The City of Berkeley sadly has had to cancel our special Labor Day weekend at Camp due to the Covid-19!
We look forward to next summer already!
The Friends of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp (FOBTC) are dedicated to preserving and enhancing the camp experience for present and future generations through education, volunteer efforts and financial support.
If you have thoughts and/or have the time to attend a Master Planning session, we encourage you to participate! This is a big step towards getting our beloved BTC re-built.
From the City of Berkeley:
Tuolumne Camp Master Development Plan Concept and Online Survey Released; Public Workshop Dates Announced.
Berkeley, California (Thursday, April 9, 2015) – The City is inviting the public to participate in the Berkeley Tuolumne Camp Master Development Plan by completing a new online survey and attending upcoming public workshops and meetings. The Survey and Workshops will provide an opportunity to see initial concept drawings of the camp, to contribute ideas, and to gain a better understanding of the design and planning processes for rebuilding the Camp (including the environmental analysis and subsequent decision making). Additional information is now available on the City of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp Website.
Online Survey: Tuolumne Development Plan Survey (Available April 9-May 15, 2015)
Tuolumne Camp Master Development Plan Public Workshops
Tuolumne Camp Master Development Plan Public Workshops |
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Event |
Date |
Time |
Location |
Address |
Public Workshop #1 |
Wednesday, April 29th |
7pm – 9pm |
James Kenney Community Center |
1720 Eighth Street, Berkeley, CA |
Public Workshop #2 |
Saturday, May 9th |
10am–12pm |
Frances Albrier Community Center |
2800 Park Street, Berkeley, CA |
Public Workshop #3 |
TBD |
TBD |
TBD |
Groveland, CA |
Parks & Waterfront Commission |
Wednesday, June 10th |
7pm |
Frances Albrier Community Center |
2800 Park Street, Berkeley, CA |
Echo Lake Family Camp Meetings |
June 20-28th |
To Be Announced |
Berkeley Echo Lake Camp |
Lot #7, Echo Lakes Rd. Echo Lake, CA 95721 |
Meetings about the Tuolumne Camp design process will be hosted for registered Family Campers at Echo Lake Camp the week of June 20-28, 2015. Interested in attending Echo Lake Camp? Space is still available! To register for Family Camp at Echo Lake, visit the Echo Lake Camp website or call (510) 981-5140.
Berkeley Tuolumne Camp, in operation since 1922, has been a highly regarded summer tradition for generations of Berkeley residents. More than 4,000 individuals annually enjoyed fun-filled activities and heart-felt traditions at Tuolumne Camp. We encourage campers to explore the new Family Camp at Echo Lake, which takes the best of Echo Lake and Tuolumne Camps to create a wonderful family camping experience for all ages. Whether exploring the new programs available at Echo Lake Camp or participating in the upcoming public process, we thank you for keeping the City of Berkeley Camp Spirit alive. For more information about City of Berkeley Camps, contact:
City of Berkeley Recreation Office 1947 Center St. 1st Floor Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 981-5140 camps@cityofberkeley.info
If you are interested, the link to Conceptual Drawings can be found here.
We are all so loyal to our beloved South Fork Tuolumne River, but we at FOBTC want to encourage everyone to explore and enjoy the whole Tuolumne Watershed! There’s so much to do up there (beyond our shangri-la on Hardin Flat Rd) and a lot of great organizations to get involved with.
This weekend I had an unforgettable time whitewater rafting down the Main Fork Tuolumne River with Sierra Mac River Trips (www.sierramac.com). Sierra Mac is one of the premier whitewater rafting companies, and was founded by the great Marty McDonnell, who also co-founded the Tuolumne River Trust, and was part of the coalition that helped stop hydroelectric projects from flooding BTC back in the 1980’s.
I was signed up for the Cherry Creek/Tuolumne run. I’d only been whitewater rafting once, on some Class III and IV back east many years ago, so I gotta admit, there was some trepidation about taking a primarily Class V trip when I pulled up to the parking lot at 6:00am.
