Main Entrance Gets A Face Lift

Camp Wawona is going green...literally. Thanks to a generous donation, CW's entrance went from dirt to grass. Volunteers worked in conjunction with maintenance director Jerrod Gabel to lay pipe and install sod in front of old town and white oak. The result is a totally new face to the entrance of camp. Photos are below.

Old Town pre grass

Old Town Post Grass

Camp Wawona Office Renovation Complete

Camp Wawona Staff put the final touches on the newly renovated offices this week. The project, which nearly doubled old office space by removing a wall and refinishing the adjacent storage room, began during this year's work party. Volunteers spent hours measuring, cutting, and nailing, finishing most of the work in only four days. Camp staff picked up the torch and continued by laying down new carpet, painting, and installing new light fixtures. The new office provides enough room for all of the year round staff to have a desk with a phone and internet. Staff wish to thank all those who donated time and money to make the office renovation possible!

Storage space being prepared for renovations.

Gutted storage space.

Main office being gutted.

New door connects two spaces.

New door in the back allows for uphill access.

Summer Camp Staff marvel at new space.

New receiving office.

Camp Wawona Road Repaired

Camp Wawona has a long and rich history. Unfortunately, it’s road has experienced much of it, making the trip up the hill an exercise in maneuvering through a maze of potholes. That is until last week.

Employees of Toasted Asphalt worked for several days patching potholes from the entrance all the way up to horse corral.  The road was then covered with a special sealant to hold the patchwork in place, also giving it a black finish.

The lodge parking lot also received an upgrade with a layer of special gravel that packs tighter and a layer of white gravel on top.

While still bumpy in areas, the road is now much smoother and safer for the traffic it services, giving it many more years of rich history to experience.

Before

After

Before

After

Task Force Staff - A Tribute

User Groups - A Backstage Pass

New Pool Cover Installed

While ultimately a blessing, Camp Wawona’s Junior Olympic swimming pool can be a curse to keep clean. Each week staff must scoop out organic debris, dirt, and suicidal mice, all while trying to balance chlorine and PH levels.

Well no longer. Last week camp staff installed a new pool cover that will cut pool maintenance easily in half. Sure, water chemical levels must be monitored but overall water cleanliness just became a snap.

“I think it’s exactly what we needed,” said Jerrod Gabel, Camp Wawona’s Director of Maintenance. “It’s going to help keep the water clean and give us more time to work on other things.”

Installing the cover isn’t easy. Holes must be drilled into the concrete around the pool’s parameter and the special bolts that can rotate flush with the surface of the concrete when not in use must be installed.

The new cover, which was purchased with funds donated by Dr. and Mrs. Jack Sloan, will also assist in protecting the pool from thick ice, which can expand and crack the pool. It comes on the heels of a long winter spent chipping ice with poles, planks, and shovels so camp staff will have to wait another three seasons to see what the new cover is really made of. Still, covering the pool is just one more step Gabel’s plan to keep camp up and smoothly running.

The new cover is laid over the pool.

Jerrod Gabel installs a bolt in the cement.

Ryan Kloosterhuis assists.

The new pool cover (as seen from the low dive).

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