Again this fall, the Rugged Hands Men’s group made the trek to Camp Kintail located on the beautiful shores of Lake Huron. This is the 8th year that this group has gone to assist the camp in either the camp’s spring opening, and the fall closing.
Our group was welcomed by the full-time staffers as well as approximately fifty crafters who were enjoying a weekend away working on various individual projects.
We enjoyed a late-night dinner and relaxed in front of the warm fireplace. Rooms were reserved for the group in the Macdonald Lodge where all the amenities were taken care of – no roughing it here!
On Saturday morning the team enjoyed a hot breakfast consisting of french toast, scrambled eggs and sausages before starting work for the day. We split into 2 groups; the first team went into the forest to trim any trees that had fallen down during the recent storms, while the second team spent the morning doing odd jobs such as painting the exterior of the cabins, dis-assembling bunk beds and transporting them to a nearby cabin, moving furniture in the Nest 4 season lodge and power-washing one of the Yurts.
At lunchtime we re-grouped in the Macdonald Lodge to enjoy a full taco bar including fresh chili as well as a fresh salad assortment.
During the afternoon the first group continued to cut trees and clear brush from the forest – the second group worked to split and stack firewood, store some patio furniture indoors and set up the boards to transform the basketball court into an outdoor skating rink.
After the work was completed for the day, the team had some time to relax and enjoy the beautiful camp and some were lucky enough to wade into the lake up to their ankles for a refreshing dip. Others were able to spend some time on the beach watching the waves and catching the sunset.
Dinner was served shortly after, where we all enjoyed the perfectly prepared roast beef dinner served with potatoes, vegetables as well as yorkshire pudding, finished off with a large selection of freshly prepared desserts.
Later on in the evening the group met together to hear the exciting life story of Sia and his faith journey – the night was spent relaxing in front of the roaring fireplace in the lodge.
Sunday morning we enjoyed a fresh egg benedict breakfast along with several accompanying dishes. We were able to gather together to sing a few familiar songs and hear a message from Sia once again. Afterwards we packed our bags, cleaned our rooms and made the short drive back to Cambridge where we arrived shortly after lunchtime.
We are already looking forward to visiting the camp in the spring to make more memories and help prepare the camp to welcome hundreds of eager campers next summer.
