The Early Bird Trips

The first Early Bird trips were to Bayfield, Wisconsin. Skipper chartered a fishing trip on Lake Superior for lake trout. The trip was limited to two car loads when Wayne worked there in 1956. If they caught any the fish were packed in ice and brought back for a special fish fry for the Early Birds. It would be interesting if any of these Early Birds could give some details of these trips. As the number of Early Birds increased the fishing boat at Bayfield could not take that number of people.

By 1958 the camp owned a 1938 Chevy bus that could take 15 campers on trips. Skipper was able to rent a group campsite in the Nicolai National Forest on Butternut Franklin Lake. Wayne Towne was selected to drive the bus as Wayne had a three-quarter ton truck military license. Although I drove the bus on occasion to Waupaca for camper outings, this was the first time I drove it on a long trip. Skipper had a trailer made that could carry 4 canoes and 2 rowboats. It was hooked onto the bus and loaded with the watercraft and tents. The boys shoved their gear under the seats and off we went. Skipper lead the way followed by the bus as we bounced along at 50 miles an hour.

The campsite had been built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. There was a shelter with picnic tables and an old fashion kitchen range to cook on. Wayne grew up with a wood fired kitchen range and had made many meals on it for the family. Having had three summers as a cook in the Wisconsin National Guard, he was ready to cook. The shelter was closed in on three sides on one end shelter campers in case of a bad storm. Built of large whole logs, the shelter gave the look of a pioneer's building. Butternut Franklin Lake is a large lake with the only permanent buildings is a private girl's camp.

Butternut Franklin National Park has two large lakes with only one area with buildings on it. That is a private girl's camp. At the time Camp Waupaca was there President Johnson's daughters were attending the camp. We were in a more high-class neighborhood than we knew as we prepared for four days in the woods.

As soon as the tent were up and the boats in the water, Skipper headed back to camp. Three counselors and fifteen campers were on our own for four days. The counselors were Chuck Cooper, Nate Metzger and Wayne Towne. Chuck kept order in the camp and told evening stories. Nat looked after the canoes and rowboats and taught fishing techniques. The main cook and bus driver was Wayne.

Day one the camp was set up and there was an afternoon swim. Nat and the campers explored the lake for fish while Chuck and I helped some of the campers fish from shore. We did a catch and release of quite a few pan fish. Then it was a story and off to our tents.

Blackberries were in season and there were plenty of them. While on a hike berry picking, a couple of teen-age campers met two girls who were also on a hike. They invited them to come to our camp for roasting marshmallows and a story by Chuck. They said that the swimming beach by their campsite was stony and hard to swim at. So as any young man who had not had contact with girls for four weeks would do, they invited the girls to come over to our camp for the afternoon swim. A little against the rules. But they were not the only ones who unintentionally broke a rule.

Chuck said that Nate and Wayne could go out with a canoe while he took care of the camp for rest hour. Nate had been working with me on the art of paddling a canoe. So we decided to canoe around the lake. We did not know that there was a no boating area withing 200 yards of the girl's camp. As they were approaching the 200 yard off bounds area, men ran out on the docks with guns and were yelling at us to leave the area immediately. Lyndon Johnson's daughters were staying there at that time, at the evening meal a Forest Ranger stopped by to give us this information. He apologized that we had not been told of this when we got our camping permit.

That afternoon two teen age girls showed up to join our swim. Chuck, Nate, and Wayne asked them what they were doing coming to our camp. They told us that they were invited by the boys they talked to on the morning hike. Three grumpy men reluctantly said okay just this time. When they stripped off the clothing that covered their swim appeal, bikinis! They came to a camp of all males in bikinis!. Oh well a promise made is a dept unpaid. It was hard not to notice lumps in the boy's swim suits.

