These were the initial plans for Fortnight Summer Camp 2010.

Fortnight will take place from June 26th to July 3rd at Smoke Farm, 15 miles northeast of Arlington, WA.

Fifteen campers will arrive Saturday to an orientation. They will be provided a map of the farm with several possible building sites and fort structure options. A wandering period will ensue, where campers explore the farm, check out the sites, and choose their favorite plan. At dinner, they will vote on a design and divide into groups. Groups will devise ways to customize the fort: skylights, furniture, water-balloon launchers; all the necessities. The weekday schedules will be based roughly around breakfast, morning work, lunch, siesta, afternoon work, dinner and evening activity.

Part One

Skill Building

Since we will be hosting students of all skill levels, several mornings will be devoted to learning how to safely use the tools and equipment at our disposal. Tutorials, led by the experienced builders, will give us the basic knowledge needed to operate shop tools (table saw, planer, jointer, etc.), on-site tools (circular saw, nail guns, etc.), and safety equipment. We will have special sessions devoted to using a harness and working over 10 feet in the air, as most of our on-site work will be up in a tree. Our new skills can be practiced in small groups while tackling specific aspects of the fort: walls, trusses, cabinetry, furniture, trebuchets, etc.

Part Two

Fort Building

Work sessions are fully devoted to assembling our tree fort. We raise high the roof-beams with pulleys and ropes, suspended by harnesses and dangling amidst the limbs of our chosen tree. Groups continue to complete independent tasks, but merge on various occasions to tackle bigger goals: like hoisting a wall from the ground to the platform. We feel the pressure of a time crunch, as the fort must be completed by Saturday in time for us to prepare its celebratory opening. However, we make sure to celebrate our achievements each day by kicking back in the evening with night hikes, bonfires, and gigantic games of CTF. Saturday afternoon, campers and staff throw a homemade pizza party for friends and family who come to admire the product of a hard fortnight's work.