The saying is, “You can’t go home.” And yet, in some ways, you can. In early November, I returned for a Legacy Fellowship reunion to Sky Ranch Horn Creek, a Christian camp in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains outside Westcliffe in southern Colorado. Horn Creek was my home for a year and a half. A lot happened during that time; some things I wouldn’t mind repeating, and some things I never want to revisit. (Things I wouldn’t want to repeat: setting so many mouse traps we lost count - except we couldn’t because there was a log for all of the traps; shoveling snow in t-shirts because we got too hot in the CO sun only to have it pile up again in a few hours; and cleaning miles of polished wood rafters with Murphy Oil on hands and knees and with ladders and harnesses.) I didn’t come back to do any of those things again but to be a guest in the place I remembered feeling so many emotions: frustration, hurt, exasperation, exhaustion, overwhelm, stress, joy, awe, and peace. At this place, people came to grow and serve. But whatever the other interns and I were told before we came, the reality was not what we expected. And given the chance to return, I didn’t want to miss it.
I entered the camping ministry world as an intern for Horn Creek Camp in June 2015. My first summer was a whirlwind. (Read about it here.) It was the off-season that left more lasting impressions. The other three interns and I joined full-time staff, along with six Base Campers to run retreat groups from August through mid-May of the next year when summer staff returned. (Base Campers were in a gap year program that was a combination of a working internship and discipleship/ministry study. ) During the fall of 2015, Horn Creek was transitioning as ownership changed to Sky Ranch, a larger camp organization with the original location and corporate offices in Van, TX. Sky Ranch already owned two other locations: Ute Trail in Lake City, CO, and Cave Springs in Quapaw, OK. Horn Creek was a good fit for their expansion.
There were many bumps along the transition road as the four of us interns had bosses both hired and fired, and the managers who remained needed a stronger leader. We were told what to do from competing voices while also trying to figure out our roles and learn how to work and live with each other. Some of the interns were fresh out of college, and in the case of the Base Campers, some were fresh out of high school. But others, including me, were a few years out of college with experience existing in “the real world.” It was wild. But, as one of our full-time staff leaders told us, everyone said two things in their interview for the program. Each of us wanted to serve, and we wanted to grow. We 100% spent the year doing that. Our growth was in ways we could not have anticipated, and we were stretched to our “service limits,” even though there should be no limit to service – another growth aspect. It was hard, but it was good.
That November weekend, while I walked around camp, and as those of us who returned saw and discussed what had changed and what hadn’t, I still couldn’t believe I had the privilege of living there. In many ways, it was like our own little world. We would go into town or go to “The Springs” (the local name for Colorado Springs). We went home for Christmas. But we lived in a place set apart. Not only were we in a beautiful setting on the side of a mountain, but we lived and worked with the same people. We got to know these people intimately – not just who is a morning person and who isn’t, or who doesn’t mind cleaning toilets and who would rather clean a kitchen scrubbing an oven (me). We learned about each other’s family and school experiences. We learned who we could trust with hard issues at home while we were away. We learned who could take a prank and who couldn’t. We learned to read each other’s body language to know when someone needed space or needed a hug. We joked, laughed, cried, prayed, and grew. And, even if only for a weekend, it felt like coming home. Home. Where I was understood. Where I had a common bond with people that is only achieved through similar highs and lows. Where, even with the Fellows that came after me, there was a commonality that didn’t need to be put into words - even though we had lots of stories to share. I felt camaraderie, understanding, joy, laughter, love, and peace. Home.
It took some time for “Horn Sweet Home” to become just that, though. When I arrived at Horn Creek, there were several department directors. This meant interns, who worked in several different departments (hospitality, food service, and maintenance, mostly), had several different bosses. There was a Hospitality Director - Alice. Her job, at the time, was split between housekeeping management and some food service since she was in charge of the dining room. There was an Intern Director until Sky Ranch took over, downsizing and combining some roles, an overall camp director (who was also let go with the change-over), and a Facilities Director who was in charge of us when we worked maintenance. The Facilities Director also had full-time staff who told us what to do. (Interns did a bit of everything. This was especially true during my service year when we were low on full-time staff. It was just the four interns plus one Base Camper from the previous year who stayed on full-time to work maintenance.) Lastly, we had a Food Service Director - Doug - who was also the Base Camp Director. He wanted to step down from food service and just focus on Base Camp, but until then, since I was the food service intern, Doug and I worked closely together after the summer during the “off-season.” He became a staple of my Horn Creek experience and contributed to the feeling of home.
Doug and I planned menus together, jigsaw-puzzling meals that met guests’ dietary restrictions and allergies. He helped me transition after the last food service intern left to being the sole person in charge of ordering from US Foods for our kitchens and retreat groups (until a new Food Service Manager was hired by Sky Ranch the following May). (I have never been in charge of spending so much money before, nor will I probably be again!) We took a trip to the Springs to raid Costco for Horn Creek’s last Thanksgiving camp. (He also sent me to the local Westcliffe grocery store where I bought 16 turkeys.)
