This blog is a throwback from 2012!
A few weeks ago, Adam and I took a weekend trip down to Minneapolis to visit some friends. Since moving to Camp Foley in January, this was our first trip out of the area and we were excited to be in a city again with all the bustle and convenience. As we headed home, inching further north, Adam said out of the blue, “It is really good to see the trees again.”
It is amazing how that simple, tiny observation got me to really take a look around, not only in center camp but in woods across the road and toward the lake to where Father Foley’s fireplace still sits, 80 plus years later. These trees, in all their towering glory, have seen it all.
There are many species of trees around Camp Foley with many of them falling into the coniferous category. Red Pine, White Pine, and Jack Pine are all coniferous trees and can be seen around camp. You can tell this by looking closely at what they are covered in because a coniferous tree will always have needles, which are a type of leaf! This allows the trees to always look green, even in winter because there are always needles waiting to replace the old ones. That is how they got their name-evergreen!
What got me more about these trees was their enormous size! They seem to hover, watch, and protect the camp from above. You can get dizzy trying to look up at the tops of them and it makes you wonder just how old they are. And that’s when it dawned on me – they are as old, if not older than Camp Foley. These trees are equally as pristine as the Chapel and as statuesque and mighty as the old fireplace. They have been here since the beginning and have seen Camp Foley become what it is today and admired by thousands of campers over the years.
The first picture ( left) was taken during the 1950s, and the second picture (below) was taken in 2011. The trees surrounding have grown taller, but they’re still the same trees!
These tall pine trees are truly a gift to all who visit Camp Foley. So, next time you visit, take a moment to really look at the trees and appreciate the strength and stability that they hold. They truly are a treasured piece of Camp Foley history.
– Carrie Stageman, Assistant Director