We took a van down the Cherry Lake Rd, past San Jose Camp, and all the way down to one of San Francisco’s dams on Cherry Creek where they generate hydroelectric power. Our guides, Adam and Tom, provided a thorough overview, healthy breakfast, and pre-trip coaching. It felt like bootcamp at times, and that’s just what we needed to get mentally prepared and to feel confident. Throughout the trip, Adam and Tom skillfully and confidently guided us through some really intense drops, rapids, and chutes. They knew that river intimately, like we all know the South Fork intimately, and they could always tell us what rock, eddy, rapid, or other feature was around the corner and how we were going to handle it.
I gotta tell you, this is not like rafting down the South Fork to Naco at quiet hour. It’s also not like Rip Roaring Rapids at Great America amusement park. It was like 100 ‘pee-wee secrets’ per minute for five straight hours. It was like jumping off Beaverhead 100 times during morning swim! OK, got it? The main fork drains Tuolumne Meadows, the Hetch Hetchy area, Cherry Lake, the Middle Fork, Clavey River, and our South Fork. With such a huge watershed, there was a ton of water in the Main Fork, and we were flying down the canyon. The water was moving between 5 and 10 mph, and some of the drops and rapids were pretty severe. It took a lot of agility, balance, and hard work, but everyone on my boat did great, thanks to good coaching from our river guide, Tom. After getting the hang of it, it was an incredibly beautiful and rich way to enjoy a Sierra Nevada river. Of course I’m partial to climbing up Beaverhead, or hiking to Small Falls, or dangling my feet in the water below Arts & Crafts……that will always be my favorite way to pass a summer afternoon. But after this amazing trip, I also highly recommend taking a whitewater rafting trip down the Main Fork Tuolumne.
In our longterm effort to rebuild BTC, it’s important for us to also a) support the larger Rim Fire reforestation effort, b) support businesses along Highway 120, c) continue to protect the whole Tuolumne watershed, and d) build relationships with business and non-profit partners in the Stanislaus National Forest. And hey- why not have the time of your life while you’re at it? So check out Sierra Mac for a whitewater rafting adventure!
Phil Coffin
8/8/14
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — While the flames still raced through California’s Sierra Nevada last year, investigators zeroed in on a deer hunter they had rescued by helicopter an hour after the first report of the wildfire that would become the mountain range’s largest in its recorded history.
They pressed the hunter, who said at first he caused a rockslide in a remote corner of the Stanislaus National Forest that sparked the blaze, and then blamed illegal marijuana growers, denying he even took a lighter on his hunting trip, according to a search warrant affidavit.
On Thursday — nearly a year later — a grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Keith Matthew Emerald, 32, alleging he started a campfire Aug. 17, 2013 in an area where fires were prohibited, and it spread beyond his control and turned into the massive Rim Fire.
The fire raged for two months across 400 square miles of land including part of Yosemite National Park, threatening thousands of structures, destroying 11 homes and costing more than $125 million to fight.
Investigators said Emerald gave inconsistent and changing versions of what happened during multiple interviews that began almost immediately after he was rescued and stretched over several weeks. Emerald was carrying bow hunting equipment when he was picked up from the Stanislaus National Forest, and rescuers and others who had contact with him initially told investigators he appeared not to understand the gravity of the situation and showed little remorse or interest in the dangerous rescue that had just occurred or the status of the fire, according to the affidavit.
A call to Emerald’s attorney, federal public defender Janet Bateman, was not immediately returned.
By Peg Healy
After Berkeley Tuolumne Camp tragically burned down last summer, the City of Berkeley hired some BTC staffers and created three sessions of a family camp program at its smaller camp at Echo Lake, near South Lake Tahoe. This camp has charms of its own. Here are my top ten:
1. Afternoon thunderheads and little sprinkles of rain. So there’s hardly any red dust on your toes and everything else you own. And plenty of wildflowers among the cabins and pines!
2. The jaw-dropping view of Lake Tahoe from the Rec Hall, the volleyball court, some fortunate cabins, and the green Adirondack chairs built by the Friends of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp.
3. The camp is relatively flat and easy to walk.
4. The program is smaller: 25 cheery staffers and 130 campers, compared to 60 staffers and 250 campers at Tuolumne Camp. Somehow smaller is even friendlier. The Dining Hall is quiet enough to actually converse with your table mates or chat with folks in the buffet line.
