Elder and Sister Christensen, April 2017 – October 2018

We had been considering serving a full time mission for quite some time when we finally made the decision to go forward.  We had served several local Church Service Missions prior to this time, including weekly shifts at the Bishops Storehouse and Family History Center.  The very first time we referred to Senior Missionary opportunities on the church website, the opening at Camp Alpine immediately caught our attention.  Both of us had spent time in the Pacific Northwest at various times, and love this part of the country.  The thought of serving at a church-owned recreational camp appealed to us, so we submitted our application.  After a series of discussions with local Priesthood leaders and a site visit, we were approved for service at Camp Alpine.  The start date and duration of time we were asked to serve correlated well with our personal and family circumstances. 

We have learned so much, and had so many wonderful experiences during our mission.  We thoroughly enjoyed serving with Val and Janae Christianson for the first five months, and are excited to serve and work with Randy and Linda Olsen for the remainder of our mission.  The work is challenging and oftentimes physically demanding, but very rewarding.  Each day is different and filled with a variety of routine tasks as well as short and long term projects.  There is always more to do than we can accomplish, but we do our best and things always seem to work out.  We feel so blessed to live and work in such a beautiful part of the country, and particularly the serene and beautiful environment at Camp Alpine.  We start each day with a walk on the hiking trails and surrounding area.  We love working outdoors and interacting with the campers, youth and leaders, neighbors and the local community .  There were many miracles and inspiring events that occurred during the property acquisition and development of Camp Alpine.  Over the years, many camp improvements have resulted from Eagle Scout projects, and we are grateful that this tradition continues.  We are so impressed with the commitment of local church leaders – past and present - who have improved the functionality, yet preserved the natural beauty and rustic nature of the camp.  We miss our children, grandchildren and extended family members very much (thank goodness for video chat capabilities), but know this is where we are to be at this point in our lives.  We are so blessed, and are very enthusiastic about the remainder of our service at Camp Alpine.
Dennis & Alison Christensen

Oregon City Stake 2017

Elder and Sister Christianson July 2016 - August 2017

Being able to serve at Camp Alpine was a huge miracle for us. We wanted to serve somewhere where we could use the talents that we had acquired while building a ranch for our family. We both loved the outdoors and the thought of being cooped up in an office all day was scary. We had made a goal five years earlier to serve the Lord, but with family issues, it seemed impossible. So we fasted and prayed that the way would open for us to serve. Then we watched as miracles happened and we realized that this would work. When we saw Camp Alpine listed on the church service list and were told by President Freeman that we had called on it within hours of it being posted, we knew that this was the mission we had been praying for. Our job after Girl’s Camp ended was basically to look around and see what needs doing. The old fireplace in Helaman Hall needed restoring, and we had built three fireplaces similar to it, so we rolled up our sleeves and proceeded to make it as good as new. It was slated to be removed and replaced with a propane fireplace at a huge cost, and we knew it wouldn’t cost much to restore it, so we decided to make it a Christmas Surprise for our Directors. If they still wanted to pull it down and replace it, there was only sweat equity wasted. The Directors were delighted with the way it turned out, so we can keep our jobsJ  We found an old dusty create full of Eagle Scout plaques buried in the back corner of a shed that we were cleaning out and decided to hang them up in Helaman Hall.  These plaques each list a scout, his Eagle project, and the year he did it in. They were too precious to be buried in a shed. We sanded them down and put a polyurethane shine on them and hung them up. The last one was dated back in the 90’s so we started doing research to see if we could bring them up to date. Several parents of Eagles noticed them and volunteered to help. Hopefully this tradition continues. We noticed that when the girls filled the amphitheater, some tripped over the awkward center steps, and some tripped on an old stump in the isle. We decided to take on the amphitheater. We poured concrete landings between the steps, blocked the backs of the benches to hold up the sloping hill, chain-sawed the old stump and roots and made a new bench, and smoothed all the isles so no one trips.  We added fans in Sariah Shelter and Helaman Hall, and some day we hope to add LED lights. We kept busy for the year and asked to stay an extra month to finish out Girl’s Camps. The girls who come here are so very sweet and special! They are such fun to get to know and hang out with. We love the hikes, the skits, the meals, the laughter, and the fun activities. This is the best mission on the world!

