Nestled high in the Wasatch Mountains among a forest of pine and aspen resides the Girl Scouts of Utah's Camp Cloud Rim.
Boasting stunning views, a 10-acre crystal-clear glacial lake, a lodge complete with an art studio, pottery wheels, photo developing lab, a natural and man-made climbing wall and camping equipment in addition to canoes, sailboats and wind-surfing equipment— the camp is geared toward teaching young women how to be independent and appreciate the out-of-doors.
More than 100 girls on a weekly basis visit the camp for two-day, one- or two-week camps throughout the summer. The camp, which is celebrating its 70th year, is responsible for serving Utah and Nevada's 10,000 Girl Scouts.
Girls ages 7-17 come to the camp, which features art and high adventure educational experiences for the girls.
But that isn't all they are there to learn.
Jessie Pechmann, 20, or Sparrow, as she is known to her campers, is a lifetime Girl Scout. She has been a part of the Girl Scouting program in Utah since she was 5 or 6 years old. A third-year counselor at the camp, Pechmann believes the girls are learning lessons that they aren't even aware of as they participate in camp activities.
"This teaches them (the girls) to be more independent," said Pechmann. "They see they can do things by themselves despite being young girls."
But the camp isn't just for the fearless. In the Two of Us camp, young girls (from first to third grade) are encouraged to come with their mothers or a special adult female and experience the camp together. Cheri Beck, the spokeswoman for the group, believes this is an important aspect of getting young girls to become more independent and to gain the confidence to come on their own, but if they aren't feeling ready to venture to the camp on their own, the have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with family.
"Families enjoy this because they get to be up here and see what the girls are experiencing," said Beck. "It's a nice intro for younger girls into camp. It helps teach them it's a safe place."
The girls spill out of the lodge to their activities after breakfast. A group of third-, fourth- and fifth-graders is going rock climbing for the first time. As they head over to "the granite cliff" as they call it, the girls bubble with anticipation.
Jessica Staton, 11, or Tinkerbell, as she prefers to be called while at camp, sold almost 3,500 boxes of Girl Scout cookies, which, through the cookie program, paid for her to attend the camp. She was excited to climb up the wall, despite its height.
Courage, confidence, character and connections are the principals of the Utah Girl Scouts, and those four qualities are picked up by camp attendees — as they scale the wall, canoe on the lake and practice building tents.
"This gives them the opportunity to take on a task," said Aaron Tveter, who stepped out of his alias as Scuba Steve to talk to the Deseret Morning News. "It gives them a sense of self-respect."
But all of the opportunities the camp has to offer to girls today haven't always been available. In 1992, a disastrous fire burnt the entire camp to the ground. All that was left among the charred remains was the camp's bell, which is still used today in the new state-of-the-art lodge that was completed in 2000 when the camp reopened to the Scouts.
"I love the idea of summer camp — I remember doing it as a kid," said Pechmann. "A lot of the girls get to try things here they probably never would have tried."
Cloud Rim is one of two of Girl Scouts of Utah camps. At an elevation of 9,200 feet, wedged between Park City and Heber — the private camp is a great way for girls to get familiar with the outdoors without leaving many of the amenities they have at home, such as cabins, platform tents, a shower house, hot water, flush toilets and electricity. It is one of a handful of Utah camps that are accredited by the American Camp Association.
Trefoil Ranch, the other camp run by the Girl Scouts of Utah, resides on 123 acres in Provo Canyon. Touting similar amenities for campers, the ranch also has 20 horses for the Scouts to care for and learn to ride in addition to other camping activities. It is also an accredited camp through the American Camp Association. For more information about the Girl Scouts of Utah, visit www.gsutah.org.
E-mail: nhale@desnews.com