Junior High Snow Camp

(grade 5-8)

 

January 24-26, 2025

Arrival: 7:00pm Friday
Departure: 11:00am Sunday

 

Junior High Snow Camp

(grades 5-8)

 

January 24-26, 2025

Arrival: 7:00pm Friday
Departure: 11:00am Sunday

Western District, South Central, and Mountain States Mennonite Conferences invite your youth groups to attend the annual Snow Camps at Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp. Be inspired by singing and worshiping with other youth, slide down the tube run, play a competitive game of broom hockey, explore beautiful scenery around camp, and more!
 
Snow Camps are intended for youth to attend with their church youth group, with one leader for every five youth, in order to provide adequate supervision. If you are not part of a youth group and would have interest in coming to Snow Camp, contact RMMC for options. We want to make Snow Camp available to as many youth as possible.
 

weekend worship 

2025 Theme: TBA

2024 Theme: Peace, Shalom, Wholeness

Often peace is thought to mean avoiding conflict or being against war, but it is so much more. In the Bible, peace is translated from the Hebrew word shalom. Another translation is wholeness. The translation of wholeness opens up the idea that peace is more than simply avoiding conflict. During snow camp, we will go on a journey to discover what God says about shalom and what it looks like within ourselves, our relationships, and in the world.

2025 Resource: TBA

2024 Resource: Sarah Neher

Sarah Neher is the former Director of Faith Formation at Rainbow Mennonite. She attends First Mennonite Church in Beatrice, Nebraska. Sarah recently moved from Kansas City to Nebraska when she married her husband (whom she met at Snow Camp)! When Sarah isn’t ministering to youth, she can be found doing yoga, reading, hiking, or playing with her German Shepard puppy named Bear.

Sarah Neher

 

Sarah Neher

2025 Music: TBA

2024 Music: Eli Regier

Eli Regier (he/him) is a Sr. Music Ed. major at Bethel College and attends First Mennonite Church in Newton, KS. His favorite Snow Camp activities include the tube run, human curling, and, of course, singing! Eli served on summer staff as the worship lead in 2021 and 2022, and is coming back for his 3rd Junior High Snow Camp in a row. 

Eli Regier

Activities

A few examples of the activities participants can experience as part of retreat. View camp activities page.

Broomball

A combination of hockey, soccer, but not baseball is the best way to describe broomball. Camp provides brooms, goals, helmets and balls to be enjoyed on the pond. Helmets are required to insure everyones safety while playing. View broomball guidelines.

Curling

New for the 2022 winter season, curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles referred to as the “house”. Shuffleboard is a related game. View curling guidelines.

 

Human Curling (An RMMC Original)

A combination of traditional curling and the full contact of bumper cars is Human Curling. Camp provides the ice (otherwise known as the “sheet” in curling terms) and tubes. View human curling guidelines.

 

Snowshoeing

Camp has a set of 12 snowshoes available for winter hiking. A good pair of snow-boots are recommended to keep your feet dry while exploring in the snow.  

Tubing

During the winter months the chapel side is transformed into a winter wonderland. Starting 100ft up the chapel hill the tube run sends you across the river and to the ballfield. An exhilarating ride to start your day. Camp provides tubes and maintains the run to ensure the safety of riders. View tubing guidelines.

Trading Post

The camp store will be available during the weekend. View Trading Post items.

See more photos and videos from previous years on our Facebook page.

registration fees

Online registration opens one year prior to the retreat and is available for parents to register their child listing the youth group they plan to attend with. Payment can be offered d as a group by the youth leader or individually by participants.

Online registration opens one year prior to the retreat and is available for parents to register their child listing the youth group they plan to attend with. Payment can either be offered as a group by the youth leader or individually by participants.

good rate

After January 1

$165

Better rate

By January 1

$155

Best rate

By December 1

$145

optional Friday supper

$8

NOTE: For convenience to those travling from afar, youth groups are welcome to arrive earlier and join us for supper. See retreat schedule.

Registration Information

Group Registration

While youth groups come and participate in the retreat as a group, the registration process is done individually via the “REGISTER NOW” link for all camp program registrations. This allows participants to provide emergency contact, dietary and waiver/release information along with a portal to upload required documentation. As a part of your online registration, you will be required to select (or enter if not already listed) the name of the church youth group you are attending.

Individual payment – Families can choose to pay by eCheck (ACH), credit card or check (mailed in). If the church is covering the registration fee, please select “Pay in full by check” payment option as the church funds will be applied to the individual youth group accounts.

Church payment – Youth groups can pay by check on behalf of the youth who are attending with the funds allocated to those youth who have individually registered.

Individual Registration

While Snow Camp participation is geared toward youth groups with youth sponsors who supervise the youth, individuals not already part of an attending youth group may join in the following ways:

Option 1 – Attend with a parent or adult mentor who would supervise the participant.