Elder and Sister Stapley August 2015 - March 2017

   Mike and Jewell Stapley served at Camp Alpine from August 2015 through March of 2017.   We were living in Glendale, AZ, and were ready to retire.  Mike had spent 35 years working at Honeywell and Jewell had spent 35 years boarding and training dogs.  We had a house on 5 acres in Southern Oregon (Williams – near Grants Pass) where we were planning on retiring, but wanted to serve a mission prior to setting up house in Williams.  After checking out the need for senior missionaries on the church website, we contacted President Freeman regarding the possibility of serving at Camp Alpine.  The next thing we knew, we were  preparing to  serve a church service mission for 18 months.  We packed up our things, moved it all to Williams for storing and sold our home in Arizona. We were ready to go!   While awaiting the beginning of our mission, the camp missionaries contacted us to see if Mike could come up and help build a new ramp for the zip line over Rambo pond.  Elder Tolman and Mike dug the holes, placed the beams, adjusted the design, and completed the effort over a few days.  It was a huge undertaking. We lived in the house/office at Camp Alpine.  We were not alone.  We brought up Jewell’s service animal – a German Shepherd Dog named Magic.  She went everywhere with us – to church, to work, to the movies, out to eat…  as I said, everywhere. Getting to know Karen and Terry, then Janae and Val were only one of the blessings of serving at Camp Alpine. Much of our time was spent in revamping things that needed updating.  Safety rails were added.  A new set of stairs up to the dumpster was provided to replace the ‘dancing’ stairs that were there.  A lot of road work was done to keep the road passable, including the road above the camp going to the north end and on up to the neighbor’s gate.  Lots of electrical work was performed to improve Camp Alpine. Lighting inside and outside the Conex, lighting and fans were installed inside Sariah Shelter, additional outlets were installed inside and outside the kitchen in Helaman Hall. In the office, forms and computer programs were created to simplify the weekly, monthly, and usage reports. Programs were also created to better manage the financial reports. For Jewell, the monthly Director’s meeting were the highlight of each month, and is what she misses the most.  For Mike, he misses coming up with and doing all the tasks we had at Camp Alpine.  Fortunately for him, there is more than enough to keep us busy here in Williams.  We enjoyed our time at Camp Alpine and will not soon forget our experiences.

Family Fun

Scouts and Archery

Elder and Sister Tucker August 2014 - July 2016

The two winters we were there, we were able to cover the 5 miles of trails with wood chips. These chips made the trails easier to follow and more passable during the wetter times of the year.. Elder Tucker created a new, smaller island in the pond when he dug a deeper trench underneath the zip line. This was done for safety reasons, allowing a deeper fall off the zip line pad. He also made a sitting bench out of the old Douglas fir tree that was taken down from the shower area. One of the most memorable events was when Elder Tucker's neck was broken from being hit on the top of the head by a falling tree limb while cutting down a large alder tree along the hiking trail. Many blessings came from that event, as hard and scary as the whole experience was at the time. We also developed a good working relationship with the Monroe Fire department (partly because of the broken neck incident) and began inviting them out each year for a barbecue, as well as some training on pumping water from the pond. Karen helped instigate what we hoped would be a semi-annual training seminar for Young Women leaders at the camp. This was a time for leaders of Stake YW to come together and share ideas and/ or concerns that might help others leaders. She also remembers many hours of frustration as she was learning the computer system for reservations and reports. Sister Tolman earned a gold star for her patience as a teacher. We loved meeting and associating with the YW and Priesthood leaders from the many Stakes. Those leaders love the YW and will do anything to help them gain and strengthen testimonies. Something we learned from a sister was what to do in the case of a bee sting.  ASAP put an old copper penny on the sting area and cover it with a Band-Aid. This would be a penny from before 1980. Leave for 24 hours and relief is there. The mission was a great experience, filled with some struggles and many blessings. It will be remembered with smiles on our faces. 

Elder and Sister Tolman October 2013 - August 2015

We arrived at Camp Alpine on October 31, 2013. Our first day at camp was one of awe and peace. It was the second most beautiful place we had been to on earth, only second to Kauai. We were blessed to live in the beautiful home at the camp. It was a place where we felt immediately comfortable and anxious to get to work. Some of the most memorable experiences we recall…

