Why We Paddle
By: Sam Moulton
I started at camp in 2018. Before camp I was a different person. Camp changed
my entire life in ways you may not be aware of. My father was in the military growing up
and was on active duty from my birth to age 10. He was on overseas tours for a majority
of my adolescence. Therefore, there was a missing Father figure in my life growing up.
In 2008 my family moved to Dayton, Ohio and my father retired from the Air Force. The
transition to this new lifestyle was difficult on my parents. In 2012, my parents got
divorced. I was a freshman in high school, my older brother was off at college, my sister
was a senior in high school and already checked out. My younger sister and brother
were not of the age to fully comprehend the reality of the situation. I was essentially on
my own and, unconsciously, emotionally shut down. At the age of 17 I decided to go to
the University of Cincinnati and was accepted into the College of Engineering & Applied
Science. During my freshman year I was certainly not in a good place to be completely
independent. I turned to drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. At the end of my
freshman year, I was fully prepared to go home and continue the path I was on. I did not
have any regard for my own health and safety.
Mick Geehan visited me near the end of our freshman year in college, a very
close friend from high school. Our relationship started in 6th grade but blossomed when
Mick offered for me to join him as a camp counselor at Camp Kooch-i-Ching summer of
2018. I interviewed with JR Verkamp and with Mick's support, I got the job and made my
way to camp. I was welcomed into the camp community with open arms and hearts. I
was surrounded by many father figures, to name a few I looked up to and were drawn to
Tim Downey, Patrick Risberg, and Zach Schiller. They taught me about leadership and
compassion. My second love that I fell head over heels for: Camp Kooch-i-ching. Their
values embedded in the Law of the Woods spoke to me and I listened. Be Strong, Be
Brave, and Be Joyful rang in my ears like a song you can’t forget or get out of your
head. Being strong, to me, means to take care of myself before I can take care of
anyone else. To be brave is to face your fears in order to overcome adversity and
self-improve. Seeking joy is the process of wandering, navigating, and discovering a
passion which brings out the best version of yourself. The Law of Woods just made
sense and it gave me a blueprint to approach everyday life. My role of counselor was
certainly a learning curve at the beginning but I learned more about myself through this
experience. I grew as a young man at camp in my first year at 18 years old more than I
did the first 10 years of my life. It was the canoe trip in which I was fully convinced.
Owakonze with Patrick Risberg. One vivid memory I have was on day 3 of the trip we
entered the infamous beaver dam, as it twisted and turned the sun began to drop in the
sky. Patrick and I looked each other in the eye and both knew it was going to be a long
and buggy night. We came up with the idea of the Great River Rat Race. Our boats in a
fierce fight to win the race and finish the beaver stream first. Our boats were filled with
joy in a dark time inspired by an insignificant but meaningful idea to warm our hearts. As
we made the final turn we all saw a beach upon the horizon and when we hit land we all
jumped in the water in celebration, we had made it to the end together. It was the best
experience of my entire life, until my next trip with Zach Schiller. I was out of my element
and was expected to set an example of good attitude and toughness for the campers. I
returned to camp for the campers. It was incredibly empowering to be a part of their
self-development and to observe them mature into young men and leaders. The canoe
trip had everything I was looking for in life, it was a cleansing and revealing natural
outdoor experience. I changed my major at college to be able to return to this
community for the next 6 years. A community that meant so much to me because it
saved my life and gave me purpose. To seek the joy of being alive.
As my summers unfolded I took on more responsibility: Junior Assistant Unit
Head, Sailing Department Head, Father Son Trip Leader, Lifeguard Instructor and Water
Safety Director. Camp gave me a passion to seek joy, taught me discipline, and I
learned what I could endure. Camp is a major contributor to who I am as a person
today. It all comes full circle with the Yukon River Trip “From Sign to Sea.” I dedicate this
trip to the campers and community to whom I owe so much. And I promise to share the
legacy of the camp and its community for perpetuity. This is the canoe trip I have had
my eyes on since taking a step on my home front, the sailing beach, after my first trip. I
told myself, ‘I want to go on The Big One, the Arctic Trip.’ It is the trip of a lifetime and I
am going on it with my closest friends in the world. People who I have grown with, cried
with, and laughed with. This trip is important to me because it is an accumulation of
lessons learned, values developed, and a triumph over adversity.
