I was standing on a wooden ledge, high up on a tree. In front of me stretched a wire cable that connected me to another tree 50 feet away. I was supposed to step out on the wire cable and walk across. Sure, I was in a harness and connected to a big cable above my head, but I was 40 feet above the ground! I was scared.

This was my first week at summer camp and I was frozen. My mind told my feet to move but they would not obey. I realized that though I knew the cable wouldn’t break, I still had crazy fear about the height. The night before we had sung a song at campfire that said, “Be bold, be strong, for the Lord thy God is with you.” I knew I wanted to cross the cable and go down the zipline on the other side so I started to sing the song. Very quietly I sang, and then I took a step. I sang some more and took another step. Gradually I made my way across the cable and finally stepped onto the ledge on the other side. It was all fun from there, speeding through the forest on a zipline.

At Big Lake Youth Camp (BLYC), we want to help kids recognize that they are worthy, valuable, and strong. Our goal is to build people who will change the world. This summer, Big Lake Youth Camp is celebrating its 56th year in Oregon’s great backyard—Central Oregon. We are proud to offer a full line-up of activities including wake sports behind cutting edge Nautiques, horsemanship in beautiful lupine-lined trails, mountain biking, drama, archery, swimming, rock climbing and sports. These are just some of the camps that are onsite. The BLYC RAD camps include offsite camps that offer surfing on the Oregon coast, rafting the Deschutes River, rock climbing at Smith Rock, backpacking the Cascades, and golfing some of the premier resorts in Oregon.

To provide a world-class camp that empowers campers means that we first start with world-class counselors as well as trained and certified instructors and climbing guides. With over 100 staff each summer, we bring in an incredible team from all over the world. We offer Swiftwater Rescue Technician, lifeguarding, and guiding courses both to our staff as well as to the public.

We believe that when our staff model good judgment, campers begin to recognize the potential of the great outdoors for adventure without the drama!

This summer, as you consider the options for your family, I would encourage you to discover the power of camp, and feel the empowering whisper of the great outdoors. Join us at camp this summer and learn resilience and what perseverance really feels like. Come into our community and live bravely with us.

— Les Zollbrecht, Director