Ridgecrest Camps

After roughly 4 months of constant work, seven cabins have received a complete upgrade. Cabins 10-16 are now complete and ready for campers this summer! As we have continued to update you all throughout the process, today we are proud to present the final product and show you the differences. You will notice many differences on the hill. A few of those differences include: big porches, a green trim on Choctaw cabins, green roofing, Cabin 12 facing a new direction, new green doors, and much more! To see how awesome the upgrades are, check out the pictures below…

The last time we updated everyone on the progress taking place on Choctaw Hill, the exterior of the cabins was nearing completion. From the outside, it seemed the job was pretty much done. But there still much work that needed to be done. Today, we can announce the the cabins are about 99% done. They do not have the furniture moved back in, but they have received a face-lift on the inside. Each of the cabins are now equipped with brand new walls, ceilings, and floors. You will also be able to note the new doors that cabins have received. Another upgrade you will see are the wooden window shutters that can cover screen windows in the winter to protect the cabins from winter weather. In the pictures below, you will see all of these new additions as well as a preview of the new windows to the old walls that show some of the old camper and staff names. In one picture, you will see names of camp friends from decades ago, including Chris Shirley, as well as his son Andrew. Enjoy!

Our Cabins here at Camp Ridgecrest have made quite a bit of progress over the years. There have been a number of renovations including: adding new roofs and higher walls, painting the cabins different colors, adding sky lights, adding block stilts rather than wood, adding small platforms outside the door, adding a small deck to that platform, and now adding a covered porch. It’s neat to watch the transformation over the years! What do you remember?

What? Really? Yellow cabins? Well yes and no. Part of the upgrade on Choctaw Hill is that the cabins receive new exterior walls. And while they are yellow for the time being (as you will see in pictures), they will soon be painted Brown to match the other cabins on the hill. So don’t worry! Things are going very smoothly up on the hill and the work will be completed before you know it. Today, we want to update you on cabins 13-16, since they have received the most change since the last blog post. You will also notice the nice new screen windows that will help the air circulation and keep the cabins cooler.

Even as temperatures continue drop around camp, construction continues on Choctaw Hill as workers are putting in long hours to improve the cabins. Cabins 10-16 are all being renovated and are getting a nice face-lift. The biggest thing you will notice is the nice, new, covered porches that each of the cabins have received. They are at different stages right now, but rather than trying to explain to you all of the changes, we thought it would be best to give you a quick snapshot of each of the cabins so that you can see the progress for yourself. Below you can see a picture of each cabin, in order from 10-16.

Construction and renovation continue on Shawnee and Choctaw Hill, as cabins begin to receive a face-lift. As you can see in these pictures, cabins 10, 11 and 12 are beginning to see new roofs and porches. You can also see how the porches on cabins 11 and 12 face the opposite direction from years past so that 11 faces Shawnee Hill and 12 faces Choctaw. Construction has begun on cabins 13 and 14, as they have lost their roofs and porches.

Things are starting to look much different up on the hill as we move on to the next step in the process of restoring our cabins around camp! Over the next few months, cabins 10-16 will all be upgraded. Not only will they become more sturdy and safe, but each cabin will be receiving a new covered porch, a new roof, and fresh new floors. So far, we have begun work on cabins 10, 11 and 12. The first step in the process of restoring our cabins is to take off the old roofs and porches. Check out the pictures to see just what that looks like!

After months of hard work and patience, the renovated cabins are finally reaching completion. Last week, each cabin was given a new coat of paint and the results are incredible. It looks as though the nine newly-renovated cabins are brand new.  The cabins were each painted in accordance with tribal colors in order to preserve each hill or circle’s distinct appearance. Now that painting has been completed, renovations are moving into their final phase. The crowning touches will include sanding the floors, and a few other last-minute touch ups. The cabins are looking great, but are now waiting for our campers and staff to put the new cabins to good use. Below are pictures of each of the nine newly-renovated cabins.

This week, the Apache cabins are getting new roofs. The new roofs will cover the porch  and increase the ceiling height inside the cabin, giving the cabins a barn-like atmosphere. This will make the cabins feel bigger and more open, while maintaining the classic Ridgecrest Cabin feel. The work crew continues to blaze ahead at an impressive speed and hope to have all of the Apache roofs, as well as the one on the SALT cabin, by the end of the week. After that is done, the the new porches will be added. These porches will provide a much needed covered space for individual cabins on rainy days. More pictures and updates coming soon. If you haven’t subscribed to these posts yet, do that now…click the link at the bottom right of the page.

We were nervous about it’s location, but man, the New Infirmary is beautiful and fits perfectly in it’s new home on the middle green. Once used for Arap Chapel, this spot was the home site for the original house in Ridgecrest! Now, the new Arap Chapel is nestled into a piece of woods with a little more character, and privacy.  And we have put a comfortable and inviting building back onto the middle green. With an large front porch and a view of the lake, the nurses new home will also house the new nurses station as well as a place for campers and staff to hang out on the porch and rock during free time. If you have not seen this building in person, then you will no doubt be impressed. We look forward to seeing you soon….camp is just around the corner!