When they showed up that night at the camp fire they were told that they could not be coming to our camp again. Chuck was flattered that his story telling talents had been so appreciated by the boys that he let them stay. It was about dark when the story ended and Nate suggested that with bears in the area he would walk them back to their camp with a flashlight. The two teen age campers tagged along. Chuck and I sat by the fire talking and began to wonder where the girl’s campsite was. Our kind gentlemen were gone most of an hour. Chuck asked, “What took you so long I thought their campsite was close by?” One of the teens replied. “They took us to show us their blackberry patch.” Chuck and Wayne looked at each other and remembered the girls had black hair. How could we answer that?

The next day Skipper and Loretta came to see how we were doing. That day was the day for our fish fry and they joined us. Loretta had brought along a can of ground coffee and asked that we make a pot of it for her. So I made it Army style. I put the grounds in a clean sock and tied it so they would not get into the water. When the water in the coffee pot came to a rolling boil I added an egg. She loved the coffee and wanted to know how it was made. I told her about the egg, but not the sock. Back at camp she told me that she had tried making coffee with an egg, but it just did not taste the same. I said it was probably the water, but again did not mention the sock.

While we were eating, a ranger came to check if we had enough firewood. The campers were loud and it seemed to annoy the ranger so very loud I announced to the campers, “Quiet down, you are not in the Mess Hall at Camp Waupaca you are out in the wilderness!” The campers got very quiet. Afterwards Skipper asked, “Maybe we should tell the campers quiet down you are scaring wild animals in the wilderness when the Mess Hall gets too loud.”

That evening we took the bus to visit the local dump to see the bears. As some people were getting out of their cars to get good pictures some campers asked to get out of the bus. That was until a large bear came up to the bus, most likely looking for food. Of course to calm nerves, we said that the bears prefer to eat young boys so the counselors were safe if a bear broke into the bus.

The second Early Bird trip did not have the drama of the first until the night we fried the catch of the day. The fishing had been great with only one mishap. One of the boys had a large fish in his line, got excited and crapped his pants. Chuck was on shore duty and the canoe with the boy came in with the embarrassed boy. Of course they announced so loud that anyone on the lake could hear, “_________ shit his pants.” Chuck took care of the matter, got the boy cleaned up and buried his pants in the woods.

Besides the fishing there was a hike to the tallest red pine left in the state of Wisconsin. The Ranger who came with us told how this was the most valuable timber tree when lumber jacks cleared the forests. It is a slow growing tree compared to the white pine. Also it is more rot resistant. Many of the buildings that burned in the Chicago Fire were made of red pine. The pine burns very hot and so caused the fire to spread quickly.

Those days most campers at the campgrounds had to go to the dump to watch the bears eat. Not to miss out the campers were loaded onto the bus. “Off to the dump, to the dump, to the dumpy, dump, dump.” the excited campers sang. One large bear entertained the group by getting an ice cream bucket stuck on his head. As he wandered around trying to get it off people got out of their cars to take flash pictures. Other bears pushed and fought over scrapes. About fifteen minutes the bus went back to camp.

Before going to our tents for the night, we went down to the lake with bars of soap. The campers and counselors washed carefully in case any fish smell was on us. One camper snuck out of a careful inspection. His hands were washed, but his face was smeared with fish grease. Late in the night, there was a scream from one of our tents. Counselors and campers jumped from their sleeping bags. With flashlights in hand, throwing sticks and stones, most of the people in our camp chased a bear out of there.

One boy continued to scream after the bear was gone. He was so traumatized that he could not speak. He just shook and pointed to his tent. While Chuck tried to comfort the boy, I looked at the tent and saw a large tear in it. The story finally came out. A bear had come into the campsite and tripped open the tent. The noise woke the boy and then the bear began to lick his face. That was the last overnight adventure the boy had while a camper at Camp Waupaca.

An over confident bus driver, me, thought he knew the way home as it was a familiar route that he had traveled several times. The problem came up when they came to a corner that made the trip either the long way home or the short way. Campers had the joy of seeing several more miles of Wisconsin highways than they had paid for. Just in time for the evening meal the trippers arrived to be greeted by a worried Skipper.

