YMCA's magical place for kids

They sang, they splashed and now they will return home.

Today marks the last day of a summer season at the Bear Valley Resident Camp in Nevada County. The camp, nestled in the mountains near a meadow brightened by yellow and white flowers, has existed for more than 50 years, but this year marks its first renewed season after closing in disrepair several years ago.

Green cabins with tin roofs are clustered under pine and cedar trees. Sunlight peers through cracks in the walls of the dining hall and the smell of smoke lingers near the campfire circle.

"A YMCA camp is one of those magical places where a kid can just come up and it doesn't matter what their background is or where they come from, they get the chance to be a kid," said Jay Lowden, president of YMCA of Superior California. "It really is an opportunity to develop a lifetime of memories."

Ashley Rowe of Sacramento and Trenay Woods of West Sacramento said the evening get-togethers are the daily highlight.

"It's what we look forward to," said Rowe, 13. "Like in the morning, I can't wait to go to campfire. We get to have skits and it's including us."

Neither girl wanted to attend the camp.

"My mom was actually forcing me to go, but then I decided that I would go and I am having fun," said Woods, 15.

She and Rowe now hope to return next year.

"It's a great experience, you learn new things. It's something you might want to try sometime," Rowe said. "Like sleeping in cabins with scorpions. It's great!"

Seventeen children make up the last group of campers for this year. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. owns the land, but the YMCA has a 20-year lease to run Bear Valley Resident Camp, serving children from nine counties.

Thirty percent of campers receive some kind of financial assistance for the $350 weekly cost because the YMCA believes every child should have an opportunity to attend camp, Lowden said.

"We are starting traditions and creating a change in a lot of these kids' lives," said Camp Director Martín Pirtell. "The way I know we are doing a good job is on Friday when they are on the bus and saying 'I don't want to go home.'"

During the day, activities include hiking, archery and games such as water-balloon tosses and splash baseball. During free time, children lounge on metal bunk beds and make lanyards as wet towels and swim trunks drip dry on the on rafters above.

Rocks pin down paintings on the stoop of the arts and crafts shack so they can dry. Nearby, popsicle-stick picture frames hang on the trees.

"It's as simple as playing a game, going swimming in the creek, shooting bows and arrows, sitting around a campfire singing songs," Lowden said. "It sounds a little old-fashioned, but kids today still want to experience that. They still get a thrill out of that."

Justin Sims, 11, of Davis, enjoyed spending the week practicing the four values of the YMCA: caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.

"They teach you stuff and help you at things," he said. "And the parents like it the most when their kids are away because they can clean and do homework."

The best part of camp was making new friends, he said. During campfire, he slung his arm over the shoulders of Marysville resident Daniel Carillo as they sang camp songs.

"I made him a friendship bracelet," Justin said. "I'm on the top bunk, he's on the bottom bunk. We pretty much do everything together."

Daniel and his 8-year-old brother, Nicholas, first got the idea to go to Bear Valley Resident Camp after seeing a flier at school.

"I wanted to come because of all the fun games and they were swimming!" the 10-year-old said. "Now I get to stay in cabins and we can talk about things and become friends after."

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Ashley Gebb at 749-4724 or agebb@appealdemocrat.com.