Celebrating 80 Years of Pine Tree Camp: Then & Now – Whitney Hynes
Whitney is 43 years old and has been coming to Pine Tree Camp since he was nine. “It’s what he focuses on all year long,” his mother, Diane, said. “His whole world is Pine Tree Camp.” He shares his love for camp with everyone he meets, but he never talks about what he actually does and why he loves it so much. A few years ago, Diane got to experience camp through his eyes when they came together as a family for the day and she saw firsthand why Whitney loves his time at camp so much.
“The counselors asked him ‘Do you want to do archery?’ and I’m thinking he doesn’t even know what that is. Then he just pulls out the bow and arrow and starts shooting. It made me think that we could get him set up to do archery at home.”
Whitney also wanted to kayak, go out on the boat and try bicycling.
“At home, he won’t go on the boat with us and he’d never been on a bike before in his life. When you have a son who doesn’t communicate well and you see him doing things that surprise you it makes you want to tap into what he’s interested in that you might not even know about.”
Pine Tree Camp’s 80th anniversary “Then & Now” spotlight series pairs past images with the present day as Pine Tree Campers strike a pose capturing the passage of time and the deep connection, intimate friendships and love of the special place they return to each summer.