Option 2 – Attend with a youth group if  the participant has a connection (i.e. friends of youth group member AND the youth leader is willing/able to invite them. A 1 adult sponsor to 5 youth participant ration is requested.

Option 3 – Camp is looking into provide adult staff to serve as a sponsor (similar to summer camp counselor) for youth who may not be part of a church youth group. Please contact camp for interest and availability as we work towrad avoiding this being a barrier for youth to enjoy and experience a Snow Camp program.

Deposit

A $25 non-refundable deposit is required at registration. This represents our promise to save you a space to attend (and turn away others as necessary) in exchange for your promise to come! If a retreat is cancelled, all participants are offered to forward their deposit to a future program or receive a full refund.

Payments

Payment options available include payment in full, deposit with remaining balance due at the retreat, or deposit and remaining balance paid in monthly installments prior to the retreat. We accept cash, checks or credit cards. 

Scholarships

Scholarship funds are available to help ensure that finances are not a barrier to attending camp. For scholarship assistance please contact the Executive Director, Corbin Graber (719-687-9506 or [email protected]).

Schedule & Information

Retreat Schedule (proposed)

FRIDAY

4:00-7:00pm – Early check in for travelers
5:30pm – Early supper for travelers
———-
7:00pm – Retreat check in
7:30pm – Welcome, orientation
8:00pm – Worship
8:30pm – Mixer Games
9:00pm – Free time / Snack / Sponsor Meeting (Zurich DH)
10:00pm – In cabins
10:30pm – Lights out

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30am – Breakfast (prayer & announcements @ seconds time)
9:00am – Worship & small group time
10:30am – Free Time Activities:

  • Broomball Tournament
  • Human Curling
  • Tube Run

12:30-1:00pm – Lunch (prayer & announcements @ seconds time)
2:00pm – MennOlympics: Meet in Zurich for opening ceremonies
3:00pm – Free time activities:

  • Tube run
  • Broomball, human curling, curling (pond)
  • Snowshoe hike on Old Wagon Road (Bern DH)
  • Hike to Monkey Rock (Bern DH)
  • Fox & Geese game (Rec Field)

4:30pm – Free time activities:

  • Human Dutch Blitz (Zurich or Chapel)
  • Indoor tournaments, Craft activity (Bern DH)
  • Friendship Bracelets (Bern DH)

5:00pm – Trading Post (ofice foyer)
5:30-6:00pm – Supper (prayer & announcements @ seconds time)
7:00pm – Worship & small group time
8:00pm – Trading Post (office foyer)
8:30pm – Group Activity (Zurich)
9:30pm – S’mores and free time, games in Bern Room
10:00pm – In cabins
10:30pm – Lights out

SUNDAY
8:00am – Continental Breakfast (come & go), pack-up & tidy-up accommodations
8:45am – All Camp Group Photo (gather @ Bern DH)
9:00am – Worship & small group time w/ retreat evaluations
10:30am – Brunch (prayer & announcements @ seconds time)
11:00am – Trading Post (office foyer)
11:30am Farewell

Come join us for summer camp, volunteer, next year’s snow camp or snow camp program assistant!

Winter Driving Conditions

Be aware that road conditions are a direct result of changing weather conditions (snow, melting and freezing temperatures). While we plow the road to camp and to facilities, plan for the conditions to be snow packed and slick. Four-wheel drive vehicles and two-wheel drive vehicles with chains or bands are recommended.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I bring to camp?

  • Warm winter clothing (snow coat, pants & boots)
  • Bedding/sleeping bag and pillow
  • Towel & bathroom items
  • Bible
  • Water bottle
  • Camera (optional)
  • Spending money for the Trading Post (optional)

What should I NOT bring to camp?

  • Pets (large or small)
  • Firearms
  • Alcohol
  • Tobacco
  • Illicit drugs
  • Marijuana
  • Dirt bikes
  • Firework
  • Four Wheelers
  • Drones

Do you have wi-fi or cell phone reception?

A wi-fi signal is in various locations around camp. Because of camp’s remote location and availability of high internet speeds, video or music streaming is not available. While cell phone reception is limited at main camp a land line phone is available in the office lobby.

As part of Snow Camp, we ask youth and sponosors to not be on devices during the weekend to better enjoy the relationships being built with each other during the retreat.

What foodservice is offered? Can you accommodate dietary restrictions?

Camp is pleased to offer a great selection of food choices which include a main dish option, vegetarian option, salad (lunch & supper), and dessert (lunch & supper). Cold beverages (water, orange, apple, grape, crabapple) and hot beverages (coffee, tea, hot chocolate) are also provided.

As much as possible, the camp will accommodate dietary restrictions. An option will be given to list all of your dietary restrictions during registration. We cannot accommodate dietary preferences.

RMMC is not a peanut/nut free location since we serve a variety of campers and guest groups utilizing their own kitchen facilities.

Do you have to be Mennonite to attend camp?

While teachings during the retreat are Bible-based and from a Mennonite perspective, campers of all faiths are respected and welcome to attend.