Learn to Waterski Campers who attend our two-week sessions spend one or two nights at our Shaver Island Outpost. This is a highlight of camp for many of our campers. Our island on Shaver Lake offers the ideal setting for campers to learn and hone their waterskiing, wakeboarding, and kneeboarding skills. With eight ski boats, nine experienced instructors, and hours of time behind the boat, campers learn and improve their skills rapidly during their stay at Shaver Lake. While there, campers have the opportunity to build friendships with campers in other cabin groups. The nightly campfire at Shaver boasts a campfire that is large enough for all campers and counselors to gather to sing songs, play games and make s’mores. Camping on the beach and falling asleep watching the shooting stars are also memorable experiences from their stay at the outpost.
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Many returning campers choose to spend an entire week at Shaver Island, in addition to their two-week regular session, by participating in one of our Shaver Water Sports Specialty Camps. These three-week sessions are offered at the beginning of the summer (Session 5: June 15 – July 5), with the Shaver week at the beginning of the session, and at the end of the summer (Session 6: August 3-23), with the Shaver week at the end of the session. There is also the option to attend just the one week at Shaver Island. This is not recommended for campers who have not already attended a regular session at Gold Arrow Camp, as they will not experience any of the activities and special events offered only at our main camp location.
Backpack the Sierras GAC is unique among camps in offering our young campers the chance to hike, explore, and camp out in the wilderness. We are surrounded by beautiful trails and lakes in the John Muir and Kaiser wilderness areas. Depending on their age and ability, campers enjoy non-strenuous trips ranging from four to eight miles round trip. Groups play games along the way, and the pace is slow. Campers enjoy fun trail mix (with chocolate!) and water bottles for snacking and drinking as they hike. Once at their camp sites, campers play, help cook dinner over the campfire, and get to experience living in nature. They also have a lot of free play and exploring time. Campers enjoy building forts and structures out of sticks and pine cones! Many kids are hesitant about backpacking
because they don’t think carrying a pack sounds like fun. But, over and over, we have heard campers recall their backpacking trip as one of their favorite camp memories. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, when all GAC campers attended camp for a month, backpacking trips were longer. We are still committed to getting kids out in nature, even when they’re only with us for two weeks. We will continue to teach campers about how fun it is to be in the outdoors, because we know the positive, life-long impact a love of nature can have. We hear from many past campers asking for advice about where to backpack in this area, because they have fond memories of their GAC backpacking trips.
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at GAC 2013
Huntington Lake Shaver Lake 5
Tollhouse
168 Clovis
80
Fresno Dublin San Francisco
168
5
Fresno 99 41
Santa Clarita Los Angeles 5
Orange County
San Diego
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