About Fall camp
Fall Camp is a small ancestral skills camp with a Fall/preparation for Winter focus. We have had an unofficial camp on this weekend each fall for over 8 years, but we have decided to extend it by a day and invite you to join us! Part of this decision was due to the COVID19 causing us to cancel Between the Rivers Gathering in 2020 - we couldn't bear to be parted entirely from our friends for an entire year.
In past years we have come to Fall Camp to work on our unfinished projects, share potluck meals and wildcrafted goodies, and enjoy the warmth of the campfire, make homegrown music, and engage in long, meaningful conversations with each other. We want this to continue, and we want to offer classes for participants in a wide range of subjects to increase their skills, lend confidence in the future, and connect to our shared human history.
Fall Camp is family friendly and is safe for children. Please keep it that way. This is not a place to bring drugs or alcohol or to be intoxicated, and please leave your modern firearms at home. Bring your smiles, your enthusiasm for ancestral skills, your instruments, drums, tools, AtlAtls and Darts, Bows and arrows, and your handmade items appropriate for trade or show-and-tell.
In past years we have come to Fall Camp to work on our unfinished projects, share potluck meals and wildcrafted goodies, and enjoy the warmth of the campfire, make homegrown music, and engage in long, meaningful conversations with each other. We want this to continue, and we want to offer classes for participants in a wide range of subjects to increase their skills, lend confidence in the future, and connect to our shared human history.
Fall Camp is family friendly and is safe for children. Please keep it that way. This is not a place to bring drugs or alcohol or to be intoxicated, and please leave your modern firearms at home. Bring your smiles, your enthusiasm for ancestral skills, your instruments, drums, tools, AtlAtls and Darts, Bows and arrows, and your handmade items appropriate for trade or show-and-tell.
A Few Differences
Food: In order to keep the cost low, and to avoid complications with potential contagions participants will be providing their own food at Fall Camp. If the weather is warm we will do our best to have bagged ice for sale in camp daily for your coolers. We encourage evening pot-luck style meals with your neighbors, and time will be allotted each day in the schedule of events to facilitate meal preparation.
No Separate Kids Camp: Families should come prepared to take classes with their children and integrate into gathering activities as a family using whatever adaptive strategy and planning that requires. This does not mean we don't like kids, on the contrary, WE LOVE KIDS! We want to offer a chance for parents and children to change focus and to plan and take classes together in an effort to increase mentoring, familial bonding, and to remove the generation gap for the duration of Fall Camp.
Duration: Fall Camp starts on Thursday morning with a general intro and announcements, and an instructor introduction, and then we will move straight into classes and learning and camp activities. Participants are welcome to come as early as Wednesday and stay as late as Monday if needed for travel arrangements. Camp will break after breakfast on Sunday morning after morning announcements and a few words.
Location: Fall camp is held on the new 40 acre campus of Bridges to the Past located at 3045 Huffman Rd., Valley, Washington. It is beautiful, easy to find, will be well-signed, and a digital map and pin are posted below.
Daily Schedule:
7-9 am: Wake, breakfast & such
9am: Brief announcements
9:30: break for classes
12-1pm: Lunch Break
1-5pm: afternoon classes
5-7pm: Dinner Break
7-whenever: evening activities and Camp Life
What will be the Same
Bridges to the Past strives to sponsor well-organized, family friendly events with quality instruction in the old skills, and have a welcoming camp environment. This will continue. You may be familiar with many of our instructors, and you will likely find some new ones. Class offerings will differ according to availability of instructors, materials, and appropriateness of the season, but you can still count on a wide selection from highly skilled teachers. Specifics will follow as available. Come prepared to camp self-contained in whatever style you choose. Tent camping is encouraged, and traditional or Classic camping is applauded. RV/Camper camping is available but space for RV’s is really limited and if you intend to bring one you will need to let us know in advance so we can reserve space for you.
Weather
Typically we can expect just about anything in October this far north. It is often pleasant during the day and cold at night, but it can be blustery and stormy, or it can be nearly hot. Dress in layers and come prepared for anything and you likely won't be disappointed.
