 50-foot-tall (my estimate) river-rock hearth and chimney. One Scouter commented that he wished his church had built something so nice. I thought Camp Brinkley had a nice dining hall until I saw this one. The other dining halls in Washington are figuratively hanging their heads in shame. Reportedly, a wealthy benefactor gave the Council over $2 million to build this building. Even the Scouts commented on it. The old dining hall is now the trading post and crafts lodge.
The dining hall uses a cafeteria system with two serving lines. Rather than plates, food is self-served onto compartmented trays. All utensils, bowls, cups and trays fit into special racks which slide right into commercial dishwashers. I’m no expert, but the kitchen operation sure looked efficient to me.
The food is even better than the building. The head cook (chef?) is new at camp this year. He is a retired professional cook who used to work in the catering department at a convention center. The Scouts and Scouters wandered around camp muttering about the food quality. When they served spaghetti it came with meatballs – not just sauce – and there was linguini with Alfredo sauce as an alternative. The roast beef had a nice bowl of horse radish right alongside. The biscuits (made fresh) were served with sausage gravy that I am pretty sure had never been in a can. Their corn bread was *this close* to being as good as my mom’s, and the Mexican food’s only concession to youthful palates was that it was a little bland to my California-trained taste buds, but the salsa made up for that. Every meal was good. I don’t think we had any Scouts who tried to live off food from the trading post.
Wednesday night is the Scoutmaster chili cook-off, when we old folk take over. The camp will either let you use their kitchen, or will provide charcoal and Dutch ovens. On Tuesday the staff asks the Scoutmasters what materials they need and then runs into town to buy them. This is good since the town is something like 45 minutes away. Elk chili is really tasty by the way.
I could go on and on – and probably will – but suffice it to say that if you were served this food in a restaurant you wouldn’t feel cheated. For a Boy Scout camp, it is a miracle.
14. Trading Post - B
The camp is warm, and has the best selection of ice cream I’ve seen in a camp – including Ben and Jerry’s both on a stick and in pints! They have a soda fountain and a cooler with sports and soft drinks. The usual selection of candy is available, as is a good selection of craft items. They have a small selection of personal care items such as toothpaste, deodorant, and toothbrushes. Their weakest area was in camp souvenir goods, which were in short supply and limited size selections. You couldn't buy a coffee mug or a camp belt larger than 32 inches. Prices were high, but not obscenely so.
15. Other Buildings/Facilities - A
There are plenty of buildings scattered around the camp, some of which date back to when Tom Fife owned the land.
The shooting range is nice, with a concrete floor and a permanent roof. The shotgun range accommodates one shooter at a time and is right next to the rifle range.
The Craft Lodge is really nice – it’s the old dining hall. The old chapel bowl is now the nature area, and the archery area is out on the prairie with the COPE course and climbing tower.
16. Overall Grade: A
I’ve always said that my favorite camp is Parsons, but I’m not so sure. Camp Black Mountain in the Mt. Baker Council and Camp Fife have taken their games to the next level. Each has special attributes, but I really couldn’t choose between them. I recommend all three camps enthusiastically.
17. Do you recommend the camp for other troops?
Yes. This camp is worth traveling to get to.
18. Special Comments
The horsemanship program at the camp is in serious trouble. The camp “rents” horses from a ranch for the summer, and the owner of the horses requires campers to have a separate permission slip and release of liability for to ride them. This is mentioned in the leader’s guide, but it sure isn’t emphasized. The Camp Director told us that some weeks at camp NONE of the campers had the special horse permission slip. No release form – no horse riding, so the horses sat unused while boys wanted to ride. Since the camp is “off the grid,” they only have a satellite phone for emergencies, and no ability to send or receive fax documents. The horse operation lost a lot of money for the camp this summer.
This is a real tragedy since the equestrian operation is one of the unique benefits of the camp. Aside from Horsemanship Merit Badge, Scouters and campers can take short trail rides nearly any time for a modest fee, and the camp offers an overnight trail ride for only $35, which a “horseperson” friend says is a real bargain. Lots of our scouts and scouters went for rides and on the overnight trail rides. The Council will have to decide soon about the horsemanship program. If you are interested in the horse program, call the council office and make your reservations now. Tell them you won’t go if they don’t have horses.
The elk of Camp Fife are a major attraction. Each morning just before dawn the elk move through the camp down to the prairie where they feed. This means two things – you have a great chance of seeing an elk from the comfort of your sleeping bag, and that the meadows are full of elk poop. Elk poop is easily avoided, but seems to attract flies. The flies don’t bite, but they get annoying in the heat of midday. It’s not as bad as the mosquitoes of Western Washington lakes, but the fly problem will bug you. There are some bears in the area, but they are infrequent enough that the camp staff doesn’t even talk about them.
The camp has a large, active population of chipmunks and golden ground squirrels. Any food left sitting will be gone in minutes. The boys enjoyed the antics of the “mini-bears.”
The camp does have a pond which was dry when we were there. August is the dry season around here. Swimming activities are conducted in the camp’s pool, and boating is held up the road at the Bumping Lake Marina. The camp has a bus which takes campers to and from the lake, contrary to their Leader’s Guide which says that adult leaders will have to do the driving (the bus was new this summer). The lake is only six or seven minutes away. Like most adults, I missed having a lakefront in camp, but the boys LOVED the swimming pool. They are city kids and I think they mistrust lakes…
The camp usually gets rain often enough to keep the dust down, but we were there at the end of a 3-week dry spell. The dust was nasty, but no worse than other Scout camps.
Give this camp a try. We had a great time.
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