Building Ogichi's Campus Was A Labor of Love

By Bart Vollmer

Early April, 2011: Standing in the snow-covered parking lot and looking at the site where thirty or so new buildings were eventually going to stand, I was both overwhelmed and humbled.

Where in the world to start? We knew what the buildings would look like, but where would they go? Well, I put on my overalls, grabbed the chainsaw and loppers, and started up the hill.

Ogichi's campus shines in the sunlight. (Liz Hattemer)

That afternoon, I was standing at the highest point on our property on a mostly bare rock, looking out and down at the beautiful frozen expanse of Rainy Lake. This would be the site of the first camper cabin, which we’d aptly name “Eagle.”

That spring, we managed to finish two camper cabins, Eagle and Hawk—and their shared washhouse—just in time for the arrival of campers. I knew then that this was going to be a challenge. Every piece of material for every cabin would have to be hauled up some windy, bumpy trail.

And so it’s been for 10 years: hauling massive amounts of material to impossible building sites and finishing them just in time for the start of camp.

It’s hard to imagine how many anchor holes have been drilled into solid granite and how many thousands of bags of concrete have been hand-mixed and poured into footings.

Bart enjoys a moment of rest on the deck of the Great Lodge. (Liz Hattemer)

Our beautiful campus is the culmination of a lot of hard work by many good people. It’s been so rewarding, with many good times and so many laughs.

My favorite time of the year is in May, when the staff show up for the mad scramble to put the finishing touches on everything. I know all things must come to an end, but with any luck we can keep building!

This article was originally published in the Fall 2019 issue of Songs of the Paddle.