5. The food is better than I remember: Lunch was turkey, veggie, or beef burgers; dinner was tri-tip with rosemary potatoes, penne pasta, plus a salad bar; breakfast was cheesy eggs, sausage, melon, and hot oatmeal.
6. Tuolumne Camp tradition is alive, with silly songs and chants, Kiddie Kamp, the staff show, Theme Days, Bingo Night, sports tournaments, arts & crafts, nature hikes, tie-dye, and more.
7. There’s plenty to do besides relax. Volleyball, badminton, archery, table tennis or bocce ball, anyone? The lifeguards are hoping to reopen their pool soon. Berkeley Camp keeps canoes at the Echo Lake Marina, a short walk down the road, where you can fish or ride in a water taxi. Hiking is at your doorstep on the Pacific Crest Trail and in the Desolation Wilderness. Birders have already spotted flickers, sapsuckers, woodpeckers, tanagers…. Campers have donated what looked like about 50 board games.
8. They’ve got a real recycling program now for bottles and cans. Also metal food lockers for campers’ snacks, to keep the local ground squirrels (and black bears) out of your tent cabin.
9. The canvas tent tops look new. Many cabins have decks, with wooden picnic tables and seats nearby in the trees. Our cabin had eight built-in bunks with mattresses, but no electricity.
10. Short showers are encouraged, to save water, but they’ve got flush toilets and the nicest porta-potties ever. Seriously. These port-potties are so clean they’re poetic.
** The deadline has passed. A big THANK YOU to all our campers and supporters who took the time to send letters to the USFS. We will keep you updated as we hear more and can determine what must happen next to preserve what we can of BTC and build back what was lost. **
Alert to all Friends of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp: FOBTC board members have been following the US Forest Services Rim Fire Recovery Project and its effect on our beloved BTC and the entire RIm Fire area. We are very concerned that their approach may be to clear-cut much of camp more indiscriminately than we feel is necessary. The deadline to submit letters to the US Forest Service on this issue is THIS coming Saturday, June 14. Please use this boilerplate letter attached to write to them (either email or paper letter) or else use the talking points within the boilerplate letter to write something more in your own words or style. Remember, the deadline to submit letters to the US Forest Service on this issue is THIS coming Saturday, June 14. We need to keep as many trees standing as possible- please help.
Draft text for letter to USFS – please copy the text and send it in, then send it along to all your friends and family!
Please send this to:
Postal address: Stanislaus National Forest, Attn: Rim Recovery, 19777 Greenley Road, Sonora, CA 95370
Or email to: comments-pacificsouthwest-stanislaus@fs.fed.us Subject: Rim Recovery
To the U.S. Forest Service:
As a Berkeley Tuolumne Camper I have been visiting the Stanislaus National Forest for _________ years. Each summer, our family spends many sunny days on the South Fork Tuolumne seeing old friends, hiking, enjoying camp traditions, __________, ___________. Like thousands of other Tuolumne Campers around the U.S. we were devastated by the loss of one of our favorite places in the world in the 2013 Rim Fire.
I am hopeful that we will one day return to a rebuilt camp, and I am encouraged by all the hard work the Forest Service is doing to restore the forest and improve recreation access.
There are a few points in the proposed Rim Fire Recovery Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement that I hope the Forest Service will emphasize in its decision:
1) Recreational Values: At Berkeley Tuolumne Camp in particular, salvage logging can improve fire safety but must also balance the need for recreation experiences and traditions. Since it is just a 14.5 acre site, I hope you’ll develop a “Special Treatment Prescription” that considers the recreational needs in this high-use area. I urge the Forest Service to work with the City of Berkeley, Tuolumne River Trust, and the Friends of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp to plan safe, recreation-appropriate, and science-based salvage logging operations along the South Fork Tuolumne and other developed recreation sites. Berkeley Camp has a rich 91-year history and brought thousands of people into the Stanislaus National Forest each summer, supporting the USFS recreation goals. While there are many hazard and damaged trees that must come down, there are also some trees with only moderate or light burn damage, some that are recommended for monitoring, and some that were unharmed. With a “Special Treatment Prescription” we hope that the Forest Service will leave as many trees standing as possible. Since reconstruction is several years off, access to the camp can be restricted, reducing the hazard which burned trees might pose while allowing time for those that might recover.
