Youth camp celebrates 70th year

Bitterroot Lake site hosts 6,000 to 7,000 people

Lions Bitterroot Youth Camp oozes retro charm from its drop-dead gorgeous lakeside location near Marion.

Jennifer Gietzen, co-camp director with her husband, Bruce, agrees.

"It's just like a step back into the '50s here," she said as she poured coffee in their cozy cabin. "It's so peaceful and quiet."

Bruce jokes that he has to shut down the camp's water system to get Jennifer headed back to Kalispell for the winter. But he admits he loves the 37.5 acres bordering Little Bitterroot Lake as much as she does.

"Jennifer and I feel pretty honored to be directors," Bruce said.

The two, both members of the Kalispell Lions, have shared the director mantle since 2004. Prior to their tenure, a stay of about a year and a half was the average burnout time.

"A five-year stay for a camp director is a miracle," Bruce said.

Jennifer attributed their staying power to good teamwork. Pulling together, they labor late into summer nights to keep bookings strong and the buildings maintained and cleaned.

"It's a 24/7 consuming thing," Bruce said. "You do this because you love it. It's a large facility to care for - you're a people manager, custodian, electrician and plumber."

In spite of the demands, a consortium of local Lions clubs has kept the youth camp viable for 60 of the camp's 70-year history.

It began back in 1938 as an economic stimulus project built by the National Youth Administration.

"It was a young adult training camp during the Depression," Bruce said. "They were training youth in marketable skills."

Memories remain foggy and records sketchy about what happened with the camp after it closed in 1940.

Daughters of a family in the area recall living in the camp with their parents as caretakers from 1940 until 1947. Although they don't know what became of the dormitories, the two women remembered the original dining hall burned sometime between 1945 and 1947.

According to Bruce, control of the park went to the Kalispell Lions after shifting from the Department of Natural Resources to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Both state offices realized little was left of public interest to draw people.

"It was considered too rural to be recreationally viable," he said. "Marion was just a few cabins at that time."

In 1948, the Kalispell Lions signed a lease to develop and manage the camp for youth as well as a recreational area including a campground for the public. In the mid 70s, the other Lions Clubs joined in the management responsibility, forming a board now headed by chairman Chuck Dickerson.

Over the years, the club built dining facilities in the lodge, and added new cabins, storage and maintenance buildings, restrooms, water and sewer systems. Camping spaces include 15 RV spots with electrical hookups.

Although improved, the camp retains its original character.

"It's still rustic, but not primitive," Bruce said.

Volunteer labor from the pool of 100 to 150 local Lions members accomplishes most of the upgrade work as a public service.

'We're the world's largest service organization," Bruce said. "Our motto is 'We serve' so we thought running this for youth in the community was right up our alley."

The Gietzens open the camp with help from other Lions in the spring for school visits, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and for the Fish Wildlife and Parks "Becoming an Outdoors Woman" program.

Just a week ago, the camp transformed into a firefighter training camp for the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

"Then we have a whole lot of family reunions, corporate picnics, nonprofit picnics," Jennifer said. "Plum Creek has all its corporate picnics here."

The First Presbyterian Youth Camp is held annually at the Lions Bitterroot Youth Camp.

"They come for fun and spiritual training," Bruce said.

In the fall, the Gietzens reserve the camp for use as a fire camp. In some years, like 2007, hundreds of firefighters come and pitch their tents in the strategically placed camp.

"It's like a city," Jennifer said.

Biologists from the Somers fish hatchery also use the camp to reach the salmon that they "milk" for eggs with help from Hooked on Fishing youngsters.

"We have one of the best gene strains in the whole state - a genetic purity," Bruce said. "The kids get to come back up and release the fingerlings from the eggs they milked."

Fun activities for campers include hiking as well as swimming, boating and fishing along a couple of thousand feet of shoreline. Children enjoy the playground including a merry-go-round and swings.

Facilities also support basketball, baseball, soccer and other games. Visitors enjoy horseshoes and old-fashioned campfire activities down by the lake.

"People just love their stay here," Jennifer said. "They always want to come back."

Customer satisfaction has helped the camp achieve financial stability after many years of Lion subsidies. According to Bruce, the club eliminated the red ink in 2001-02.

The Lions pour any profits into maintenance and upgrades.

"Now we're in the black and we're healthy," Bruce said. "We have such heavy usage - we commonly have 6,000 to 7,000 people stay here."

The popularity of the camp has this summer booked as well as several months in years to come. Don't plan on staying in July until 2013. The camp has reservations as far ahead as 2016.

Bruce pointed out that large corporations have been buying up resorts such as the Lions Bitterroot Youth Camp. Their far-into-the future bookings reflect a growing appreciation of these rare pieces of Americana.

"Places like this are disappearing all over the Northwest," he said.

Bruce said family reunions form the backbone of the camp's usage. The quiet location at the head of Little Bitterroot Lake provides a serene place to re-establish family ties.

The calendar is covered with names of families, many of whom book to return year after year.

"We have people come up here who came as children and are now bringing their grandchildren," Jennifer said with a smile. "Even though they only stay three days, they have a history here. People look at this as their own camp."

For additional information about the Lions Bitterroot Youth Camp, contact the Gietzens at 854-2744. Families interested in reserving one of the 25 public spaces in the upper campground may call 854-9341.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.