Arcadia Charter School
TRIP TYPE: Flambeau River Ramble
DATES: July 21-26, 2024
AGES: 11-17
Welcome to White Water!
During this incredible week in the wild, you’ll paddle down the river from campsite to campsite, conquer rapids, dig deep into life with your fellow travelers, and discover that you are capable of so much more than you gave yourself credit.
At the end of the week, you’ll feel proud of your accomplishments, more connected to nature, and have strong friendships that you get to continue when you get back home. Don’t miss this!
sign up today
1. Register & Pay with Amnicon
You’ll need to create an account, and enter the Group Reg Code:
24ARCADIAFLAM
to see & sign up for this trip. Tiered pricing is available for this trip, so you can choose the price that works best from you, from $0-$860/person.
2. Get a Doctor's Signature
All trip participants must be seen by a licensed medical practitioner within 1 year prior to the trip. EITHER get a doctor to sign the form below, OR get a copy of an after visit summary from your health care provider. Forms may be uploaded below, emailed to info@amnicon.org, or brought to camp.
3. Pack Your Bags!
Click the button below to down load the packing list! Amnicon will provide all the food, packs, equipment, and gear you’ll need to have a fantastic week. You’re just responsible for bringing your clothes & sleeping bag (and we have loaners available if you need it!)
prepare for your trip
Paper Work
DOWNLOADS
UPLOAD HEALTH FORM
This trip’s group reg code is: 24ARCADIAFLAM
how to pack for your trip
frequently asked questions
What is a schedule for the week?
On the first day, come to Amnicon’s base camp between 3:00-3:30 pm to meet your guides and learn everything you need to know to be prepared for a safe and fun experience. We’ll do a big campfire on our sandy beach of Lake Superior that night.
The next morning, we drive you out to the river and the adventure begins! Each day you’ll paddle down the river, setting up camp each afternoon. There is time to swim, explore, and play before cooking dinner over the fire. You’ll end each evening with a intentional and meaningful community conversation around the fire. After three nights camping along the river, we’ll pick you up and bring you back to Amnicon.
The trip culminates in a campfire and closing ceremony back at our sandy Lake Superior beach. With a sky full of stars above you, the biggest lake in the world beside you, and your new-found-friends in front of you, you’ll feel proud of all you’ve accomplished and learned during this week in the wild.
You’ll be ready to head home around 10:30 am on Friday, July 26th, 2024.
You don’t want to miss this!
Will there be any mention of Christianity?
Amnicon as an organization does have connections to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, and the Lutheran Outdoor Ministry Network. However, many groups that come on Amnicon trips require that there be no mention of Christianity or religion on the trip. This trip will be entirely non-religious.
What to Expect on the Trip:
- There may be moments of thankfulness before eating meals, but there will not be prayers.
- Each day will begin and end with an intentional community conversation that will be focused on helping the trip participants build strong friendships with each other and appreciate the natural world.
- The staff will not initiate any conversations about God, religion, or spirituality.
- If a camper initiates a conversation about God, staff will be respectful of whatever the camper’s views are, and will help remind all campers on the trip to be respectful of each other as well.
- At the end of the week, all trip participants will be given a keepsake necklace in the shape of a Chi-Rho (the cross-like shape in the middle of Amnicon’s logo). The necklace is a gift to celebrate everything they’ve accomplished on the trip, and a reminder of all the friendships and memories they made. The Chi-Rho shapes does have it’s roots in the Christian tradition, but that history will not be mentioned when the guides are giving the Chi-Rhos to the campers.
If you have any other questions about what to expect on the trip, feel free to contact camp by emailing info@amnicon.org or calling 715-364-2602.
What are the guides like?
Our wilderness guides are amazing, and you’ll love them. We send two highly trained individuals with each group. They will be at least 19 years old, and have been chosen because they have demonstrated an impressive level of maturity, a love of nature, and a desire to connect with and serve our campers. We do our best to hire a diverse staff every year, and often hire staff from overseas! Amnicon does not discriminate in our hiring based on gender identity, sexual orientation, race, country of origin, or religious affiliation.
Who can come on this trip?