2) Wildlife habitat: In the South Fork Tuolumne canyon, and the Stanislaus National Forest as a whole, USFS should provide much greater consideration to the at-risk, snag dependent wildlife. The means to do this is to adopt a modified version of Alternative Four by reducing the number of trees cut and leaving more snags in place. Spotted Owls and Northern Goshawks have been seen at Berkeley Tuolumne Camp, and we would like the Forest Service to protect this vital habitat.
As a longtime camper, hiker, ____________, _____________ in the Stanislaus National Forest, it is important to me that the salvage logging operations in the Rim Fire do not have negative impacts on critical wildlife habitat, and that the unique recreational values and traditions of the Berkeley Tuolumne Camp special-use permit area are taken into consideration. I support salvage logging in the Rim Fire Area, but only if balanced with habitat protection and recreational needs of National Forest visitors. Thank you for all of your hard work since the Rim Fire in helping our National Forest recover, and thank you for inviting public comment on this very important project.
Sincerely,
Keep Family Camp Alive!
from the City of Berkeley:
[Campers & Friends – This information is being sent to you by FOBTC regarding the 2014 Camp season. Camp spots are still open, and we encourage everyone to support this effort to keep the BTC camp fire spirit burning until a new camp can be built.]
We are excited to have a place to gather for family camp this summer–Berkeley Sierra Family Camp at Echo Lake Camp! We are going to continue important Tuolumne traditions while highlighting all the wonderful opportunities Echo Lake Camp has to offer. The green chair circle, quiet hours, the staff show, table night, theme days, tie-dye, campfires, and excellent swimming and hiking will all be a part of Berkeley Sierra Family Camp. Of course, people make up the heart and soul of camp, and some of your favorite BTC staff– full of Tuolumne Spirit — will be there to greet you. And you—the campers—will help keep the traditions, customs, and fun alive for generations of Berkeley campers to come. We are excited to have a place to gather for family camp this summer–Berkeley Sierra Family Camp at Echo Lake Camp! We are going to continue important Tuolumne traditions while highlighting all the wonderful opportunities Echo Lake Camp has to offer. The green chair circle, quiet hours, the staff show, table night, theme days, tie-dye, campfires, and excellent swimming and hiking will all be a part of Berkeley Sierra Family Camp. Of course, people make up the heart and soul of camp, and some of your favorite BTC staff– full of Tuolumne Spirit — will be there to greet you. And you—the campers—will help keep the traditions, customs, and fun alive for generations of Berkeley campers to come.
Update – February 14, 2014 – We are pleased to report that we’ve had an excellent turnout for Berkeley Sierra Family Camp registration, which began on Wednesday, February 12 for City of Berkeley residents. The atmosphere at registration has been very positive, and we are happy to see so many familiar faces registering for camp.
We still have several openings the weeks of June 21-July 7, and July 12-July 20. The weeks of July 25 – August 4 is filling fast, and we still have a few openings. Beginning next week, campers will be able to use our online availability calendar, which will be available on this webpage.
Registration for residents for Berkeley Sierra Family Camp will continue through Tuesday, February 18. Beginning Wednesday, February 19 at 9:00 AM, registration is open to the general public. Please note that Monday, February 17, is a City Holiday.
Registration for Echo Lake 50+ Camp Sessions will begin Monday, February 24. Echo Lake Youth Camp and Counselor-In-Training Program registration is currently open.
Family Camp Dates:
Saturday, June 21 (first meal is lunch) – Monday, July 7 (last meal is breakfast)
Friday, July 11 (first meal is lunch) – Sunday, July 20 (last meal is breakfast)
Friday, July 25 (first meal is lunch) – Monday, August 4 (last meal is breakfast)
for more information and registration forms:
http://www.cityofberkeley.info/Parks_Rec_Waterfront/Recreation/Berkeley_Sierra_Family_Camp.aspx
Friends of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp (FOBTC) is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the Camp experience for present and future generations through education, volunteer efforts, and financial support.
Tax ID# 94-2976224
PO Box 7931 Berkeley, CA 94707