The Sari Diaries- Thursday 7/2/26

Dearest Chippies,

Another whirlwind week at #TheRanch2026 has come and gone, and I write to you this evening in a state of disbelief. I feel like I blinked and suddenly we are 3/4 of the way through the session. Campers have been making the most of the sunshine and there are LOTS of happenings to update you on… let’s jump into the details of the day!

It was a busy one over here on County O, with B Day activities in full swing. Sailboats touched every corner of Dam Lake, cookies were baked in Cooking, animals were glazed at Pottery, intense relays were swum at Swimming, and Chippewa-themed bedazzling was completed at Arts & Crafts. Over at Skiing, Mia L (Circle C) and Morgan K (Wagon Ridge) got up and around the lake on two skis, Jayden E (Copper Stripes) passed lifting, and Alexa D (Lucky-X) crossed the wakes on two skis AND lifted. After a delicious grilled cheese lunch, Circle C, Lucky-X and Horseshoe all received the perfect score of 100 for cabin clean-up (and earned a first in line spot for their Letter Writing Day canteen). My personal favorite part of the day was running into Cassidy A (Lucky-X), Maeve B (Silverspurs) and Stella B (Blackfoot) as they lapped the camp on horseback during 4th period. When I stopped them to say hello, Maeve enthusiastically said, “This is the best thing I’ve ever done!” Always so great to see kids in action doing the things they love and make them feel proud.

We closed out the day with a Tan & White favorite: Skit Night. The camp was buzzing with excitement as Tans and Whites alike prepped for age-based performances of commercials (Braves), songs (Hunters), cheers (Warriors) and skits (Chiefs). There was a lot of creativity up on that stage tonight… the Tan Braves presented a commercial for a TANley water bottle and the White Braves for a WHITE Switch; the Hunters and Warriors highlighted CRC Compass traits in their songs and cheers, respectively; and the Disney TANnel and Whites Run the Amazing Race were incredible performances put on by the Chiefs of both teams! Laughter and cheering was oozing from the Theater all night long as the entire camp watched each performance in awe. The White team ended up taking the victory tonight—a well-deserved win for them!

All in all, I’d call this day a biiiiiiig win. It was chock-full of Chippy spirit, achievement, sunshine and fun… what more can we ask for here at CRC?! Even though it’s easy to complain about how time is passing too quickly (the “how many days left of the session?” asks are becoming far too regular), I’ve sensed a shift over the past week in how campers are moving through camp. An air of familiarity and ease has materialized as campers hold their heads a little higher, laugh a little louder, navigate camp with a little more confidence, and appear a little more at home. They’ve settled in and are comfortably in the groove of Chippewa life. For our new campers, camp has transitioned from the place where they’re spending their summer to a place where they feel comfortable and safe. Camp is officially theirs. Witnessing that evolution is one of the many reasons this job is a privilege. It’s something I’ll never tire of watching.

That’s all I’ve got for you tonight. Just know that the vibes are good over here on County O. The excitement for the 4th of July is building and the week ahead is sure to be the best we’ve seen so far. I look forward to joining you all again for my final first session update next week!

Sincerely,
Soph Aloaf