That was the last trip to Butternut Franklin. Not because of the bear, but a change in National Park policy. Not for profit groups had the first chance at group campsites and Camp Waupaca was a for profit business.

For a couple of years, the Early Bird was a swim and ski trip to Gill's Landing on the Wolf River near Weyauwega, Wisconsin. I just delivered the campers and camping equipment and did not participate in the camp. The Camp Out Counselor was a man called Montana. He was a different kind of chap who had made a living of shooting coyotes for ranchers. Was tired of that so he spent on summer taking Camp Waupaca boys camping. He bragged that he had once been arrested for vagrancy and held in jail a month at night and forced to work picking grapes every day. “Tarnashion!” he would say, “Bologna sand witcheees three times a day, stale water and not one cent pay. You boys better learn to work good and keep out of places like it.”

The next Early Bird I was on was to Menominee County on Peshtigo Lake near Keshena, Wisconsin.

This was a fishing and exploring the lake system connected by a creek. Swimming in the nude was an activity that all enjoyed until Manny, Lil, and daughters came for a visit. As I was the on-shore life guard, it was my duty to get towels to protect the boy's modesty as they came to shore to dress.

Manny brought a pair of “homing pidgins” that Bob Mowen had for the nature center that summer. They flew up on a lone oak in the center of the camp grounds coming down to pick up scraps that campers dropped at meal time.

While some campers took the canoes down the creek with Wally Tomchek as their leader, I lead the rest on a hike of several miles to Spirit Rock.

The explorers found Little Blacksmith, Big Blacksmith lakes and a large frog they named Elmo. The hikers picked and ate blackberries on the way. Expecting to see a great monument, they were disappointed at the heap of crumbled stone that marks the site. The next day I took the canoe trip down the creek where we added a side trip to Spring Lake as well as the others.

Some campers enjoyed the trip very much and for others it was a drag. The plans were to return the next year, but that site was not available as the Menominee's were starting the development of a man enhanced lake that would become Legend Lake.

The next Early Bird was at Lower Bass Lake Menominee County Wisconsin. Here the only activities were swimming and fishing. One evening we went to a performance of a pageant, “History of the Menominee People.” The fishing was great for bass and pan fish. Many fish were filleted and packed in coolers to bring back to Camp Waupaca. The day of our return was very hot and the ice melted. By the time the coolers were opened they had to be dumped. Some frozen fish were purchased and cooked for the Early Bird Campers. The number of Early Bird campers was the smallest since the early trips to Lake Superior. Campers wanted a different kind of trip.

Wayne was sent to Door County and the Wisconsin Dells to find out what these areas have to offer. Afterwards with a stack of brochures Manny, Wally, Wayne, and Manny's partners looked at the information. Wayne stayed neutral tried to point out what each area offered. Wally thought all the artificial water and supper slides were cheap thrills. Manny was concerned with cost. The partners thought Wisconsin Dells had by far the most to offer. That cemented the idea for the next Early Bird.

Plans for the activities that would be offered included; Family Land, Tommy Bartlett's Water Show, Circus World Museum, Miniature Goff, a Duck ride, and a shopping trip to downtown Wisconsin Dells for souvenirs. This was announced to the campers and a letter sent to parents for the next Early Bird. The response from campers was the best in years. A new era of natural beauty man-made excitement began for the Early Bird trips.

The first campsite was at Devil's Lake State Park on the former golf course there. It had not been fully planed and laid out for camping. Group campers and single campers were mixed in the same area which sometimes made lines at the facilities. A couple of campers decided that the wait and walk would be too long. Besides it was night so outside of their tent they hauled out and whizzed. You might know that it was not a good idea. They were flashed by a nearby camper who reported it to the Park Rangers. When we came back from a day at the World Circus Museum a Ranger came to explain to the campers that not to pee on the grass and only use the gender specific toilets. The next year we camped on the other side of the lake in a building.