During our first winter, we received over 24 inches of snow in three days. We didn’t think we would even see snow in Oregon, but it was labeled a “60-year event”. The camp hadn’t received that much snow for 60 years. It caused widespread damage to the forest, breaking limbs, topping trees and bringing many trees down. A large tree fell across the Rainbow Creek Road, blocking the entrance. We could not get out and no vehicle could get in. Using our Polaris ATV and chainsaws, the elders were able to clear the path. This storm created hazardous trees that had to be removed. We cut up and split approximately 50 cords of fire wood resulting from the above damage.  We spent many hours cleaning up the forest and burning slash.  We had a great fire for hot dogs and marshmallows. (Picture 2).  During that time, we also discovered bobcat tracks going through the lower confidence course and up the boundary trail. Many hours were also spent cleaning and trimming the area known as the Christmas Tree Plantation, an area that was replanted after the harvest of the Christmas trees that paid for the purchase of the land for Camp Alpine. As we winterized the camp, we updated the written plan to correct mistakes and provide clear information to those who would follow us. We located key points on the water line and labeled the circuit breaker box at Helaman Hall. It was a tedious process, but one we used constantly. The Confidence Course elements were repaired, maintained and improved during our mission. Our confidence course directions were rewritten and clarified. Changes were made to bring each element in line with Oregon Safety Codes. When we arrived, the five miles of hiking trails had just been completed and were marked with magic marker signs.  Elder Tolman made permanent wooden signs, clearly marking the trails and redesigned the trails map. He helped Elder Tucker place wood chips on all the trails, making them safer for hiking.  Together, in the rain, Elder and Sister Tolman built a roof over each of the 1-cord sheds in the shop area. These sheds are for fire wood donated to widows and needy people in the 3-stake area. It kept the wood dry and not growing mushrooms. Elder Tolman built a small shed in the shop area to store donated lumber used to make camp repairs. We installed a pegboard in the tool shed and organized the tools on it.

Now for the MOLES!!! They are such a pain. Elder Tolman took on the moving of these pests to the “other side” with real intent. He tried gassing them, burning them and finally found some traps that worked. Here is a pic of his “wall of fame” on the retaining wall of a few of his trophies.  They stayed there for a while, when they became too gross and he put them in the dumpster.  He trapped many, many moles in the summers we were there. The UPS delivery man commented each time he made a delivery, until he told us they were looking very sad!

Eagle projects are a big thing at Camp Alpine. Many, many scouts completed hours and hours of service, making the camp a much better place. Elder Tolman worked with several scouts on their Eagle projects. One we really remember is completing the retaining wall behind the residences. It was quite the challenge and improved the residential area.

In June of 2014, we received a request from our directors to add Camp Alpine to the on-line reservation system on the church website.  Reservations had been made by phone and word of mouth up to this point.  Sister Tolman worked many hours with the help of the Lord and church technology headquarters, setting up, organizing and moving existing reservations to the new system. Camp Alpine went to the online system on September 15, 2014. From that time through the end of August, the usage doubled as it made it easier to both book and pay for a reservation on line. It reduced the amount of office work by a bunch!

In February of 2015, the floors were replaced in the house. New tile was laid in the kitchen area and both bathrooms. All furniture and personal items were removed from the house, and new carpet was laid throughout the other rooms, making the home clean and updated.

In June of 2015, we had an accident at camp when one of the participants using the pond zip line fell through the safety net at the starting platform. The zip line was immediately shut down and plans were made for repairs, update, or shutdown. The prospect of having it closed during the summer months of YW camps was a possible reality. Having to contract the work and paying for it was not feasible, or timely, as the zip line is the number one attraction during the summer. Elder Tolman and Elder Stapley, with the managing skills of Elder Tucker (who was not allowed to lift a finger due to a broken neck injury) rebuilt the platform for the zipline in 3 days.  The repairs were guided by the Lord, as neither elder had much experience in this type of structure. They were also under his protection during the process, hanging over edges and pounding upside down. They were truly inspired at every point.  Later, when it was inspected by an engineer, it passed the state inspection.

Elder and Sister Mangan April 2013 - October 2014

John and I arrived at Camp Alpine the end of March 2013.  The Caldwell's and the Correy's made us feel so welcomed and put us right to work.  Michelle started right away training Becky in the office in the morning, while John and Eldon and Ray and Danita started clearing the brush away in the west meadow.  Michelle and Becky joined them in the afternoon.  We cut away all of the dead slash and opened up a lot of overgrown area.  At that time we made all of the reservations for those wanting to come to the camp and took all the money.  There was a lot of paperwork and reports that had to be completed.  The next big effort was removing the overgrowth from many of the campsites and planting grass. It was better than mud when the rains came.

We fenced off an area for a garden.  Then we prepared the ground and planted.  The garden provided us with many fresh vegetables during the summer.  We were never idle--there was always something to do. The brethren worked together to figure out how to turn the water on to the campsites following the winter months. There were always trees to trim and trees to cut up that fell down.  Then the wood had to be split. Following our especially hard winter in 2013, there was lots of slash to gather and haul to the burn piles. Our first big event was a District Boy Scout Camporee with about 300 scouts attending plus leaders.  The East Meadow was completely full of tents. It was such a success that it made us all excited for summer with the Young Women and other groups. It was always inspiring to see the leaders arrive early and prepare the activities for their youth.

