By Rachel Dutil • Photos Supplied
For nearly all his 100 years, Peter Gucker has spent his summers at North Country Camps in Keeseville. His father, Colba “Chief” Gucker founded the Adirondack summer camps – Camp Lincoln for boys in 1920 and Camp Whippoorwill for girls in 1931. The camps are situated on Augur Lake and separated by a half mile.
Gucker’s younger sister, Janet Gucker Farrington has spent 99 summers at the camps and was the camp director at Whippoorwill for many years before passing the reins to her niece Nancy Gucker Birdsall.
“Our camp is a marvelous opportunity for kids to learn what it’s like to live in a small community where everybody has a word in what’s going on and where kids get to make their own choices,” Peter Gucker told Adirondack Explorer in 2019.
North Country Camps operated under the direction and leadership of the Gucker family for nearly a century before adopting an alumni-run nonprofit structure in 2018. Attending Camp Lincoln or Camp Whippoorwill has been a cherished experience for thousands of children. Many families have sent campers for generations and have enjoyed the camaraderie, enriching outdoor experiences and fond memories made there. Reunions for alumni are held every other year.
Kate Green is now the executive director of North Country Camps. She took on the role in September of last year, but has more than two decades of experience with the camp, both as a counselor and later as the Camp Whippoorwill director for 14 years after Birdsall’s retirement.
“It can be hard for children and parents to be away from each other for a month or more, but it really is a gift,” Green observed. “It gives them the opportunity to learn how to make choices for themselves.”
Green grew up in the UK and came to North Country Camps as a counselor in the equine program in 1998. “We don’t have this culture in England, so it’s been really cool to see what it provides for children,” she said.
City Escape
Many of the children who attend North Country Camps come from urban areas. “Chief” Gucker was a teacher in New York City and likely enjoyed the respite the rural location provided from busy city life.
“I believe Chief’s motivation was truly about sharing this opportunity for young people to be in nature, work together and live in a place where they can grow individually,” Green observed. “The whole culture of our camps is to provide an opportunity for children to be outdoors, and away from technology, where they can build skills in a warm, supportive community.”
The camp experience is set up to be rustic and, though electricity and plumbing now exist on site, not all cabins have electricity and campers use a separate wash house for bathroom facilities.
Whippoorwill and Lincoln operate separately — campers live and eat separately and have independent staff for each camp. Most activities take place separately, but some are combined like concerts, campfires, wilderness trips, and dances for the older campers.
“We have a robust wilderness trip program that we are very proud of,” Green said. “Exploring the mountains and lakes has been a big part of the culture of North Country Camps from the get-go,” she explained, adding that the camp originated before the trail system in the Adirondacks was established. “Each year we’ll have a handful of kids who become 46ers.”
North Country Camps have been a place where lifelong friendships, and sometimes marriages, originate. Green met her husband there.
“Most people who come to camp and make friends carry those relationships with them throughout their lives and remain connected to camp,” Green said. “It’s really neat to see how many alumni children we have.” She explained, “Our return rate for eligible campers is typically 85 to 95 percent.”
Camp Life
Although many of the camp activities are the same as when Lincoln and Whippoorwill were founded, adapting to camp life has become more challenging for campers and parents in our technology-centered world. “It gets a little bit harder each year because we’re all so connected,” Green said, referring to reliance on cell phones. Families are encouraged to cut down on their child’s screen time leading up to the camp experience. “We find that without technology, the children quickly go back to being kids. They are creative, they play and have conversations,” Green said. Campers communicate with their families primarily through letter writing.
“There is a lot of individual growth and confidence that comes from this kind of experience that takes them away from the pressures in everyday school life,” Green offered. “What is magic about this place is that every year is unique because it’s a slightly different recipe of people and personalities.”
Camp life is a brilliant mixture of consistency and flexibility, Green explained. Days at both Lincoln and Whippoorwill begin with wake-up bells at 7:30 am. Campers eat their meals family-style in the dining halls and rotate seating arrangements so they get to know all the other children. Campers choose two morning activities and then do them for an entire week. Afternoon activities are more flexible and are decided on daily, based on how the child is feeling.
One camp principle is to teach all the skills within each activity so that the children become proficient at it. “They learn to sail, but they also learn to rig the boat and make a mooring. They can do all the technical details that are needed,” she explained.
Another important value instilled at camp is a sense of responsibility within the camp community. Campers and counselors spin a chore wheel daily to determine who will set the table, take out the trash, sweep the floors. Everyone pitches in to get things done.
“We don’t always get along with everybody, but we work together and find ways to develop the skills to navigate difficult things,” Green said. “Whether it is a social interaction, a challenging activity or a trip where there’s a deluge of rain, you’re soaking wet and need to stay safe and take care of your teammates. It’s that sort of group effort that is so valuable.”
The experience-based learning that happens at North Country Camps lasts a lifetime and is a major reason so many alumni continue to be involved through board work, staffing or sending the next generation of campers.
“The history of the camp, and why it has lasted so long is because of the values, the intention in programming, supporting child development, and growth in a way that allows them to find their way,” Green emphasized. “It’s a place where you can figure out who you are, be comfortable with yourself and be fully accepted. It is important for us to keep providing safe places like this,” she concluded.
North Country Camps
395 Frontage Road
Keeseville, NY 12944
518 681-6476