If the idea of a Super Bowl party absent swearing, dirty jokes and excessive alcohol use is appealing; if you’d rather have someone else do the cooking, cleaning and pre-game entertaining; or prefer a leisurely walk in the woods while the rest of the gang sits back on comfy couches, eyes transfixed on the big screen, then San Marcos Camp is the place to be Sunday, Feb. 5.
Jason Lekas is the camp’s director. He laughs as he recounts how many times he has spoken to longtime Valley or Santa Barbara residents who have only vague memories of having seen or heard something about the camp – most never having been there. He plans to change all that.
Opening their doors to individuals in the community for the first time, the Super Bowl party starts at 1 p.m. on Feb. 5 when visitors can sign up for a game of paintball (for a small extra fee). The foosball, ping pong, field football, along with the wings and pizza, are included in the $10 charge for adults, $7 for young ones. Just call ahead and let them know you’re coming.
“I gave the kitchen manager leave for the first time to do junk food,” Lekas says with a laugh. He has been pouring his youthful enthusiasm into revamping the camp for the last two years, but the tradition of Christian values, preservation of nature and healthy lifestyles remains constant.
Whether your team wins, it is the place and not the event that is sure to inspire. In the soft light hovering above the basin where the Los Laureles and Cold Spring Canyons meet, the sycamores’ silvery bark shimmers above the main lodge.
The camp is nestled deep in 155 serene acres – well below the soft shadows of the Cold Spring Bridge – where the sounds of the rat race are drowned out by the soft babbling of Kelly Creek, except, of course, when displaced by sounds of laugher and learning. “The creek flows year round,” says Aaron Ryssemus, program director and director of San Marcos Outdoor Education. Absent mindedly, he slides gently into teacher mode, explaining how sometimes the trout swim upstream from Red Rock when the waters are high and get stuck.
When not playing host to weddings or to youth groups up for a game of paintball or a weekend retreat, the camp is most often used to host outdoor educational camps for fourth, fifth and sixth grade students in either science or history. “These courses are designed to reinforce classroom materials while meeting California state standards,” says Ryssemus.
Soft-spoken and seemingly unaware of his rugged good-looks, the 20-something walks sandal-clad down the well maintained paths, pointing out the camp’s many features tucked into the shadows of stately trees and Chumash trails.
His face lights up as he explains that in a 20-minute walk he can show students three different animal habitats. And, he says, he likes taking the kids tide-pooling at Ellwood Park to round out their experience. But it is up on the hill, under the shade of the old oaks that an expansive lawn serves as the classroom where the nitty-gritty is taught. It is school, after all.
He pauses momentarily, remembering. Once he forgot the sprinklers were on a timer. He laughs, eyes glistening. He doesn’t have to explain what happens next.
They were wet anyway, he says, so he let the kids enjoy an impromptu game of sprinkler tag – their laughter echoing against the walls of the canyon. But clearly what Ryssemus enjoys most is infusing a love of nature in his young charges.
“It is our hope that students will gain a greater interest in the preservation of their heritage and environment. “California Heritage” is our history program for fourth graders. And we partner with the American Outdoor School and Genesis Account Outdoor School for the science part of our programs,” said Ryssemus.
Several groups of foster kids have come to San Marcos the last two summers. Ryssemus struggles to find the words to describe their transition. There is a positive energy at the camp, he says. Seeing how it changes troubled lives is a big part of what the place is all about.
The building of the camp started back in the 1950s when it was transformed from the homestead of Elmer Awl. He sought out a church to buy the place – wanting it to be a camp for area youth – wrote camp historian Vance Newcomb.
But the history of the canyon dates far back. The Chumash, who hunted, lived and painted their cave not far off, were the first to use the land. Later, Col. John C. Fremont brought his battalion through on a cold, rainy Christmas morning in 1846. On his way to save Santa Barbara from the Mexican army, he likely stopped to rest on the small mesa that now houses the camp’s pool and outdoor classroom, but that’s a story area fourth graders will have to wait to hear.
Presently there are 16 cabins, arranged in two villages. Each bungalow is outfitted with beds and mattresses for 6-8, with bathrooms nearby. In total, the camp is capable of housing 100. All are equipped with heat, electricity and, yes, even Wi-Fi connections. Bear Lodge, usually reserved for leaders, has even more amenities. And then there are RV sites with electrical and sewer hook-ups and a new tent camping area presently under construction. In addition to the pool and paintball course, the camp offers ping pong, foosball, volleyball, archery, basketball, a BB gun range, low ropes course, creek hikes, rock climbing and, of course, an amphitheatre which serves as fire pit, quiet meeting place and chapel.
The main lodge sports a brand-new expansive deck, built lovingly by the Mobile Missionary Assistance Program, a non-profit, non-denominational group of retirees who provide help constructing and repairing facilities to Christian organizations in need.
“For what it is worth, I’m giving back to my community. Thanks to them, I have a retirement,” says Jim De Mara, the coordinator of the project and former employee of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office. While priority is given to church groups, secular or private groups can use the facilities as well. “The good thing about this place is that it’s private. You can have the whole place to yourself – which people value,” says Lekas.
“San Marcos Christian camp is owned by Transformation Ministries, a Christian non-profit that has two sister camps: Thousand Pines Christian Camp in Crestline, Ca., and Tonto Rim Christian Camp in Arizona,” says Ryssemus.
All of the operating costs come from revenue the camp generates and donations. They are always looking for donations, whether it be materials for repairs, labor or dollars. “They are, of course, tax-deductible,” says Lekas.
San Marcos has a Santa Barbara teen planning an Eagle Scout project repairing their suspension bridge, which they are excited about. “We want to be a camp for the Central Coast community. We don’t want to be a large machine that cranks people in and out of the door,” says Ryssemus.
Specializing in groups that are 20 to 100, San Marcos provides a clean, professional facility and an environment of hospitality. “An ‘environment of hospitality’ means that with everything we do, we aim to communicate that ‘We love you, Jesus loves you and we’re glad you’re here,’” says Ryssemus.
They also serve the community by hosting The American Red Cross Life guarding course, which will be held this year from June 14-16. The fee for the class is $130.
So if you’ve never been fortunate enough to visit San Marcos Camp, come on up and enjoy the Super Bowl party. It’s worth the $10 to see the place, even if you don’t like football. Call (805) 705-8991.