The first year Early Bird set the program for the years to come. Twice the World Circus Museum was on the list of activities. It was not exciting for the campers as other less expensive experiences. Family Land provided the thrills of bumper cars, a train trip, fast rides, and a haunted house. Fort Dells was a one-year washout. Riverside Park had a very high Roller Coaster, but it was too expensive for the amount of time it took for the boys to have a fill of it. Go-carts were always great fun for campers and counselors alike. Several Earl Birds had river trips on the Upper Dells. One was at night to the “Stand Rock Indian Ceremony”. Miniature golf was requested by some campers and played on some trips. Noah's Ark was a developing water park the first time we when there. The owner was very active on the grounds and we got to talk over our experience with him. It became the largest of the water parks at the Dells. Also there were the Super Slides. After too many people were injured on the slides, Camp Waupaca took them off the program. Soon after that the Super Slides were gone. One cannot say that Camp Waupaca's impact on the area was not felt.

Another aide to local community was an afternoon in the mega side show on the main drag of the city of Wisconsin Dells. Fudge until you barf. Scare yourself in the toucher chamber. Throw your arm out at the arcade. Fill your face with ice cream. Shop for souvenirs until your broke, then ask for an advance from your canteen. No doubt some merchants miss the good old days when the Early Bird Trip can to the Dells.

Two attractions that were on all the trips was Tommy Bartlett's Water Show and the Duck ride. After a few years Wayne could have been an announcer for both entertainments.

The attraction that changed the most was the Ducks. Stone formations fell off from winter wet and frozen periods. For few years there was a formation that looked like a fish. “What kind of fish is that one on the rock?” the Duck driver would ask. Then he would answer, “It's a rock bass.” Thankfully one year it was gone. Wayne expects that it was caught by a fisherman who did not practice “catch and release.”

Tommy Bartlett put on a good show with a variety of acts so that there was at least one that everyone in the audience could enjoy. The performer who came down to the shore for an air plane riding a parachute usually started the show. There were the Tonga dancers, male and female who put on a show many of the audience had only seen on movies or TV. Here they females shock their bodies and the males played with burning torches. Skiers did stunts that many of the campers wished they could do or would like to try. The dancing waters were like watching water fireworks. There was a guy who made all kinds of noises as he told a story. Last was Tommy himself reading a poem called Mother.

Did Wayne miss anything from the Tommy Bartlett Water Show? Oh yes, there was the half-baked miniature pizzas, stale popcorn, luke-warm soda, and other kinds of culinary delight. A few campers even got sick from over eating.

Manny and Lil chaperoned the trip. Manny generously gave campers canteen money to buy souvenirs, play games, go into the Wax museum, and buy fudge. We were to view the Tommy Bartlett Water Show from the property of a friend of Manny. When the view left something to be desired and there was no seating, Lil demanded that tickets be bought so we would sit in bleachers. This pioneering trip went very smoothly. Both campers and counselors came back to camp tired but glad of the experience.

From here on what happened on what trip is scrambled in my memory. Family Land lasted three years on the agenda. Riverside Park with its huge roller coaster was used twice. Circus World Museum was used twice, the first year and another year because another entertainment that was on the agenda could not handle the number in our group. Fort Dells did not have the excitement the campers came for, so it was used only one year. Twice we took the evening boat trip to the Standing Rock Indian Ceremonial Show. The popcorn there was sold without butter and salt, a lot got spilled on the ground. After an accident on the Super Slide sent two girls to the hospital this was scraped. Swimming and hiking were activities when we were camped out at Devil's Lake and Mirror Lake State Park.

