After the most recent wildfire, I got to spend a weekend at camp, and all is well. Damage from the Line Fire, this most recent climate catastrophe, was visible at many points on the drive up the mountain — another far-too-close call for Camp de Benneville Pines. But I can tell you there are many green trees up there, and the forest is intact, and Janet has a smile on her face.
This time, we had to drive past the usual turnoff from Hwy. 38 — since Jenks Lake Road West was closed for repairs — and so I saw a long stretch of mountain that I rarely see. Tall trees, turning color with the season, greeted us around every curve. Coming in on Jenks Lake Road East, we passed many smaller camps in this peaceful forest. There were squirrels, birds, and a gentle breeze that only smelled of autumn.
Janet James, our dauntless Camp Director, greeted us with her unflagging enthusiasm, happy after two months of closure to see campers again. While the weekend I attended was not a UU-sponsored event, it is one of the many outside groups that annually rent the camp for their festivities, and we were delighted to re-open de Benneville for friends and fun.
Like many of us at UUSM, I’ve been to de Benneville many times over decades, and every time, it moves me. I am deeply grateful to have this oasis of nature, this gorgeous retreat, to be able to feel the peace of the wild world. What we have here has a value that is hard to express. And as the most recent fire made clear, it is at constant risk. I know of several families in my life who have a cabin in the woods, or a cottage at a lake, that has been passed down for generations. It is often shared with siblings and cousins, invited guests and friends. It’s more than the luxury of having a second “home.” It’s a place to experience the natural world, and step off of the treadmill of daily life. To remember the other summers or winters that have been spent sitting at this hearth, and savoring the company of those around the fire.
Camp’s Cabin 6 has been my home away from home; the scene of dozens of conversations, workshops, card games, and wine tastings. I cannot walk any path at de Benneville without recalling the friends I have walked with and what I have learned there.
There will be calls for volunteer work weekends and, of course, pleas for financial support in the next months. If you can do anything for our beloved camp, future generations will thank you.
Judith Martin-Straw