Trip participants must be:
- At least 11 years old on the first day of the trip,
- In reasonably good health,
- Able to lift and carry 30 pounds over a short distance,
- Able to swim 25 yards and tread water for 30 seconds while wearing a USCG certified Personal Floatation Device (life jacket)
- Able to communiate and follow instructions given in English,
- Able to walk half a mile over uneven terrain without assistance, AND
- Have a licensed medical practitioner sign a health form certifying that they are healthy enough to engage in the kinds of activities we’ll do on this trip.
Anyone with a chronic medical condition must:
- Be able to manage their own care without assistance,
- Bring all their own medications and supplies,
- Be willing and able to communicate with Amnicon staff if they’re not doing well,
- Have experience managing their condition during prolonged periods of increased stress & activity, AND
- Have not had any medical emergencies within the last year.
If you have questions about whether this trip will be a good fit for you, don’t hesitate to contact us! Call 715-364-2602 or email info@amnicon.org
What if I’ve never been camping before?
That’s TOTALLY FINE! Lots of people who come on Amnicon trips are new to the whole wilderness, canoeing, and camping thing. Your guides will make sure that you have what you need and know what you need to know. You are in good hands.
Are the bugs bad?
The answer…maybe. How many bugs there are depends on a LOT of different factors. We’ll bring bug spray, and you’re welcome to bring your own as well.
We’ve found that the one thing that makes the biggest difference with the bugs is your attitude. If you decide at the beginning of the trips that the bugs aren’t important enough to ruin your whole experience, then they won’t be that bad!
How is the food?
Good food is a high priority at Amnicon! We have a trail menu that adapts lots of the foods you are used to at home: pancakes, pasta, brats and lots more. There are plenty of snacks, too! If you have specific dietary needs please let us know so we can be prepared with good food for you, too.
Can I bring my cell phone?
One of the ways we are going to challenge ourselves this week is by leaving our cell phones behind. Yes, even the adults will leave their phones behind too. Cell phones will only distract from the experience we’re trying to have together, and are highly prone to getting lost & damaged. Every year, we have campers (and adults!) tell us how freeing it was to not have a phone for the week, and how valuable it was to take a break from technology. This is a unique experience that’s hard to do in everyday life, but we get to do it together at camp.
That said…we REALLY value getting good photos from the trips. Amnicon will send along one (or two) cameras with each group. Campers ARE allowed to bring their own cameras as well if they’d like. We’ll share the photos from the week in a Google Photos album, and on social media after you get back home.
What are the toilets like on this trip?
There are sturdy outhouses at boat landings every few miles along the river. At each campsite you’ll find a kind of toilet that we affectionately call a “Ranger Box”, which is essentially an outhouse toilet without any walls around it.
The toilets are short walk away from the campsite, far enough that no one can see you while you’re using it. To ensure that everyone has privacy, we’ll leave the toilet paper and hand sanitizer at the beginning of the path that goes back to the toilet. Everyone in the group will know that if the bag of toilet paper is missing then someone is down there, and to not walk down the trail until that person gets back.
It might feel a little weird using a toilet without any walls the first couple times. But after a bit you’ll get used to it, and you may even come to appreciate that no walls means they don’t smell as bad as enclosed outhouses.
Wondering something else?
current weather on the Flambeau
- Sep 8, 2024 broken clouds 46° F
- Sep 9, 2024 clear sky 52° F
- Sep 10, 2024 broken clouds 63° F
- Sep 11, 2024 overcast clouds 56° F
- Sep 12, 2024 broken clouds 61° F
Meet your directors
![Brad Damon](https://amnicon.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Staff-Photo-Brad-Damon-scaled.jpg)
Brad Damon
Associate Director - Programs & Facilities
![Hannah Damon](https://amnicon.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Staff-Photo-Hannah-Damon.jpg)
Hannah Damon
Associate Director - Outreach & Administration
Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
Answers to all the funny & awkward camping questions you're wondering about but are too afraid to ask
Bathrooms? Pooping on trail? Periods?!? Wait…are we drinking water right out of the river??
If you’ve never been camping, it’s TOTALLY NORMAL to have LOTS of questions. We’ve got you covered. Click the image to learn more!