Go Karts were great fun for the campers and counselors even though there was a long wait to get on the track. The standby entertainment activities for every year were Noah's Ark, Tommy Bartlett's Water Show, Miniature Golf, Duck Rides,

Campsites that were used during my days as Camp Out Director for the Early Bird. Devil's Lake State Park where the first site at the golf course was fine and the old CCC barracks was great the last group site we used was bad. The first time we used it there was not trouble there. The area was lower than the area around it. One of the two times we got rain was the one we were at. The area flooded. The campers left during the night to return to Camp Waupaca. Sleeping bags that were left in the tent were soaked. So the clean-up staff had to load wet sloppy tents and sleeping bags. For several days after returning to Camp Waupaca, the wet muddy sleeping bags had to be washed and dried at the laundromat. Some of the sleeping bags were at the trip shack for the rest of the season as some had lost their name tags. What were the campers most concerned about? Where was the fudge that was ruined. Well boys, I bet that the raccoons got it out of the garbage cans.

Pioneer Park, a private park near the Wisconsin Dells was used for a couple of years. We were given a spot near the athletic fields. There was a concession stand in the park and the junk food starved campers ate chips and candy with soda until several were sick. Also some ball games had stray balls that hit our campsite and people pulled up tent stakes when they retrieved them. The water fun was in a swimming pool. A developer bought the park and divided it into building lots which meant another site had to be found.

Mirror Lake State Park is close to all the attractions in the Wisconsin Dells. The early group site was great. It was in a wooded area and separated from the individual camp sites. There was no problem with any nearby campers. In the night the boys could leave their tent and whiz just a few feet away. A shower house nearby offered a warm shower for a quarter to soap off the sweat, dust, pizza and fudge the boys had on their bodies. It was easy to get 4 boys cleaned off for a quarter.

The last trip I was on to Mirror Lake State Park the Park Ranger had designed a new group camp site. There were designated spots with stakes where the tents could be set up. Each one was in a depression. That depression filled up with water on the last night. Once again there were wet tents and sleeping bags. Yet the worst thing about the park was the rangers. They did not like group campers. They were gnarly men and women who let us know we were not wanted. They were so bad that the DNR sent them to training to learn how to relate to their clients.

One year we could not get reservations for a campsite near the Dells. There is a Jewish retreat near the Wisconsin Dells (I forgot the name) that came to our rescue. Several counselors from their camp came to Camp Waupaca for three days and camped out on the far, far field. They were entertained with water skiing, a playack trip and other adventures in the Waupaca area. Their camp had army surplus tents with wood floors and army cots. At Camp Waupaca there was nothing said about their having beer in the campsite there. At the Dells we were told that no beer or any alcoholic drinks were allowed. A camp employee checked the garbage every day for any beer cans. He found beer cans in a garbage can assigned to us. Our counselors did not have time to drink at the camp, but we were found guilty and asked never to return. I am sure that finger prints on the cans would have exonerated the Camp Waupaca counselors.

Memorable Early Bird Moments (not in chronological order)

Camper on Main Street Wisconsin Dells - “I need some more money so I can get a stuffed bear at the ball bounce game.” Manny - “You have used up your canteen, I don't have any more money for you.” Camper - “Get it from Lil she's got a hand full.”

At the fence by the Tommy Bartlett Show – Manny – “This is a fine view of the show from here.” Lil - “ This is a long show and there is no place to sit. The mosquitoes here are eating every one alive. Buy the tickets!” We had bleacher seats right next to the action.

At the House of Horrors Main Street Wisconsin Dells – Manny assigned Wayne to take a group of campers through the exhibit – Camper - “I can't look it scares me. I have to close my eyes will you take my hand and lead me out.” Wayne -”Okay” outside to some campers on the street – Camper “You should go in there it's really great.”

Counselor who was driving Manny's car – At Wisconsin Dells “If you give me the change I'll take care of the parking meters.” He goes back to the cars. When it was time to leave there is a parking ticket on Manny's car. Wayne – “I thought you put money in all the meters.” Counselor - “ Heck he wouldn't have paid me back and besides it has an out of state license.”

