COLUMN: Carillon Flashback February 10, 1971 – At Red Rock Bible Camp they make fun of winter

Who ever said that a Manitoba winter was good for nothing but huddling close to a warm air register? Seventy-five fathers and sons recently demonstrated that winter camping can be just as much fun, or perhaps more fun, than traditional summer outings.

An overwhelming success was the most apt way of describing a two-day retreat for men and boys at Red Rock Lake Bible Camp in January.

According to camp director Al Hiebert, participants were enjoying themselves even more than summer campers and not a single boy said a thing about being bored on the weekend.

But, of course, there’s a catch to all this winter fun. Winter campers have to come dressed with a little more than just “long johns”. Proper sub-zero clothing is readily available and was sported by nearly all at the camp.

Camp activities began at 8 a.m. with a hearty Canadian breakfast of corn flakes, bacon, pancakes and coffee. Mealtimes were especially looked forward to, and over-sized cold-weather appetites dissolved mounds of delicious food prepared by the four ladies who volunteered to cook for the weekend retreat. Especially at breakfast, Mrs. Mary Hiebert, Mrs. Tina Doerksen, Mrs. Ed Loewen and Mrs. Elvin Fast were hard-pressed to keep up delivering platters of hot cakes and bacon, which disappeared almost as fast as they could be prepared.

Except for fireside sessions by Winnipeg Bible College president Dr Kenneth Hanna, all the time was free for snowmobiling, snowshoeing, broomball, hockey and soccer. Dr Hanna made several presentations on the theme “Nice guys don’t always finish last”. Fellowship times included hymn sings and sing-a-longs.

A long line of snowmobilers left the camp Sunday afternoon to explore a 12-mile nature trail across the highway from the lake. Snowmobiling was one of the most popular pastimes of the retreat and those who had not brought their own machines, found others willing to take them along for a ride.

Snowmobilers found the trails through clearings in the bush were ideal for exploring, but any driver who slipped off the trail was in trouble, trying to navigate the deep snow.

The tree house, which is a popular lookout spot for summer campers, could only be reached through that deep snow, using the old but tried-and-true art of snowshoeing. Rather than riding along on a snowmobile, some campers preferred to rough it through the bush on snowshoes, which made travel through the deep snow a relatively easy task.

Others found that sliding down a hill on a giant inner tube was just as much fun as riding on a traditional toboggan.

Though some snowmobiles, and most cars, wouldn’t start after two days and nights in 20-below temperatures and a stiff west wind, the informal discussions later about whose car started best, and so on, was worth almost all the efforts with booster cables and even the occasional tow.

The success of the winter camps has prompted organizers to plan a mother-and-daughter camp during the last weekend in February. Interested persons may contact Al Hiebert for further information.

Perhaps a few of the fathers could be recruited to come along to help with the cooking, and booster cable and towing duties, if needed.

– with files from Peter Dyck