Announcing new programs for adults

Grown-ups, we’ve heard you loud and clear… why should kids have all the outdoor fun at Ewalu? Darn right! Check out these new fall Ewalu adventures coming up that are geared toward adults…

Superior Hiking Trail Backpacking Trip

Dates: Friday, Sept. 27 – Tuesday, Oct. 1

Description: A backpacking excursion open to ages high school to adult (youth must have an accompanying adult) on the Superior Hiking Trail in northern Minnesota. Join Ewalu’s Frank Johnson and Paul Frantsen for four nights of camping and three days of backpacking from Split Rock Lighthouse to Tettegouche State Park.

Enjoy the fall colors and views of Lake Superior, cook meals over the camp stove, and experience one of the best backcountry trails in the country. Mileage will average around 10 miles per day. Transportation to/from Ewalu and meals provided. Backpacks and tents available if you need them.

Cost: $300

Maximum 20 people, so sign up now!

Autumn Odyssey 55+ Retreat

Dates: Monday, Oct. 14 – Wednesday, Oct. 16

Description: A brand-new fall retreat for those ages 55+ at Ewalu's Stone Retreat Center just north of Strawberry Point! Join us for a featured speaker, carriage or wagon rides through the fall colors in the area, time for reflection and renewal, optional hiking, and simple relaxation. Meals (5) and lodging (2 nights) included.

Cost: Double occupancy: $175; Single occupancy: $225

Arrival time: Monday at 4:00 p.m. (supper at 5:30 p.m.)

Departure: Wednesday at 11:00 a.m.

Capacity: Once Stone Center rooms are full

Feeding campers all summer long

Maury Landt, Ewalu’s food service director, is in charge of keeping campers and staff fed all summer long! He and the kitchen staff make breakfast, lunch and dinner from Sunday to Friday every week that we have campers, staff or guests to feed—from late May into mid-August. One of Maury’s suppliers is the Iowa Food Hub, a nonprofit in Decorah established in 2012 as part of an effort to connect locally grown produce, dairy, meats, and other foods to local nonprofits in Northeast Iowa.

Maury tells us more about how he uses the Iowa Food Hub for meals:

Currently, the Food Hub has over 110 different growers and producers all within 150 miles of Decorah. Due to its proximity to Ewalu, the food arrives at its peak freshness and lasts longer so we get more out of the food. Here is a list of just some of the places we get food through the Iowa Food Hub:

• Apples: Gays Mills, Wisconsin (Sunrise Orchards)

• Butter: Ely, Iowa (Dan and Debbie’s Creamery)

• Cheese Curds: Waukon, Iowa (WW Homestead Dairy)

• Cherry Tomatoes: Mt. Hope, Wisconsin (Back Ridge Farm)

• Cottage Cheese: Waukon, Iowa (WW Homestead Diary)

• Cucumbers: Lime Springs, Iowa (Stateline Produce)

• Eggs: Elgin, Iowa (Cedar Ridge Farms)

• Honey: Decorah, Iowa (Highlandville Honey)

• Milk: Waukon, Iowa (WW Homestead Dairy)

• Spring Mix Lettuce: West Union, Iowa (Rolling Hills Greenhouse)

• Strawberries: Independence, Iowa (Bagge Strawberries)

• Sugar Snap Peas: Lime Springs, Iowa (Stateline Produce)

• Yogurt: Hawkeye, Iowa (Country View Dairy)

Maury Landt,
Food Service Director

Speaking of our awesome kitchen staff at Ewalu, one of our cooks, Vickie Moyle, saw the condition of the plates/bowls/cups covers in the kitchen and decided to make new covers. She even created the icons on the top of each cover to show what each rack is holding underneath. Thank you, Vickie!

These new covers in the Ewalu kitchen keep our plates, bowls and cups clean and organized!

Get ready for Ewalu’s Quilt Auction!

Preparations for the 37th Annual Ewalu Quilt Auction are well underway!

Donations of high-quality quilts and other hand-crafted items are rolling in from all over Eastern Iowa, and beyond! The deadline for donations to arrive at camp is Friday, Aug. 23, so we can include them in our booklet.

Please deliver or mail items to:

Camp Ewalu

Attn: Quilt Auction

37776 Alpha Ave.

Strawberry Point, IA 52076

An "Item Donation Form" must be filled out for each item donated. The form can be downloaded and printed at this link, and a mailing with the form was sent to churches and previous quilt donors this spring.

2024 QUILT AUCTION DETAILS

Our Online Quilt Auction, which continues to grow every year, will be held Sept. 16-22.

The 37th annual Ewalu Quilt Auction Live Event will be held Saturday, Sept. 21; grounds open at 9 a.m. for quilt viewing and the Country Store, and the auction begins at 1 p.m. The event will have music, a devotional service at 11 a.m., a noon lunch with freewill donation, and kids' activities during the auction to help keep them busy.

