When family camp comes to a close, there’s still plenty happening behind the scenes to keep the Lair running strong.
In late August and September, the Lair hosts Bear Music Fest, an International House retreat, and late summer weddings. Then, once all the guests begin their drive down Hwy 108, a hard-working Closing Crew takes over. Consisting of staffers and a small team of seasonal workers, this crew helps the Lair’s year-round Facilities Team winterize all three camps and prepare for Camp Oski’s fall and winter stays.
Led by Facilities Director, Pat Graffis, this year’s Closing Crew began their work helping to take canvas tops off tents, slide mattresses from their supports, carry cubbies, and dismantle and haul bed frames away from their summer lodgings. According to Graffis, just this portion of the work took about two weeks to complete. In addition to mattresses and canvases, the Facilities Team moved and stored furniture from our three pool areas, retail and rental items, paddleboards, shade sails, and more. Everything was transported through camp and stored in major buildings (e.g., Gold and Blue Dining Halls, Blue Lodge), Gold’s hard top tent cabins, and five 40′ x 8′ x 8′ shipping containers. Graffis described the entire effort as “demanding work requiring the crew to do lots of heavy lifting in rainy and cold conditions.”
While the camper areas were winterized, another small team led by Kitchen Manager Jordan Jacobs and Executive Chef David Wiegel worked to close the kitchens and Burger Shacks. Appliances were checked. Work orders submitted for outstanding repairs. Surfaces scrubbed one last time. The kitchen team also kept the Closing Crew well-fed and fueled for their physical labor. Perishable goods were donated to a local ranch for their livestock, and all non-perishable foods were inventoried and either warehoused for the winter or appropriately stored for upcoming Fall and Winter Weekend Stays at the Lair.
Once the last mattress was stacked, the final tent flap folded, the Lair’s fleet of trucks and golf carts washed, and the last broken piece of equipment disposed of, the team’s attention shifted to readying Camp Oski for winter visitors. First, they set to work splitting wood for the Gold Lodge fireplaces and the campfires winter guests will light to roast their marshmallows. This year’s Closing Crew helped the Facilities Team split and stack 15 cords (1,920 cubic feet) of wood!
Next, the heaters in Oski’s winterized cabins were checked while the Reservations Team began a final deep-clean before prepping the Oski Den, where breakfast is served to winter guests. The team also made sure the cabin appliances were in working order, ran dozens of loads of laundry, and commenced countless other tasks. Ensuring everything is cozy and operational for families who will join us for Fall and Winter Weekends is a multi-team effort.
Looking ahead to Summer 2026
The work may be gritty, but for our Closing Crew and Facilities, Kitchen, and Reservations teams, it’s all part of keeping the Lair magic alive year-round. We are so grateful for our stellar Closing Crew’s help this year! Every tent down to its bare bones, sink scrubbed, log split, and pool deck cleared helps ensure that when campers return next summer, the Lair feels just as they remember—ready for another season of memory-making under the pines. And before we know it, we’ll be welcoming volunteers back for our two Work Weekends, May 15–17 and May 29-31, as we begin preparing camp for another unforgettable summer!