Every group of Young Women that came to the camp during the two summers that we were there was so uplifting and blessed our lives forever.  The girls each summer had the same theme, but each group came up with a different way of presenting it.  Each was unique!  Every week was marvelous, we loved it, and we were so grateful for every experience that we had with them.  The summer of 2014 brought the largest event that we had at the camp.  The Oregon City Stake held their Youth Conference at Camp Alpine. They brought in extra porta potties and wash stations to accommodate their youth.  They set up two kitchens--one was for regular food and the other was for those with allergies and other specialties. We even had eight extra travel trailers in the camp to accommodate the leaders. Their theme was "The Journey--Are You In It?"  They followed the pattern of Lehi's travels in the wilderness.  They built King Benjamin's tower, a replica of the ship that Nephi built, and they built a miniature copy of the Portland Temple in the west meadow amidst the trees.  They were all put into families with a Mom and Dad, and all the activities reflected their journey here on earth toward the temple. The leaders had gone to so much work and we were so impressed.  

We completed our mission in September 2014.  Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley once said,  "Life is never a failure until we call it such.  There are so many who need your helping hands, your loving smile, your tender thoughtfulness."  While we served at Camp Alpine we felt like it was a pleasure to help others, smile at those coming to camp and to try always to be thoughtful.  Therefore, we feel like our mission was a success.  We know that it blessed our lives.

Elder and Sister Caldwell September 2012 - September 2013

The first day we arrived at Camp Alpine was a beautiful fall day.  We awoke early to go for a hike.  Not being familiar with the camp, we got lost.  We easily found our way back, but from that first experience in the woods we were in love with Camp Alpine.  We quickly made it a habit of going for a hike every day, even when it was raining.  The trails became an important part of our experience at Camp Alpine.Our time at Camp Alpine put us in companionship with Elder and Sister Corry, and Elder and Sister Mangan.  We came to love them, and learned a lot from each of them.  We loved attending the Junction City ward, and made friends in the community as we shared monthly dinners at the community center at Alpine.  Our directors were Vern Hoyer from Lebanon Stake, Mel Thompson from Eugene Santa Clara Stake, and Jeff Merton from Corvallis Stake.  We got along well with all of them.We were assigned to the Oregon Eugene Mission and our mission president was Mark Young. We enjoyed attending mission conferences and assisting with transfers. We became good friends with the mission office couples and had monthly socials with them.Some things we did at Camp Alpine included lots of painting, building steps at the pond, helping put electrical and shelving in the conex, and wiring, building the workbench and installing cabinets in the shop.  We helped clear, maintain, map, and sign the hiking trails, as well as build bridges for some of them.We loved becoming acquainted with the campers who came.  The dedication of the leaders and the time they spent preparing so the youth could have a wonderful experience was truly marvelous. As a place dedicated to the Lord for his purposes, Camp Alpine has a special spirit, and was inspirational to many of the campers who came, and especially to us.  We loved our time there.

Elder and Sister Corry April 2012 - April 2013

The first day we arrived at Camp Alpine was a beautiful fall day.  We awoke early to go for a hike.  Not being familiar with the camp, we got lost.  We easily found our way back, but from that first experience in the woods we were in love with Camp Alpine.  We quickly made it a habit of going for a hike every day, even when it was raining.  The trails became an important part of our experience at Camp Alpine.  Our time at Camp Alpine put us in companionship with Elder and Sister Corry, and Elder and Sister Mangan.  We came to love them, and learned a lot from each of them.  We loved attending the Junction City ward, and made friends in the community as we shared monthly dinners at the community center at Alpine.  Our directors were Vern Hoyer from Lebanon Stake, Mel Thompson from Eugene Santa Clara Stake, and Jeff Merton from Corvallis Stake.  We got along well with all of them. We were assigned to the Oregon Eugene Mission and our mission president was Mark Young. We enjoyed attending mission conferences and assisting with transfers. We became good friends with the mission office couples and had monthly socials with them.  Some things we did at Camp Alpine included lots of painting, building steps at the pond, helping put electrical and shelving in the conex, and wiring, building the workbench and installing cabinets in the shop.  We helped clear, maintain, map, and sign the hiking trails, as well as build bridges for some of them.  We loved becoming acquainted with the campers who came.  The dedication of the leaders and the time they spent preparing so the youth could have a wonderful experience was truly marvelous.  As a place dedicated to the Lord for his purposes, Camp Alpine has a special spirit, and was inspirational to many of the campers who came, and especially to us.  We loved our time there.