Click the button below for details about both auctions.

Listen to first episode of Ewalu podcast

Gather ’round the digital “campfire” to hear from friends of Camp Ewalu! Frank Johnson, Ewalu’s executive director, interviews various people who have stories about their connection to camp. In our first episode, you’ll hear from Karen Franks of Cedar Rapids, who recently finished a stint on the Ewalu Board of Directors. She was here in the very beginning of Ewalu! Karen grew up on the land that would become Ewalu before moving around NE Iowa throughout her life and career. She reflects on her connections to camp, her life in the church, and her hopes for the future of Ewalu.

Orienteering Race added to Grotto Gallop

After the great success of our first-ever Grotto Gallop Trail Run/Walk last October, we’re adding something new to this year’s event! Orienteering is a fun way to test your skills and compete in a different way while enjoying the fall season at Ewalu. Check out the details below:

2nd Annual Grotto Gallop Trail Run & Orienteering Race

Date: Saturday, Oct. 19

Time: Registration/check-in is 8-9 a.m.

Orienteering race start at 9:00 a.m.

5K trail run/walk start at 9:30 a.m.

Enjoy the best of the Ewalu trails in the beautiful fall season! Run or walk alongside the beautiful Maquoketa River, through quiet forests on well-kept and well-marked trails. The 2nd Annual Grotto Gallop Trail Run will consist of two events—a 5K trail run/walk and an orienteering race (approximately 2.5 miles in length). Both events will start and finish at the Creation Center on the Ewalu main site, 3 miles west of Strawberry Point.

5K trail run details: The course is 95% on trails, including both single- and double-track, grassy trails, rocky trails, and gravel trails. You’ll see a little bit of everything in only a few miles! A great course for families and walkers, while still challenging for trail runners.

Orienteering race: Use only your compass and a map provided at the Race Start to find checkpoints, punching them in order. This race is both on-trail and off-trail, so dress appropriately for moving through the forest! The race format is line or point-to-point orienteering. Navigation will be moderately challenging. Note: The Orienteering race course will be set for this event only and is not the same as the year-round O-course at Ewalu.

REGISTRATION

5K Grotto Gallop: $25 by Sept. 27, $30 after Sept. 27 (same-day registration will be available on Oct. 19)

Orienteering course: $25 by Sept. 27, $30 after Sept. 27 (same-day registration will be available on Oct. 19)

Register by Sept. 27 to guarantee a race T-shirt!

Tri-blend unisex T-shirts are available in Adult sizes S-2XL and Youth sizes XS-XL (design to come soon).

Ages 0-4 do not need to register.

Great Give Day boosts campaign

In just one day on May 15, Camp Ewalu raised a total of $70,628 for the “Cedar at 60” project! That includes $36,128 donated online with 140 donors, which put us at the top of the final Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque’s leaderboards for donors AND dollars raised among 212 non-profits in a 7-county region. Wow! The total for the “Cedar at 60” project is now above $1.8 million, and we are planning to break ground on renovations after the summer camp season in 2025.

Friends of Ewalu offered generous support with several Great Give Day challenges that kept everyone following along all day. Special thanks to an anonymous donor who matched every donation dollar-for-dollar until we reached our $30,000 goal, and thank you to the following for generously funding $1,000 challenges: 

• Decorah Lutheran Youth

• Elle and Harry Blobaum 

• Meredith and Nathan Zietlow

• Anonymous friend of Ewalu

Right now, our Summer Appeal for property and maintenance needs is underway! Ewalu recently has had some major recent equipment repairs, and we are in need of support to help cover the failure of our walk-in freezer, a new walkie-talkie radio antenna, and replacement of the geothermal equipment in the Walnut Cabins and Barred Owl Lodge. To support these needs, please send back the pledge card mailed to you or click the link below to donate online.

Send us your old Ewalu clothing

We’ve been gathering a lot of “old” Ewalu gear after putting the word out this spring, but we still want more!

We'll give your vintage (and not-so-vintage) items new life by putting them on the "Vintage Rack" in the Camp Store... it's a great way for current summer staff to find inexpensive Ewalu clothes and for staff alums to maybe find an old favorite!

Even if your items are not in great condition, they might be good enough for quilters looking for items to use for a project to donate to the Ewalu Quilt Auction. Send it to us!

HERE'S WHAT TO DO:

Gently wash your items, then drop them off at the Ewalu office or mail them to us:

Camp Ewalu, Vintage Shop

37776 Alpha Ave.

Strawberry Point, IA 52076

We can't wait to see some of these old favorites at camp again! Feel free to bring your items and drop them off if you are attending one of our fall events.