Colorado summer camp feels "weight" of Camp Mystic flooding tragedy in Texas

Among the victims of the devastating flooding in Texas are at least 27 campers and counselors from a girls summer camp, Camp Mystic.

 A thousand miles from Camp Mystic, the tragedy hits close to home at another summer camp nestled in the Rocky Mountains.

This summer, the camp spirit is persisting at Cheley Colorado Camps, a family-owned summer camp with its own history of dealing with extreme weather.

"Our great-grandfather, Frank, started camp in 1921 and he set up an amazing foundation and built most of the lodges that we use today," said Jeff Cheley, fourth-generation owner of Cheley Colorado Camps.

"We feel that we have this wonderful opportunity to really make a difference in the lives of young people and create this space for them to be unplugged and for them to gain independence," said Brooke Cheley-Klebe, Jeff's sister and Cheley co-owner.

For more than 100 years, Cheley Colorado Camps have been a place for children to unplug, learn independence and build community.

"Good afternoon girls camp!" A counselor called, to resounding calls in return of "Good afternoon Marci!"

"You're gonna love it here 'cause you're gonna try all the new activities, make all the new friends, gonna explore the outdoors so much, just have a blast," said 11-year-old camper Grace Collella.

This is Collella's third summer at camp.

"Sometimes for the first week I get a little emotional and sick for home but then the rest I love," Collella said.

"This is my happy place, I love it here," said Emily Gregg.

It's Emily Gregg's 10th summer at camp, this time she is a counselor.

"Making sure that they're happy but also that they're safe is my number one concern," said Gregg.

That responsibility feels especially important this year, with tragedy striking at Camp Mystic at the end of Cheley's first summer term, and just days before these campers arrived.

"(Our leader) said parents tomorrow might need a little extra time saying goodbye to their kids, so just giving them that grace," said Gregg.

Gregg is from Texas. She lost three extended family members in the flooding and had friends at Camp Mystic.

"Talking to my friends who were counselors at Camp Mystic and just hearing what that experience was like," said Gregg. "Imagining that happening here is something I would never want to see 'cause I consider this place my home."

The news was also devastating to Cheley's owners.

"When you hear the news as a mama, you're just, it's gut-wrenching," said Cheley-Klebe. "I have to just kind of put it aside for right now and do what we're here to do, which is provide."

"The camp community is pretty tight, so we know a lot of the people that were impacted. Camp Mystic is very respected and very well known. Heart O' the Hills was impacted. Jane Ragsdale is a dear friend of ours," said Jeff Cheley.

 The Cheleys knew Camp Mystic owner Richard Eastland and were close with Jane Ragsdale, owner of nearby Camp Heart O' the Hills. Both died in the flooding.

"My last conversation with (Ragsdale) was at a camp conference, really just about the nuances and the complexities of having a family camp business. So she was an amazing individual," said Cheley-Klebe.

Cheley camps themselves, are not unfamiliar with extreme weather.

Campers at some camps safely evacuated during the 1976 Big Thompson Flood.

"One of the first things that an alumni will say was, 'I was here in '76,' and they'll recount the whole thing," said Cheley. "Campers or families from that area actually hiked into our camp because it was a higher ground than where they were. They were bringing people in."

The main camp experienced minor flooding damage in 2013 after the camp season.

"We had a school group up here at the time and they were, you know, everyone was safe. They were fine. We moved that, you know, they hiked out because they couldn't get through our road," said Cheley.

Fires have also caused multiple evacuations, including last year's Alexander Mountain Fire. Cheley-Klebe said firefighters staged at camp property while fighting the Cameron Peak Fire.

But the Cheleys say camper safety is their top priority, and they are prepared for extreme weather and the hazards of the wilderness.
A constant ringing of the camp bell signals an emergency to campers. The camp has an evacuation plan and constantly monitors weather. They conduct fire drills on the first day campers arrive. The camp has also done substantial forest mitigation work.

"We've always recognized the weight of it. You know, we know that we are in charge of the most important person in these parents' lives. So I think we always feel it, and this hit pretty close to home," said Cheley-Klebe.

This summer, camp continues in Colorado, united in spirit with Texas.

"The sunshine through the pine trees, o'er the hills and skies so blue," campers at the girls camp sang together, "for the joy of our endeavors, for the price of friendships true."