The Sari Diaries- Monday 6/15/26

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

We are here- we have made it! #TheRanch2026 is underway…the energy, excitement and love of a Chippewa summer is very clearly already in the air! The buildup to this day has been unique and meaningful in and of itself, and now that camp is full of smiling, happy, hugging Chippies, it feels real. The summer where EVERYTHING MATTERS is officially underway!

For those of you who are not familiar, I would like to take a moment to formally introduce you to The Sari Diaries. The goal of this blog is to provide all of you with a window into each of our days at Chippewa this summer. You can expect a post each evening…sometimes from me, other times from Soph-Aloaf, once in awhile from a guest blogger, and once per week from campers in a podcast form. Regardless of the author or the method of delivery, we hope that we can provide you with some insight into a day in the life at 8258 County O!

Now onto the details of our very first day at CRC…it was amazing! From the moment the staff woke up, the energy was palpable. I love how each summer that first day of camp feeling remains the same…that pop-out-of-bed happiness and warmth swirling through your mind and heart feeling…it is just the best! Anyways, I digress- the morning was spent putting the final touches on camp…staff were working together to make sure things were perfect for camper arrival. And they succeeded- the 2026 Chippewa staff is comprised of over 100 extraordinary individuals who together form a truly elite team. Over the course of the past month, this group has demonstrated an immense amount of dedication, hard work, collaboration and passion…they are the best and we are so fortunate!

Campers began arriving as early as 10:30am, and by 2:33pm, the buses rolled through the gates. “We Welcome You To Chippewa” was sung with vigor as campers got off the buses and jumped into counselors’ arms. We headed to the Center Fire Circle to announce cabins and each cabin headed off to begin their summer together. Throughout the afternoon, there was unpacking, games and tours. For dinner, we had spaghetti and meatballs (and brownies for dessert)- the traditional first night meal. And then, Lakeview began their role as leaders of the camp by going around to each cabin’s table and singing their cabin song with them. I was impressed with the spirit in lodge…in addition to the huge smiles on the faces of campers & staff alike, the tune was decent and the volume was excellent.

After dinner we were thrown a bit of a curveball- these little drops of rain began falling from the sky. It is true that we claim that “it never rains at Chippewa” but the precipitation tonight brought something worth a few minutes of wetness…we got to experience a double rainbow over Dam Lake on night one at Chippewa Ranch Camp 2026! It was beautiful and I have no doubt that it is a sign of the beauty that is sure to pop up all summer long…both literally and figuratively.

Following the rainbow amazingness we enjoyed the Opening Friendship Fire. We sang “Walking,” led by the First Year JCs and we picked a winner for the long awaited Chippy Trivia Quiz raffle- congrats to Alexis G from the cabin of Lakeview! Cliff led the new staff in a hilarious rendition of “I See a Bear,” which campers absolutely loved…even those who have been here to witness it before found this rendition highly entertaining.

After the campfire, cabin bonding ensued. I had the opportunity to check-in with cabins across camp and I loved seeing the connections between cabinmates already forming. As if this day wasn’t good enough, walking around camp tonight confirmed what an exceptional place this is- we are truly lucky to be spending our summer on Dam Lake. Each cabin I walked into was full of excitement. I loved seeing campers acclimating so quickly to camp and cabin life…there was a level of comfort between cabinmates and counselors that surpassed day one expectations!

It is official, June 15th at CRC is in the books and it was one that will certainly be remembered. If today is any indication of how the rest of the summer will play out, we are in for a good something special…likely the best one! Thank you all for reading the very first TSD of 2026. Have a great night!

Happy Camping and Love,

Sari

PS Be sure to check out today’s photos on Campanion (or Camp in Touch)!