Letters from Camp Adahi: Traditions carry on

For The Madera Tribune

Attendees of Camp Adahi take a moment to cool off in a creek.

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If you hear sounds of laughter and complete joy coming from the mountains near Nelder Creek, you can bet it is Camp Fire Heart of California Camp Adahi week.

Camp Adahi, a six-day, sleep-away camp held above Bass Lake, near Nelder Grove, and has been run by volunteers from Madera Heart of California Camp Fire since 1954. 

It is held entirely outdoors, and campers set up tarps, easy-ups, and air mattresses in order to sleep directly under the stars. With cell service nowhere to be found, campers get a unique chance to learn new skills, make new friends, and connect with nature without the distraction of screens that many modern-day kids are all too accustomed to. In the great outdoors, the summer sun is almost as unrelenting as the mosquitos, pushing campers and camp counselors alike in search of a good way to cool off.