Camp Sheppard     Camp Sheppard started its life in the '30s as a CCC camp under the name of Camp Snoquera, a combination of Snoqualmie from Snoqualmie Pass and era for the Economic Recover Administration. The name was given by the men who served at the camp.

The name Camp Sheppard was assigned when the Chief Seattle Council of the Boys Scouts of America acquired the lease on the property from the forest service. Max Eckenburg was hired as the camp's full-time ranger in 1964. Max began a winter program which brought scouts from the Seattle area to slide and play in the snow for the weekend. In 1966 Max successfully convinced the scout office to begin a hiking and climbing program. The Camp Sheppard High Adventure Program offered week-long hikes on any of the trails of Washington State for the younger scouts and week-long climbs of the major glaciated peaks for the older scouts. In 1972 Camp Sheppard became a National High Adventure Camp and opened its doors to scouts from across the country.

Safety was always a concern with the Sheppard program. Camp Sheppard had groups on summit climbs of Mt. Rainier everyday of the summer from July 1st to August 30th for 12 years without a fatality. Health emergencies such as altitude sickness and pulmonary edema occurred, but were handled properly, thus minimizing injury.

Every summit climb of Mt. Rainier, the showcase climb of the program, was done "expedition" style. A series of camps were moved up the mountain over a period of a week, with a camp on the summit planned for the 4th or 5th night out. This slow ascent rate allowed for altitude acclimatization time as well as time to teach climbing and rescue techniques

The Camp Sheppard National High Adventure Program ended in 1979.

back