Camp Ponderosa

I’d like to talk about our partners at Veteran’s Camp Ponderosa and what this place can be for all of you. When my friend Stan first suggested that NC Scout and I look at the site for classes, I didn’t know what I was getting into. I truly believe God led me here to make this something for all of us, while helping others.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:24-25

Allen & Linda Erickson have been running the NW Montana Veteran’s Food Pantry since 2002, but have been serving veterans since 2000. The camp is ran by the food pantry. Allen is a Vietnam Veteran, having served in US Navy (we’ll let that slide). When I met Allen & Linda, I felt an instant connection and a need to help.

NC Scout and I ran classes there last May and the were very successful. Shield Arms asked if the Council on Future Conflict would like to hold our annual meet-up in partnership with them at the site. We held Shield Field Days last August, which gave me a chance to talk more with the Ericksons. I proposed to help them run the site and turn it into something bigger.

A lot of folks think Camp Ponderosa is just where we hold training classes, but it’s more than that. We are buidling a destination for like-minded folks for ANY PURPOSE. You want to come spend a weekend or a vacation in NW Montana? Come visit us. I’d like to create a retreat and vacation spot for like-minded folks in touch with our natural surroundings. Stan and I would like to put a chapel here and a few other touches to make this place even better. We’re building a mutli-band radio station for off-grid comms (your cell phone will only work on the WiFi here).

We currently have 8 RV camp sites and unlimited tent camping space. We also have a limited number of rooms for rent with more being planned. We have a large amount of wooded space on site, but we are in the middle of millions of acres of National Forest. We are directly adjacent to the Bob Marshall Wilderness and are just down the road from Glacier National Park. Come and see the natural beauty of God’s creation.

We have horseshoes and cornhole courts. There is only one rule – due to an incident in the Shenandoah Valley, Braxton McCoy is not allowed to ever play cornhole here. We are right on the Swan River and can arrange river trips there or lake trips on Flathead Lake, the purest water in North America.

July 12-13, we are holding a benefit concert featuring Ben Klien, Elvis impersonator. All funds raised will go to helping us manage the Camp and pay for renovations to the Lodge Building, which features a common area with a 2-story fieldstone fireplace, that we want to open.

July 25-27, we will be hosting the Second Annual Shield Field Days. This will be a family-friendly weekend-long event featuring outdoors and preparedness related talks and vendors. Check it out at ShieldFieldDays.com.

I have not included any ads in this and I’ll not be seeking any donations for myself. If you feel compelled, make a donation here: https://veteransfoodpantry.org/donations/. After making a donation, use the Contact Us link on that site to let them know that the donation is for Camp Ponderosa.

I am also including the Camp Ponderosa Amazon Wish List, which we will be updating. If you’d like to send something, just buy it off the list. You can find the list right here:

Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1038N8GYHRWX8?ref_=wl_share

I look forward to seeing you at the Camp.