Shepherd of the Valley
TRIP TYPE: River Heroes Service Adventure
DATES: July 14-19, 2024
AGES: 11+
COST: $675/person
Adventure in Service!
During this incredible week in the wild, you’ll paddle down the river from campsite to campsite, picking up trash and building firewood piles to help care for creation and bless fellow travelers along the river. Each day we’ll be digging deep into life together, experiencing God’s awesome presence in real ways, 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, closer to God, 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 with Amnicon
You’ll need to create an account, and enter the Group Reg Code:
24SOTVRH
to see & sign up for this trip.
2. Pay through your church
3. 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 here or brought to camp.
prepare for your trip
Paper Work
DOWNLOADS
UPLOAD HEALTH FORM
This trip’s Group Reg Code is:
24SOTVRH
how to pack for your trip
frequently asked questions
What is a schedule for the week?
On the first day, you’ll come to Amnicon’s base camp to meet your guides and learn everything you need to know to be prepared for a safe and fun experience. We do a big campfire on our sandy beach of Lake Superior that night.
The next morning, we drive you out to the Namekagon 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, it is plain to see the wonder of creation and the Grace of God.
You don’t want to miss this!
What is the Bible study like?
We’ll start and end every day with a brief devotion we like to call First & Last Words. First Word usually consists of 15-20 minutes of reading a short story or poem, and then discussing it as a a group. Last Word is a little bit longer, as we gather around the campfire in the evening. Everyone in the group will have the opportunity to share a story from their own life, and hear and discuss a story from the Bible.
All spiritual elements of this trip are designed to bring people closer to each other and closer to God. Do you have doubts, struggles, questions? Good! This is a safe place to share those and talk about them openly. Have you walked with God for a long time? Good! Please share that experience too, and be ready to learn from the life experiences of the other people on the trip.
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, care of creation, 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 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?
Take a look!
Wondering something else?
current weather on the Namekagon
- Sep 8, 2024 broken clouds 47° F
- Sep 9, 2024 clear sky 55° F
- Sep 10, 2024 broken clouds 71° F
- Sep 11, 2024 broken clouds 65° F
- Sep 12, 2024 overcast clouds 64° 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!
10 Things Youth Learn on an Amnicon Trip
This week in the wilderness is about so much more than just having fun. We asked our campers what they learned on the trip, and wow…they had a lot to say!
Click the image to learn more.