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| Yo, Guv Dave! No flags, no fun! Something ELSE needs fixing! :( (333377) | |||
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Yo, Guv Dave! No flags, no fun! Something ELSE needs fixing! :( |
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Posted by SelkirkTMO on Sun Jul 6 07:56:49 2008 Rules limiting lure of wildOutdoor camp operators say common sense is a casualty By RICK KARLIN, Capitol bureau Click byline for more stories by writer. First published: Sunday, July 6, 2008 Deerfoot Lodge, Speculator --Anyone who has spent time at an outdoor summer camp like this one, located in the lush south-central Adirondacks, has lots of fond memories: jumping off rope swings, swimming in a crystal-clear stream or perhaps embarking on a "solo" overnight stay in the forest to test one's self-reliance. But nowadays, those activities could be in violation of state regulations. Before swimming in a river, for example, camp counselors are supposed to use a "Wilderness Swimming Site Field Assessment Tool" to gauge the water's velocity, bottom slope and clarity. Rope swings? Forget it, at least off camp grounds, according to state Health Department regulations. Also prohibited: headfirst diving, "jumping into the water from cliffs, trees," and "water flumes." And solo sojourns, no matter how Thoreauesque, might conflict with the need for constant "visual or verbal communications capabilities between camper and counselor." When it comes to outdoor wilderness camps, the forces of nature butt up against an equally daunting power: New York's vast state bureaucracy. Some of the push for stronger regulations followed the 1998 death of an 11-year-old boy who drowned in a rain-swollen creek while attending Camp Scatico in Livingston, Columbia County. Lately, though, the operators of wilderness camps like this one have been fighting back in efforts to make the rules more realistic. "What used to be considered common sense now is codified. It's hard sometimes to codify common sense," said Ron Mackey, director of Deerfoot Lodge, one of a handful of true wilderness camps that remain in the state. Concerns of wilderness camp directors are coming to the fore as the Department of Health as well as lawmakers try to balance a true outdoor experience with safety. The challenge comes amid a boom in suburban day camps, including some in shopping malls that include mini water parks and bungee-like sky diving simulations, as well as sports like soccer and basketball. "Tech has taken over," remarked Kris Hansen, who operates the coed Camp Woodsmoke on Lake Placid, which also emphasizes wilderness travel and outdoor activities. Because they are not sleep-over camps, suburban and urban day camps escape many of the regulations that apply to their rustic counterparts. "New York camps are the safest, best-regulated camps in the world -- provided they are outdoors and multipurpose," said Gene DeSantis, an Albany lobbyist for New York State Camp Directors Association. The challenges facing Deerfoot are typical. While described as a nondenominational Christian boys camp with morning Bible periods, Deerfoot's most obvious characteristic is its ruggedness. It's a proud throwback to camping circa 1929, when it was established. There's no electricity except for a generator that powers the dining hall and few other log buildings. Most kids sleep in cabins with gas lamps -- except for those aged 14 to 16, who get to stay in tepees, which Mackey concedes can be a bit leaky in heavy rains. Cell phones, computers, iPods or other electronic gadgets are forbidden. Not that kids seems to mind. Peter Gardner, 11, of North Carolina, who was returning with a group of fellow campers from an overnight trip in which they backpacked 90 minutes to a campsite, happily described the experience of wading into a mucky wilderness lake. "We sunk into the mud about this far," he said, holding his hands about 6 inches apart and with a big grin. During their two-week stays, campers backpack and ascend the High Peaks, canoe along the Fulton Chain of Lakes and navigate off-trail with map and compass. When not in the backcountry, they sail, swim, play tetherball and learn about archery, riflery and building wooden canoes. Despite the activities, Mackey of Averill Park says the camp is relatively unstructured by current standards. As a result, state inspectors are sometimes surprised to find the entire day isn't preprogrammed. It's an example of how the state has over the years imposed the same kind of standards seen in public schools. Dispensing any medicine, even an aspirin or cough drop, requires a doctor's note, said Mackey. The camp now has parents provide presigned permission slips. Additionally, camps face restrictions on how many youngsters they can bring to certain wilderness areas, due to group size limits imposed by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. It's a sound idea to protect the ecosystem, but it means additional van trips and more, albeit smaller, groups in the woods. "You essentially have to charge more because your fixed costs are the same," said Steve Hammonds, director of the Curtis S. Read Scout Reservation in Brant Lake, where Boy Scouts participate in weeklong wilderness treks through the Adirondacks. Camp operators like Mackey, Hansen and Hammonds stress that they aren't looking to do away with rules. "Every year there are more regulations, but it's all for the safety of the campers," said Sara Disney, financial director for camp Pok-O-MacCready in Willsboro near Lake Champlain. And the Health Department, which regulates camps where there is swimming, is working to streamline things. "We have been in discussions about possible alternatives that will allow campers to have a more enhanced experience while still protecting their health and safety, said Health Department spokesman Jeffrey Hammond. Still, the list of possible regulatory bear traps seems to grow each year, even if they are beyond the Health Department's purview. For instance, noted Chuck Gieser of Delmar, Deerfoot's retired director who remains active in the camping scene, lots of youngsters today take medication for conditions like asthma or attention deficit disorder. He wonders whether someday a nurse may have to accompany them on a wilderness trip, noting that in schools, nurses give out such drugs. He also wonders about labor regulations that prevent some teens from running dishwashers or lawn mowers, part of the routine in some sleep-away camps. Gieser fears the spontaneity and self-reliance that comes with wilderness adventures like canoe trips could someday be watered down by regulations. "How do you build self-confidence in people today by holding their hands?" he asked. Rick Karlin can be reached at 454-5758 or by e-mail at rkarlin@timesunion.com. |
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