Here were our Frequently Asked Questions

Thank-you for your interest!

Where is Camp Catherine Capers?    &    How do I get there?

Camp Catherine Capers is located on Lake St. Catherine in Wells, Vermont. Situated southwest of the Rutland/Killington region, Wells can be found on route 30, one half hour north of Manchester, VT. Nearby to our west is Glens Falls and Lake George, NY. Driving times to NYC, Boston and Montreal are each about 4 hours (depending). Campers who travel by air are met at the Albany, NY airport. Others are usually driven to camp by their parents.  Please do not use web mapping sites as they present a direct route that is not always the best way.

 

What are the living facilities?     Who do we live with?         

Campers live in large cabins not far from their horses' pastures. Each cabin houses 4 to 6 campers of similar age and a counselor or two. Some campers still prefer to live in our large screened platform tents.  We have saved two tents for this purpose.

Where are the bathrooms and what are they like?

"Towers" our bath house, has flush toilets and hot showers with changing rooms. It is centrally  located to all the cabins. There are also bathrooms behind the office (near the barn), the health building and at the dining hall (near the waterfront).

How many horses do you have? Can I bring mine?

We usually have about 50 horses and ponies at camp at a time. They are of many different breeds as our number one requirement is good manners and appropriateness for many levels of riders. Some campers (perhaps 2 or 3 per session) bring their own horse to camp. Board fees depend on whether their owners choose to let others ride them.

Do campers need to be good riders before camp?

Although some of our riders are quite good, this not the norm. The majority are beginners and intermediates.  Many of our campers rarely get a chance to ride other than while they are at camp. It is helpful if the camper has been on a horse at least  once or twice before she comes to camp.

What is a typical day like?

Our day will begin by meeting a counselor at the horse's pasture to catch and take them to the barn for feeding. Then we have your own breakfast and morning activities. Lunch is followed by capers and rest time. Our afternoon has more activities and barn closing (feed, turn-out & clean-up) followed by dinner. After dinner capers we have camper planned fun or campfires until bedtimes begin.

What is the food like?       

Meals are enjoyed in our lake side dining room over looking our busy waterfront area. Breakfast has cold & hot cereal, a grilled treat, fruit and make our own toast. Lunch usually features a hot casserole, make our own sandwich, salad bar and fruit. Dinner is a full course sit-down meal with a salad bar. Our cooks spoil us with fresh local produce and fresh baked goodies. Participation in grace is voluntary at meals.

What are Capers?

Part of the experience of living in a camp community is a commitment to clean up after ourselves and keep camp clean.  Capers are 20 minute chores we do after lunch and dinner in teams. Each team has an area of camp to tidy up. Areas are switched every couple days to keep things fair and interesting. We all have a part in the total camp function.

Can my parents call camp? Can I call them?

Campers staying at camp for more than two weeks are allowed to call home after their second week at camp and can call home once a week thereafter. Parents are asked not to call to talk to their camper unless absolutely necessary. Parents are welcome to call anytime to check on their camper.

What if I get sick?

Whenever a camper is taken to the doctor, her parents are contacted by the camp to inform them of the visit and the doctor's recommendations. We have the parent talk to the camper as well. If a camper is  taken to a hospital, we contact the parent before the camper gets there so the hospital personnel can contact them for direct permission for any test or treatments they suggest. We also see that the parent gets to talk to the camper as soon as possible. There is also an ice cream stop on the way back to camp!

Where do campers come from?

The majority of our campers do come from New England, New York, New Jersey and Penn.  However, every session has  campers from many other places throughout the US, France, Spain, and other countries.
 
Where do the counselors come from?

Other than the core staff, our counselors are frequently college students or graduates who are returning or have been recommended to us by past and current staff  or camp families. Others are found through college sports or education departments or international camp exchange agencies. All complete our extensive application and hiring procedures, background checks and are most interested in helping children experience the fun of doing new things and learning to do things well.