Summer is the time for fun out-of-doors. Boulder Valley schools closed their doors for the long summer vacation on Friday, June 11. Just three days later, IBM Park in Gunbarrel became the site of the first Girl Scouts Mile-Hi Council Day Camp.

The camp theme was "Wild, Wild West." Two Heatherwood volunteers, Girl Scout Troop 735 co-leaders, Nancy Martin and Yvonne Garvin, co-directed the camp. The planning started in late 1998 by arranging for guests which augmented the western theme.

Boulder’s Women of the West Museum provided activities in the form of four centers. The 100 scouts attending were divided into four groups and rotated through the activities which included a western storyteller, a woman dressed in pioneer clothing who told of life in pioneer times, exploring a trunk filled with hundred year old antiques, and a session of making yarn dolls, a favorite pastime of children growing up on the prairie.

Prospectors made a visit to the camp. They set up troughs of dirt and water to teach the lost art of gold panning. With the proper technique, the dirt was sifted and refined and gold was found. Gary Hawley of the Colorado Gold Prospectors shared history and information with the campers about some of the well known women from the Colorado gold rush more than 100 "yars" ago.

Colorado wildflowers provided another activity for the scouts. Bob Garvin cut wood to make flower presses. Each girl built and decorated her own press. The flowers were donated by the camp directors and many of the volunteer leaders were "pressed" to make keepsake memories of the camp.

Activities were planned so Brownies and Juniors alike would complete the requirements to earn the Listening to the Past or Women’s Stories badge. Other traditional activities included singing, games, outdoor cooking and of course s’mores.

The all-volunteer staff included Gunbarrel area residents, adults and program aides, (PAs) girls who have completed sixth grade and have participated in special training. Martin stated, "This year we are so thankful for the great staff we had. Everyone was truly helpful. We had a wonderful week of camp because of all the teamwork and camaraderie. Campers, as well as the adults and PAs, made the best of three rainy days so all our activities were carried out. I hope everyone had as much fun as I did."

Garvin added, "Camp was so much fun this year. All the planning and special events were memories in the making. The girls seemed to have lots of fun. So many return to camp year after year. We must be doing something right!"

Volunteer Lynn Gottlieb said, "We really had to deal with the challenges of bad weather and had to ‘be prepared’, [the Girl Scout motto] with tents and things like that to stay dry. It was a good time. I always have fun at IBM park." Thanks to Gottlieb’s cooking, the campers enjoyed Cowgirl Chili for Friday’s meal.

Camper Kaitlin Monahan, a fifth grader at Heatherwood, enjoyed her first year at Girl Scout camp. She exclaimed, "It was a lot of fun. I made some new friends and liked making the crafts."

When asked if they plan to direct the camp again next year, both Martin and Garvin say, "YES. We already have an idea for a theme in the works!"