COVID Considerations
In order to be safe in this time of a pandemic we will be following current CDC guidelines and Washington State guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID during Fall Camp. We are camping outdoors, have plenty of respectful distance between camps, we can stand at least 6 feet apart and wear masks when needed. There will be handwashing stations available, as well as hand sanitizing soaps, and everyone will be encouraged to use them. Bathrooms will be provided and cleaned on a regular basis. Please be respectful of others. Instructors are asked to keep class size within current COVID guidelines.
Food: In order to keep the cost low, and to avoid complications with potential contagions participants will be providing their own food at Fall Camp. If the weather is warm we will do our best to have bagged ice for sale in camp daily for your coolers. We encourage evening pot-luck style meals with your neighbors, and time will be allotted each day in the schedule of events to facilitate meal preparation.
No Separate Kids Camp: Families should come prepared to take classes with their children and integrate into gathering activities as a family using whatever adaptive strategy and planning that requires. This does not mean we don't like kids, on the contrary, WE LOVE KIDS! We want to offer a chance for parents and children to change focus and to plan and take classes together in an effort to increase mentoring, familial bonding, and to remove the generation gap for the duration of Fall Camp.
Duration: Fall Camp starts on Thursday morning with a general intro and announcements, and an instructor introduction, and then we will move straight into classes and learning and camp activities. Participants are welcome to come as early as Wednesday and stay as late as Monday if needed for travel arrangements. Camp will break after breakfast on Sunday morning after morning announcements and a few words.
Location: Fall camp is held on the new 40 acre campus of Bridges to the Past located at 3045 Huffman Rd., Valley, Washington. It is beautiful, easy to find, will be well-signed, and a digital map and pin are posted below.
Daily Schedule:
7-9 am: Wake, breakfast & such
9am: Brief announcements
9:30: break for classes
12-1pm: Lunch Break
1-5pm: afternoon classes
5-7pm: Dinner Break
7-whenever: evening activities and Camp Life
What will be the Same
Bridges to the Past strives to sponsor well-organized, family friendly events with quality instruction in the old skills, and have a welcoming camp environment. This will continue. You may be familiar with many of our instructors, and you will likely find some new ones. Class offerings will differ according to availability of instructors, materials, and appropriateness of the season, but you can still count on a wide selection from highly skilled teachers. Specifics will follow as available. Come prepared to camp self-contained in whatever style you choose. Tent camping is encouraged, and traditional or Classic camping is applauded. RV/Camper camping is available but space for RV’s is really limited and if you intend to bring one you will need to let us know in advance so we can reserve space for you.
Weather
Typically we can expect just about anything in October this far north. It is often pleasant during the day and cold at night, but it can be blustery and stormy, or it can be nearly hot. Dress in layers and come prepared for anything and you likely won't be disappointed.
COVID Considerations
In order to be safe in this time of a pandemic we will be following current CDC guidelines and Washington State guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID during Fall Camp. We are camping outdoors, have plenty of respectful distance between camps, we can stand at least 6 feet apart and wear masks when needed. There will be handwashing stations available, as well as hand sanitizing soaps, and everyone will be encouraged to use them. Bathrooms will be provided and cleaned on a regular basis. Please be respectful of others. Instructors are asked to keep class size within current COVID guidelines.
Some Classic Camping Fun!
In the spirit of encouraging camping in the old style, encouraging research, and to pay homage to dear friends both living and passed-on, we will have a friendly competition for the Best Classic Camp. This is for bragging rights only, and will be voted on by your peers in camp, and we hope it will encourage folks to bring their canvas, their lamps, camp furniture, rugs and furs and other old-style items to add to the overall ambience of camp. Few things are lovelier than strolling through a camp where natural flame lighting abounds and canvas tents are all aglow! We look forward to seeing your classic camp this Fall! |
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Map: please note that the pin on this map is too far north; it should be at the junction of Huffman Rd and Paidea High School, with whom we share a driveway. The high school is a series of modular classrooms and does not appear like a traditional high school. Turn off Huffman Rd at the Bridges to the Past sign, come through the south parking lot through the staff parking keeping right until you pass through the gate up the dirt road to the Bridges to the Past Campus. The signs will bring you to camp from Hwy 231, and will be placed by the Tuesday before camp.
Once you get to the property, this image below may be helpful...
