We have put on the calendar two work party weekends for Sturtevant Camp and invite you to join in the fun. We can only accommodate 42 people sleeping in beds so space is limited. We will also be training volunteer hosts (see the bottom section of the email regarding hosting).
Here are the details:
Dates: February 27 to March 1 or March 13 to 15
Times: Arrive Friday late afternoon or early Saturday morning. Stay until Sunday afternoon
Parking/Carpool: We ask you to carpool because as you probably know, parking is limited. Also, we really need you to park out in the parking lot, If you arrive Friday afternoon or really early (6:30 am) Saturday, you will not have a problem finding parking.
Complete the necessary fire clearance. The boot squad has done a great job making sure the paths are clear but there is a large buildup of down branches, low hanging branches, and an excess of leaves in the areas around the buildings. The work needs to be done for two reasons: It is a fire hazard and it is necessary to obtain a new fire insurance policy when we successfully obtain the camp.
Plumb all the water storage tanks into the main system. Marketing is important to bring groups in but groups cannot stay if there is insufficient water. It is clear that we are now in the 4th year of a drought. The small of amount of rain we had in December brought new life to the creek and falls but it did not bring the ground water level up enough to continue to fill the water tanks past May or June. So, we need to have additional water stored to allow us to stay open longer.
There are other smaller repair and maintenance tasks that are also on the table. We will identify these in the next couple of weeks.
Skills Needed: If you can rake, then your skills are needed. But, we also need people with some plumbing experience and repair/maintenance experience.
What We Provide:
Sturtevant Camp has the following:
Rakes, Shovels, Chain Saw, tools etc. But, if we have more than 6-7 people raking at the same time we may not have enough rakes. So, if you could bring one or drop one off for packing in, that would be great.
The Friends of the San Gabriels will provide the following:
Meals for Friday night through Sunday lunch. Please let me know if you have meal restrictions. Since I am a vegetarian, there will always be a veggie version of things.
Bottle Water
Lodging
Packing in of your personal items. Anything you want pack in needs to be at the pack station by 7 am on Friday morning (e.g., 2/27 or 3/13). You are welcome to bring it up earlier in the week or the weekend before. Anything you want packed out will come out the following Friday, so plan accordingly.
Materials for repairs
A good time for all
You Need to Bring – Yep, you do have some things to bring:
Sleeping bags and pillow cases (or your own pillow)
Personal items such as clothing, toiletries, etc.
Flashlight
FAQ sheet below for anyone who has not stayed at camp.
Hosting – We are looking for volunteers who are interested in hosting over weekends. Trevor Eyster has kindly offered to host most weekends from March through June. But, he may conflicts or just need time away. We are also trying to determine our long term plans for hosting. So, to be prepared, we hold training sessions during the above two weekends. Here are the requirements for hosting:
You must be available to be at camp by 4 pm on Friday of the weekend that you are hosting. Guests that book for Friday night often arrive at that time.
As a host you will stay until the group has left camp and completed the closing check list. Even if there is not a group in, we would ask that you plan for Sunday afternoon for your exit.
You must like people. I know this should go without saying but if you like to be alone, this is not for you. Also, it is best if you like to stay up later than earlier. Most guests are up fairly late and you need to turn the electricity off by 11 pm. This is the reason I do not make a good host. I like to be in bed by 8:00 ;-o))
Your duties will include tending to your group’s needs, orientation, opening and closing the camp, general cleanup, raking, sweeping, turning on and off the electricity, etc. For weekends when big groups are in, we will bring in help to do the heavy-duty cleaning.
We will be vetting hosts as a precaution for any children that will be in camp. This will involve a background check that we pay for. If you have something in your past, talk to me about it. My focus in on violence and sex crimes only.
We would prefer people that have some troubleshooting skills. The Camp is very fragile and it is not uncommon for a water heater to not light or a toilet to clog or wall heaters that are either too hot or too cold. You get the idea.
Please RSVP which weekend you would like to help out, when you plan to arrive (Friday or Saturday), and if you have meal restrictions. Also, if you have any specific skills to offer, let me know that, as well.
Have a Great Day!
Reserve a Cabin Today at www.adamspackstation.com/sturtevant Or donate today at www.friendsofthesangabriels.org Deb Burgess Cell: 310.488.7608 Pack Station: 626.447.7356 dburgess@adamspackstation.com
