On August 10th we said goodbye to our two-week campers, we were sad to see them go and hope that they will come back and join us for some fun in the sun again next year! The campers that remained at camp had an activity-filled morning! Cabins One and Two went sailing, Cabin Three went bush-whacking, Cabin Five went paddleboarding, and Cabin Six had a diving class. It was a laughter-filled morning here at camp. In the afternoon the lake was calm and flat presenting us with another opportunity to paddle across to Ahmic Lake Lodge for some ice cream. We enjoyed our frozen treats out on the rock at the lodge and cooled ourselves down with a swim in the lake before heading back to camp just in time for dinner.
On August 11th Cabin One and Two faced off in a competitive game of kickball, kickball has become one of the camper’s favourite activities this summer! Cabin Three enjoyed some time out on the paddleboards. They rafted up and played the keyboard game which is where the person on the end of the paddleboards has to attempt to run across all of the boards without falling into the lake. Cabin’s Five and Six had a golf lesson with two of our counsellors who are avid golfers when they are at home in Mexico. The campers learned about proper form and enjoyed playing a round of golf on the course at camp. That afternoon we held our annual mountain bike race! All of the campers competed in this race and we were amazed to see their progress in the sport of mountain biking. For some of the campers, this summer was their first time experiencing the sport and they have been working hard at developing their skills during early bird. The mountain bike race was the perfect way to showcase just how much their skills have developed during their time at camp.
On August 12th Cabin One and Two had another round of tennis which they thoroughly enjoyed. Cabin Three got to go out sailing again as conditions were just perfect on the lake. Cabin Five and Six had a line dancing class. Line dancing has taken off at Camp Ak-o-mak. The whole camp has learned a few dances and we have gathered on the tennis courts all together to practice them. It really is a fun activity for all of the campers! In the afternoon it was quite warm here at camp so the campers had a few water activities they could choose between. For the first period, their choices were gunnel bobbing or small boats and for period two their choices were diving or paddleboarding. Afterwards, we all gathered at the main dock for an open waterfront.
On August 13th excitement was in the air because it was the day of the annual swim & paddle into Magnetawan. We had an early breakfast at 8 am and headed down to get the swimmers and canoes on the water right after breakfast. Thirteen dedicated athletes swam nine miles while the rest of the camp paddled alongside them to cheer them on. It was truly inspiring to witness the swim. We are so proud of all of the campers who chose to take on this challenge. After the swim, the whole camp enjoyed a picnic lunch in Magnetawan that the kitchen staff packed for us. Then we all headed into town to purchase an ice cream treat and of course a Downtown Magnetawan t-shirt. After the festivities, we paddled back to camp just in time for dinner. Whether you swam nine miles and paddled back or paddled the whole eighteen miles the day was full of big accomplishments. These campers’ strength is amazing; we just love seeing them rise to the challenge and succeed. The journey to Magnetawan revealed just how tough, passionate, and tenacious this group of campers is. We are so grateful for the summer we have had with them and are looking forward to our last few days together.