He helped me train a few of the Base Campers as cooks. And, we spent time in the kitchens together when he would lend a hand cooking for groups, especially for Thanksgiving. It was the first time for all of us interns and Base Campers to be away from family for a major holiday, and my first time making turkey(s). It helped to have staff members and their families, who were like family to us, while we were away from our own. That year it snowed on Thanksgiving, and we lost power and had to melt snow since the water pumps stopped. But we improvised and had delicious food with friends and strangers over the holiday weekend.
Horn Creek’s food was bread-heavy. We had biscuits with breakfast and multiple bun-inclusive meals - provolone and grilled chicken sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, and hot ham and cheese on pretzel buns, to name a few. We also used rolls for several meals. Doug taught me to toss rolls in a giant stainless steel bowl with melted butter, garlic, and herbs. I was originally nervous since I wasn’t yet confident in my “tossing” abilities and didn’t want to sacrifice a roll to the floor. Our clean butcher-block counter was fair game for a 5-second rule, though. In all learning environments and all kitchens, for that matter, not everything goes to plan. I distinctly remember two instances when my US Foods order did not go to plan…
Leading up to Labor Day weekend, the first big full-camp weekend after summer staff left, our food delivery was short on the liquid eggs that I was confident Doug and I had ordered. We had to serve eggs, though, so to make up the difference, I took my small SUV to Colorado Springs after calling Costco to see if they could accommodate our needs.
(At the time, Horn Creek did not have a reliable fleet of vehicles as they did once Sky Ranch took over fully. It was easier, and more comfortable for me, to drive my vehicle and get reimbursed for gas.) The employees knew I was coming, so after checking out, someone helped me roll a flatbed cart and loaded 972 eggs into my car. They fit nice and snugly, and none cracked! (That weekend I learned first-hand why we order pre-cracked liquid eggs! 😅)
The second food-ordering fiasco was unfortunately my mistake. It was early into my second summer. I think I was still ordering for all three camps (read here about the three locations on the property) before the newly hired Food Service Manager took over ordering for Lodge and Meadows camps, and I just ordered for Ranch. The problem was bread, and the problem was two-fold. Some of the bread products I forgot to order or I misjudged the amount needed, so what we received wouldn’t cover the full week at all three camps. Additionally, some of the products I ordered did not come in. Once I told Doug what happened, he told me how I could fix it. I picked up one of the camp credit cards, checked out the keys for the best working camp vehicle, and drove to Pueblo. I went to more grocery stores than I remember - Sam’s Club, Walmart, and several local stores in parts of the town I’ve never had a reason to frequent before. I needed pretzel buns - which I pretty much knew I wasn’t getting, Texas toast for French toast and grilled cheese, hamburger buns, and hoagie rolls (used for sack lunches for hiking groups). I remember finding Texas toast, hamburger buns, and some hoagie rolls. I also bought Kaiser rolls that made up the difference between the burger buns and hoagie rolls I was short. Thankfully, that was a one-time occurrence.
One last bread story involves Doug, a baguette, and tissues. A tradition I was able to participate in during Horn Creek’s last fall before Sky Ranch became the official owner was to attend the Sysco food exposition in Denver. For me, this came on what I thought was the tail-end of my yearly fall cold. The previous food service intern had told me about this exposition and I had been looking forward to it for months! I knew there were booths and lots of free samples to try: some products we would consider purchasing, others - especially those for fancier establishments than a camp in the mountains - we would just enjoy trying. By the time November rolled around, the sinus cold I developed in October still lingered with a cough and a runny nose, but my sense of taste returned (people were losing their sense of taste with a virus long before COVID). So on the scheduled day, Alice, Doug, two Base Camper cooks, and I loaded up in Doug’s Odyssey van and drove to Denver. But, I couldn’t leave without my box of tissues. I sat in the back and blew my nose the whole way - using hand sanitizer afterward, of course! We wandered the food show - the Base Campers with Doug and me with Alice. This is where Alice and I tasted and got the idea to use pretzel rolls as one of our bread items. We tried lots of delicious items, which I have unfortunately forgotten. However, one item that stuck with me was the beautiful French baguette Doug obtained. That wasn’t what those at the booth he found were giving away, but he asked, and they said yes. So, after talking to the representatives we wanted and getting our fill of samples, we loaded back into the van for a three-hour drive back to camp. I was, again, in the back, by my own choice, but if asked, the others probably didn’t want my germs, even if I was almost over my cold. (There’s nothing cute about a runny nose.) And, if Doug was telling the story, he’d say that the tissues kept rising like the tide. I only had one tissue box, but apparently, I had “tissue ghosts” everywhere. (I remember keeping them more neatly in a bag, but his version is more laughable.) I should mention two things - I was taking cold medicine, and, while I came into the internship with a certain level of adult maturity, being around Base Campers and fun-loving co-workers, my level of maturity and clear-mindedness diminished at times. Again, I was sick-ish. So, I thought it would be a “good idea” to start tearing off pieces of Doug’s baguette. Surely he didn’t need the whole thing. It’s the “Christian” thing to do to share, right? And - I had my hand sanitizer I used after blowing my nose. It was fine. He could still eat the rest. Well, by the time we got back to camp, there was at least a fourth to a third of the baguette gone. He was not pleased. More like he was a bit shocked I would do such a thing. Honestly, I was, too, but I probably laughed in my slap-happy (it was a fun ride home) and cold-medicine-drugged state. He didn’t want to eat it after that, knowing my “tissue ghosts” could have come in contact with it, and at the very least my hands. So he cut it up and made bruschetta for his kids.
