“Senior Chi-pe-ta”
Senior Chipeta
No age is too old to start going to camp! Campers in our Senior units test their grit, create lifelong friendships, and develop a strong set of values. Our goal for our eldest campers is to provide appropriate challenges and leadership opportunities that transform teens into young, happy adults. With the Code of Living as the cornerstone of this endeavor, you’re given a chance to step out of your routine and learn what you stand for. Their final summer at camp, some campers apply to be a Camper in Leadership Training (CILT) for additional responsibilities/leadership experience.
For Girls 14 to 17 Years Old
Camp is a chance to step out of your routine and learn what you stand for, what you’re capable of and what genuinely interests you. Close, supportive friendships develop in Senior Chipeta, along with a willingness to move beyond those things that hold you back in life. Defenses go down as societal expectations fall away. You feel the freedom to be who you are, and who you aspire to be, without the pressures of home and school life.
In Senior Chipeta, you spend unhurried time doing the things you love and trying things you’ve never done. Every day something will happen to amaze you. You might be standing on the summit of a 13,000-foot peak, heading into the backcountry on horseback with a group of friends. Maybe you’ve gathered in a friendship circle after evening campfire singing “Chipeta Call” and Taps, arm in arm under a canopy of stars at the Buddy Ring or on the porch of Semopr Chipeta Lodge.
At the start of the summer, you and the other Titanium Women of Senior Chipeta will write a Code of Living or set of principles each of you agrees to honor during your time together. When it comes to programs, you’ll engage in activities you love and try others for the first time, like glissading down a snowfield on the side of a mountain or learning the proper form of western riding. You’ll meet people from all over the world, volunteer for a project in the national park, and enjoy a square dance with Haiyaha.
S.W.A.T. Senior Women Are Tough
Campfires
Skit practice, Square Dance with Haiyaha, get to know you games, fish bowl, Dutch auction, Zumba, Disco with Lower Ski Hi, All Girls’ Camp Sing Along, counselor imitation, movie night, traditional campfire, spa night, ball of yarn, warm and fuzzies, paper, stick, rock, vespers, recognition campfire, scavenger hunt, skit night, Mario Kart, and more.
Cabins
Double Diamond, Fiddleback, Landslide, Ox Box, Snailers, Snailers #2, Triple C
Explore Our Activities
Senior Chipeta campers get to choose from a wide range of activities designed just for you.
- Archery
- Backpacking
- Ceramics
- Challenge Course
- Climbing Wall
- Colts
- Crafts
- Fishing
- High Ropes
- Hiking
- Horseback Riding Trips
- Horseback Ring Rides
- Horseback Trail Rides
- Lil’ Ranchers
- Mountain Biking
- Mountain Biking Trips
- Outcamping
- Rafting
- Riflery
- Solo Experiences
- Sports
- Stand Up Paddleboarding
- Technical Climbing
- Via Ferrata
- Woodworking
- And miscellaneous activities, like Finer Things, Water Wars, Random Acts of Kindness, 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. Senior Chipeta has a capacity of 65 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.