Learning Math Through Camping

By John Burgman
January 01, 2026 (comments)

One of the most interesting news stories of the past year regarded a study in France that analyzed a gap in the school learning of girls and boys. According to the results of the study, young boys generally surpassed young girls in math skills at the onset of school. Within four months of schooling, the disparity increased as the math skills of boys “surged ahead” those of girls; by second grade, “the gap [between girls and boys in math] was four times as wide.” Even more fascinating than the study’s data and statistics were some of the possible explanations for...

The Benefits of a Small Summer Camp

By John Burgman
November 01, 2025 (comments)

Years ago, at the onset of a camp session, a weighty proposition was made: A candy bar would be awarded to the first person who could memorize and recite the names of every kid at camp. To my surprise, in just a few hours, several campers and counselors had done just that, learning everyone’s first and last name, along with their cabin numbers. Instead of splitting the candy bar into several pieces, the stakes were raised: Two candy bars would be awarded to the first person who could memorize and recite everyone’s hometown, in addition to the names. Sure enough,...

9 Newbie BWCAW Camping Questions Answered—Simply and Honestly

By John Burgman
May 21, 2021 (comments)

Look, we were all beginner-campers at one time, and most of us have probably spent a fair amount of time combing FAQs on the Internet to get specific questions answered…about gear, about routes…about trail cooking. There’s no shame in having rudimentary questions, and even longtime paddlers occasionally forget or accidentally overlook basic aspects of camping. At Camp Voyageur, the trip director and the counselors handle a lot of these questions; they will pack the right food, plan the routes, do most of the navigating, and handle any necessary paperwork. Still, it can be useful for any camper—and the parents of...

2000s: Voyaging Into a New Millennium

By John Burgman
April 22, 2021 (comments)

Camp Voyageur by the Decades In many ways, the 2000s cruised with the momentum of the 1990s, with many campers from the previous decade returning as staff for a number of years. And, in that, new campers and new counselors found a community of experienced staff that was eager to teach and share the timeless Voyageur Spirit. The 2000s also saw an extension of many core elements of the camp experience that had been established in previous decades: Trips in the Big Banana proved particularly popular in this decade, as did backpacking treks on Isle Royale and the Superior Hiking...

1990s: The Web of Possibilities

By John Burgman
April 16, 2021 (comments)

Camp Voyageur by the Decades In the 1990s, the world learned what it meant to go “online,” and so too did Camp Voyageur. While Voyageur was not the first summer camp in the Northwoods to have a presence on the World Wide Web, once Jon Jenkins programmed the first Voyageur website, it instantly opened up new and intriguing possibilities for communication. Suddenly kids around the world could discover Camp Voyageur from the comfort of their own homes. Parents of campers, too, could stay more up-to-date than ever before during the summers with an updated photo gallery, blog posts, and eventually...

1980s: New Names, Same Voyageur Spirit

By John Burgman
April 10, 2021 (comments)

Camp Voyageur by the Decades In 1984 Camp Voyageur reopened for a two-week session under the direction of sister and brother team, Deb and John Erdmann. Big games once again drew campers to Pine Stadium. The Mess Hall plaques started filling up with names as in years past. Trips pushed off into the wilderness from the camp dock. But there were new evolutions as well—including inaugural hiking trips, an uptick in campers from foreign countries, and frequent educational presentations from various Ely experts as part of Camp’s evening programming.

1970s: Hitting the Big Time

By John Burgman
April 03, 2021 (comments)

Camp Voyageur Through the Decades Everything about Camp Voyageur got bigger in the 1970s. The rosters ballooned to over 90 campers. The canoe trips ventured farther into Canada and “stayed out” longer. A set of 10-day routes tested older campers. Even the reach of camp recruitment broadened, as Helen Jane Wertz recruited a Greyhound bus full of campers from Cincinnati. Mim and Charlie eventually shortened the season to one, 5-1/2 week session to avoid the change of personnel. Counselor Dave Casey acquired a 25-foot-long Old Town “war canoe” from the College of William and Mary. With a fresh coat of...

1960s: Changing with the Changing Times

By John Burgman
March 29, 2021 (comments)

Camp Voyageur Through the Decades The 1960s began with the construction of a 55-foot long Rec Hall. Charlie drilled a well for fresh water and raised poles along the road for a reliable electricity source. Additional cabins were built to accommodate more campers and counselors, and more canoes and a white and blue Crestliner motorboat pulled skiers. Some of Camp’s novel offerings in this decade were particularly unique—such as a kiln in the Craft Shop, and a photography darkroom beneath the Office Cabin; others were new staples that remain to this day, such as a tetherball space and Sunfish sailboat.

1950s: Where it All Began

By John Burgman
March 26, 2021 (comments)

Camp Voyageur Through the Decades

The History of the Fire Circle

By John Burgman
July 14, 2020 (comments)

There are many places on the camp peninsula that look a little different this year, and many aspects of the CV summer that feel…off. The cabins are not filled with campers; the Mess Hall lacks the typical, prevalent chatter of trip tales and activity happenings. Pine Stadium remains mostly unoccupied aside from the storage of a few boats and has not hosted a big athletic game in 13 months. Indeed, the pandemic and the resulting cancellation of a full-fledged Voyageur summer have changed much of what has become standard for the season. Yet, one area of the peninsula that somehow...

John Burgman

Editor and blog contributor