A hike up the rock formations that surround Devils Lake the campers came upon a couple of rock climbers getting ready to climb a vertical bluff. As the campers were interested in what they were doing the men took time to explain rock climbing. At the end of the demonstration one camper asked, “Why don't you use ropes”. One of the men answered, “That would take all the sport out of it. Facing danger is the greatest thrill of this sport.” (Note; Almost every year a climber at Devils Lake is killed in a fall from the rocks.”

Georgia Euer at Family Land - “They wouldn't let me in the bumper cars! Lord they think I'm pregnant. Haven't they ever seen a fat lady?”

Ranger at Mirror Lake State Park to camper taking a shower – “You cannot use the showers, you did not pay for it.” Camper, “Yes I can, my counselor put in a quarter.”

Counselor chasing a raccoon out of the bus by poking it with a tent pole - “You ate my marshmallow chocolate cookies, now you die.” The raccoon charged him and the counselor was chased out of the bus and around the campsite.

The first Early Bird that Mike Euer was on he asked all the counselors on the trip to have an old time like picture taken. When we got to the studio the photographer asked how we wanted to be dressed up Mike said, “Don't we all look like gangsters? This here is my gang.”

The trip was washed out but the counselors who were taking down the camp were left behind. They asked Wayne if they could take the carry-all to town that night. Sometime towards morning they woke Wayne up. “The carry-all slid off the road into mud on the shoulder and we can't get it out. What should we do?” Wayne - “Get a couple of hours sleep and we'll get it in the morning.” In the morning a farmer pulled it out with his tractor.

The campers had been eating all kinds of junk food all day. Jim Dover was fretting about that if we didn't get some medicine for them we would not get a night's sleep. The campers had come to the Tommy Bartlett's Water Show on a bus while Wayne drove a couple of counselors in his car. Jim insisted that we stop at a store where he could get medicine. We stopped and I gave Jim $5.00 for medicine. He came back to the car with a bottle wrapped in a paper bag. That night several campers had stomach problems. Jim got the bottle and gave each one of them about a shot from the bottle. Soon all the campers were asleep. Wayne - “What was the medicine you gave those kids, Jim.” “Oh, just what my mama use to give me when my stomach hurt, a shot of peppermint snaps.”

A night trip up the Wisconsin River on a boat to the Standing Rock Indian Ceremonial was a little spooky as the rock formations made strange shadows. Manny bought a large bag of popcorn for the group. The popcorn had no butter or salt on it. After the first mouth full, many campers threw it on each other. Manny - “Stop throwing the popcorn, they will kick us out and you will have to spend time on the boat until we leave.” Camper - “There's no butter on the popcorn.” Manny, “Indians don't put butter on popcorn, Steve.” The rest of the trip if a camper complained of the food - “Indians don't put butter or salt on popcorn.”

The boat ride back form the Standing Rock Indian Ceremonial the campers became restless. Paul Warshauer asked the organist to play the tune to “We are the boys who come from Stratton Lake.” The boys settled down and gave a rousing rendition of “their” song.

Several trips to the Dells the campers were treated to a meal at McDonalds. On the way at least twice, they chanted on the bus, “Real Food! Real Food! At Last Real Food.” Is McDonalds kosher?

One Early Bird at Devil's Lake the campers arrived in a light rain. Everyone was wet so we hung out the wet clothes in the sun and went swimming. When we came back the clothes were dry so we ate a meal and went to the Tommy Bartlett's Water Show that night.

It began to be a tradition that the counselors on the trip go to a photography studio and dress as outlaws for a group picture. Mike Euer to some campers, “You'll behave yourselves for a while we are going to be outlaws and git our pictures took.”

Wayne is sure that the many boys who were on an Early Bird Trip can add many of their moments to this list. As long as there are veterans of these trips there will be memories.