Five recipes from The Harvest Baker remind me of my time at Horn Creek. Ken’s recipes include Golden Delicata Squash Dinner Rolls and Pesto, Walnut, and Cheese Pinwheel Rolls. Both of these are fancier and more time-consuming than the US Foods frozen rolls we tried to glam up at camp. If not cooking for 50+ people, though, they’re worth the time and effort. I served the delicata rolls for Thanksgiving, but either is perfect for any day of the year.
Ken’s recipe for Potato and Onion-Crusted Burger Buns is delicious and would have been a good compliment to the camp burgers or grilled chicken provolone sandwiches.
Lastly, the Mushroom, Spinach, and Blue Cheese-Stuffed Baguette or the Wheaten Roasted Garlic Baguettes (recipe below) is a good substitute for the French baguette I snacked on coming home from the food show.
Once I found out I would be revisiting Horn Creek for the Fellows Reunion this November, I knew I wanted to get back in a camp kitchen to make a baguette for Doug. He said that the roasted garlic baguette was better than the one at the food show. When my bread came out of the oven, the crust was nice and crunchy like I prefer, but I let it cool off a bit before cutting one for the other Fellows to try and presenting Doug with the second one. He preferred the softer crust and crumb after the steam had a chance to escape. I was not sick, and the timing was perfect!
Though I faced many challenges during my time at Horn Creek, I will always be grateful that it was my home for a time. On my last night at camp the weekend of the reunion, I spent a few more minutes outside looking at the stars before joining the other Fellows in our cabin. The air was crisp and cold. The quiet was peaceful. The sky was black and clear. As I looked up at the stars, tears came to my eyes again. (Crying was not something I planned on for the weekend, but it happened a few times. 😅) I wasn’t sad. I was overwhelmed with memories, in awe of where I was, and grateful to God. He is the bread of life. And during my time at Horn Creek, He allowed that place, my home, to give me life.
Wheaten Roasted Garlic Baguettes
Yield: 2 baguettes
Ingredients:
1-2 teaspoons oil for the bowl
Oil and cornmeal for the baking sheet
2 whole garlic heads, roasted
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or ¼ teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons salt, plus a pinch for the garlic
1½ cups lukewarm water (105 to 110℉ [41-43℃])
½ teaspoon sugar
1½ teaspoons active dry yeast (a little more than half a packet)
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2⅓ - 2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Directions:
If you haven’t already, roast the garlic. When it is cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves out of the skins into a small shallow bowl. Sprinkle with the rosemary and a big pinch of salt. Mash the mixture well with a fork or the back of a spoon to make a garlicky paste. Use a few drops of water, if necessary to make it more pasty. Set aside.
Pour the water into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top; stir with a fork. Set aside for 5 minutes to let the yeast dissolve. Add the whole-wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour. Beat well with a wooden spoon for 100 strokes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.
Stir 2 teaspoons salt into the dough. Stir in the remaining all-purpose flour about ¼ cup at a time, until the dough coheres and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. When it does, start working the dough vigorously against the sides of the bowl with your wooden spoon; this will reduce your overall kneading time when you turn the dough out.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust your hands with flour, and knead the dough for about 8 minutes, using just enough additional flour to keep the dough from sticking. Smear a teaspoon or two of olive oil in a glass or ceramic mixing bowl. Add the dough, turning it to coat the surface thoroughly with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set the dough aside in a warm, draft-free spot until it has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. While the dough rises, oil a large baking sheet very lightly and dust it with cornmeal. Adjust your oven racks so one is in the middle and another one is in the lowest position.
Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 1 minute, then divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball and let rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for 10 minutes.
Working with one piece of dough at a time on a lightly floured surface, press or roll the dough into an oval about 12 inches long and 7 inches wide. Spread half of the garlic paste over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Starting on one of the long sides, roll the dough up like a rug, pinching the dough firmly along the edge to seal. Pinch the ends and tuck them under. Place the dough log on the sheet, seam side down, leaving plenty of room for the second one. Repeat for the other half of the dough. Cover the loaves very loosely with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draft-free spot for 30 minutes. Midway into the rising, preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C). Put about ¾ inch of water in a shallow baking dish or pie pan and place it on the middle rack while the oven heats.
After 30 minutes, remove the plastic from the loaves. Using a sharp serrated knife, make three evenly spaced, ½-inch-deep diagonal slashes on the top of each loaf. Place the baking sheet on the bottom shelf. Bake for 20 minutes; then quickly open the door, remove the water, and move the loaves up to the middle rack. Bake for another 5 to 7 minutes, just long enough to darken the tops a bit. Transfer the loaves to a cooling rack. Cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
The Harvest Baker (c) by Ken Haedrich, recipe excerpted with permission from Storey Publishing.
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