TrailRidge Memorabilia
These photos and descriptions should bring back memories. Check out some of the camp treasures that camp friends have sent us or that we still have hanging around the house.
The TrailRidge Beads
Counselor Tom Stitt sent in this photo of his TrailRidge beads. Does anyone remember how many there were, the colors, and what they stood for? Check out the TMC "jargon" page under documents for the color code.
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Swimmer Aide Course
Tom Stitt also sent this scan of his "swimmer aide orientation course" completion card from the American Red Cross. Just to think Tom held onto this stuff for nearly 30 years.
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The TrailRidge Book of Songs
Camper and then counselor Scott James did this cover art. This book from 1989 served us well and I still have a couple of copies around the house. Elsewhere on this site you'll find a few of the camp songs that were written just for us.
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Health Certificate
If you were there in 1982 you might recall some of the stories revolving around health department inspections. In fact, check out a blog about one of these. We always had an "A" rating.
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First-Year Camp Builder Certificate
This certificate was presented to everyone who helped build or establish TrailRidge. In fact, I found the original master roster we used to get the calligrapher to letter these certificates. There was no such thing as computer calligraphy back then. Or at least not in our part of the world. This list of original campers, counselors, and friends is posted on this site. Miles, Ranger, Sterling, and Lucy were camp pets. You'll eventually find their photos posted on this site.
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Original Camp Brochure
This was the cover of the very first camp brochure. The idea was to come up and help start a brand-new camp. The idea worked...too well in fact. We had more campers that first year than ever again. Eventually I'll post the entire brochure along with others we published through the years. You can read in my blog about how this "experiment" of coming to build a camp for $50 a week was the beginning to the end of TrailRidge. All I'll say now is that it was an incredibly expensive marketing campaign. THe bottom of the brochure mentions the schedule for the last trips under the name of Open Road Experiences, the predecessor camp to TMC. To read the brochure, check out camp documents page or just click here. Mark has actually come full-circle and is once again taking kids on travel adventures. Check out MindStretch Travel Adventures.
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The TrailRidge Carabiner
Do you remember this? Campers and counselors would receive a "real" carabiner during their third summer with a piece of climbing webbing attached and the letters TMC on the webbing. This was meant to represent the "bond" between the camper and the camp. On their fourth year they would receive a TMC pin to attach to the webbing. Does anyone remember what happened during your fifth year?
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1985 Camp Brochure
This brochure served us for many years. Lots of great photos of campers and counselors. It unfolded to 16 X 20 inches so it was impossible to scan as is...but you can read all of the text and check out the photos by clicking.
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Casino Bucks
Jay Jalenak came up with a favorite activity for camp - Casino Night. Who can forget those? Boys had to have had a shower and come in wearing their best attire. That usually meant a tie - be it real or scavenged out of camp-made materials. And does anyone remember Kelly showing up one summer with a three-piece suit?
Jay also camp up with this money we used in our "Fabulous Jay Jalenak Las Vegas Casino Nights." Thanks to Ray and Nancy Thompson for find these in their house of treasures.
If you have a camp treasure to share or a camp memory to post, I hope you'll send it on in:
Send to Mark at [email protected].
Jay also camp up with this money we used in our "Fabulous Jay Jalenak Las Vegas Casino Nights." Thanks to Ray and Nancy Thompson for find these in their house of treasures.
If you have a camp treasure to share or a camp memory to post, I hope you'll send it on in:
Send to Mark at [email protected].