“Lower Chi-pe-ta”
Lower Chipeta
No matter how much or how little outdoor experience you’ve had, our Lower units are a time for our youngest campers to enjoy camp life and learn the fundamentals of a wide range of activities. For many, it’s their first time at summer camp so we provide our Lower campers with the special attention they need. It’s a chance for campers to set goals, develop a Code of Living, live in a caring community, and become more self-reliant.
For Girls 9 to 11 Years Old
If this is your first summer at Cheley, Lower Chipeta is the perfect beginner overnight summer camp experience! You’ll ride horses, explore beautiful, wooded trails and stand on top of a mountain, looking out over the majestic Rockies. You’ll go camping, learn to cook outdoors, and count billions of stars in the night sky. Through it all, you’ll be laughing and having fun with new friends and very cool and caring counselors. Be sure to bring a favorite stuffed animal to snuggle with at night and a photo from home to set on your dresser in the cabin you’ll share with other Lower Chipeta campers and counselors.
In addition to having a great time, you’ll learn some very useful things at Cheley, like how to get comfortable with being away from home and living in a big, extended family. You’ll meet people and make friends from all over the United States and some foreign countries. Best of all, you’ll discover what it’s like to wake up each day knowing a new and wonderful adventure awaits you.
At the start of the term, Lower Chipeta campers and counselors will design a Code of Living that each of you agrees to honor during your weeks together. Besides learning respect and cooperation, you’ll discover what you most love to do, whether it’s caring for a newborn colt, hiking a mountain trail, scaling the Cheley climbing wall or making a picture frame in the crafts shop.
Camp is about trying new things and having fun with wonderful people. It’s about special nights in the Chipeta Dining Hall, singing songs in the Lower Chipeta Lodge, and camping out in a teepee on an overnight trip, or playing games on the Chapel Court. Regardless of the activity, you’ll enjoy the friendship of other campers and have the support and guidance of enthusiastic Cheley counselors along the way.
Campfires
Skit practice, All Girls’ Camp Sing Along, spa night, talent night, Zumba, get to know you games, Dutch auction, Square Dance with Lower Ski Hi, vespers, recognition campfire, scavenger hunt, skit night, Mario Kart, and more.
Cabins
Rocking Horse, Stewpan, Swinging W, Twin Sisters, Quarter B-4
Explore Our Activities
Lower Chipeta campers get to choose from a wide range of activities designed just for you.
- Archery
- Ceramics
- Challenge Course
- Climbing Wall
- Colts
- Crafts
- Fishing
- High Ropes
- Hiking
- Horseback Ring Rides
- Horseback Trail Rides
- Lil’ Ranchers
- Outcamping
- Riflery
- Sports
- Stand Up Paddleboarding*
- Technical Climbing
- Woodworking
- And miscellaneous activities, like Imagination Station, Finer Things, Dam Building, Water Wars, and more!
*During the summer, campers may have the opportunity to participate in the designated activity; however, it is not a regular offering.
What is a Unit?
Our 27-day program, Summer Camp, is divided into eight units, organized according to age & gender. Each unit offers the same renowned Cheley Experience staffed by 15-17 enthusiastic counselors. Lower Chipeta has a capacity of 63 campers.
Each unit has its own well-maintained lodge, boathouse, and living spaces. We are a large camp, but this setup ensures individualized attention for each camper. Six of our eight units are located at Land O’Peaks (LOP), while the other two are located at the Trail’s End (TE). Campers at Cheley participate in activities and campfire with their unit, although some cross-unit social opportunities do occur, including Chapel, All-Camp Campfire, and Play Day.
What is a Go-To Counselor?
Each camper is assigned a counselor in their unit (typically, someone also in their cabin) who is responsible for them in terms of general camp life. They are your mentor, advocate, and “go-to” counselor throughout the term. This means they are checking in with you daily to see how your experience is progressing. They are getting to know you and what excites and scares you. They are watching you every day, and because of your relationship with them, can tell when things are going well and when they need extra attention. In essence, they are your big brother or sister. To support you and your Cheley Experience, your go-to counselor is there for you to:
- Create family! They are reading your blue camper/parent information form, encouraging letter writing home, writing weekly reports, meeting and greeting parents on visiting day, and saying good night.
- Know your program! They are advising, monitoring, and advocating for you during sign-ups to make sure you are getting the programs you want and completing your goals during the camp experience. Assisting and advising in appropriate clothing and equipment for the day.
- Encourage personal responsibility! They are helping you keep track of your belongings. Assisting in packing and unpacking, monitoring borrowing and lending, creating an honest environment, helping with lost and found, and supervising laundry preparation.
- Nurture your physical and emotional health! They are monitoring and assisting with personal cleanliness, encouraging physical conditioning and challenge, escorting you to the Health Center for medication or illness/injury, encouraging adequate sleep and rest, and more. Encouraging self-reliance and independence. Talking with you, listening to you, playing with you, and reading. Being available.