Early Camp History
Camp Hahobas History
In the 1930's, the Hood Canal camping area was known as Camp Hahobas. Scouts attending Camp Hahobas were transported by the Sea Scout cruiser Occult. The cruiser departed from the Municipal dock for the 125-mile water journey to Camp Hahobas. This voyage required some 10 to 11-hours sailing time. Other Scouts not being able to make the long journey met other Sea Scout ships at Hood Canal and were transported across the canal to the beach camp.
Camp Hahobas had grown to nearly 400 acres by 1939 and by the end of 1940 was 520 acres. All camping was on the beach property, with hikes and daytime activities making use of the upper areas of the reservation.
The year of 1949 marked the, ''On Top'' camping experience. A rough-cut road from the beach extended to the top of the hill. Camping was moved to the present area known as Camp Tw... Read More
Camp Staff
Camp Hahobas Staff T-Shirt - 1974
The Hahobas Staff T-Shirt was identical to the camper's T-Shirts of 1974, with the addition of the word 'Staff' below he bear logo.
This same design was in use from the mid 1960's, through the late 1970's.
Camp Hahobas Staff Uniform - 1974
The well dressed Hahobas Staffer of 1974 wore a traditional dark green Explorer's uniform shirt, with green Boy Scout shorts, knee high socks with elastic garters and green tabs.
A yellow Hahobas Staff neckerchief with Hahobas neckerchief slide (Mt.Rainier Council) completed the uniform.
The staff jacket was the traditional red cotton BSA issue model, with the Hahobas Bear silkscreened on the left chest area.
This particular jacket was worn to Philmont in 1971, and was re-purposed as a staff jacket in 1974, when the bear logo was added.
Uniforms courtesy of John Ohlson, Troop 27, Fox Island.
Camp Staff - A Part of The Hahobas Legacy
This photo of the Camp staff from Summer 2015 was the last group to provide a summer camp program at Camp Hahobas.
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Charles N Curtis
Camp Hahobas Early History - Charles N. Curtis
This is the story of the early days of Camp Hahobas, when it was primarily situated on the shores of Hood Canal, before camping moved 'up top'.
This story about Camp Hahobas and Charles N. Curtis was scanned in January 2014 by Leroy Winters from a copy of the original document, written by RW Winskill. It appears to have taken place in the 1940’s possibly during or near the end of World War II and immediately after as there is mention of after the war and getting surplus equipment from the US Government.
Camp Hahobas is the summer camp for the Rainier Council of the Boy Scouts of America. It was the creation of C.N. (Charlie), Curtis the Executive of the Tacoma, Washington Boy Scout Council. 'CN' had been a Congregationist preacher. He left the Ministry and took up scouting in order to make a decent living. This was not unusual a ... Read More
Patches
Camp Hahobas 2013 CSP trader sets
Our Camp Hahobas 2013 CSP trader sets were available for $20/set.
Rangers Corner
Meet Our Ranger, David Rudie: 2012 - 2015
Camp Hahobas had a new Ranger for 2012 - 2015, David Rudie. David moved here from the Southeast part of the state, before that he had worked for nine different Councils including Utah.
The Twana Peoples
The Twana Peoples - How Camp Hahobas Got Its Name
Camp Hahobas is located on the portion of the eastern side of Hood Canal that falls within the ethnographic territory of the Twana peoples, now largely part of the Skokomish Indian Tribe.
The Hahobas scout camp at Robbins Lake is located just inland from and between two Twana camps formerly located on the Hood Canal shoreline, one, hoho'bas , near Red Bluff, from which the Twana collected red ochre, and bəsaXa·dač, near Little Dewatto Bay (Elmendorf 1992: 52). The name of the Scout camp is derived from the former.
In the 1960's, the Hahobas Scout Reservation was divided into two camps; Camp Tahoma and Camp Twana, names also derived from the local peoples.
Twana traditional lifeways were, like those of other Coast Salish peoples, based on management of marine and terrestrial resources including salmon, marine mammals, shellf... Read More
Trading Post
Camp Hahobas Trading Post - 2015
The Camp Hahobas Trading Post was a well stocked resource for all things you need while at camp.
Camp T-shirts, hats, leather belts, camping gear, craft kits, water bottles, merit badge pamphlets, snacks, slushies, ice cream, and more, were available at the Trading Post.
You will want to bring some extra money for souvenirs, and to pay for some extra merit badge costs such as handicrafts, basketry, and the shooting sports merit badges.
Traditions and Stories
The Legend of Washkanaba
As related by Kurt Karlinsey, Mt. Rainier Council, September, 1973.
This is the legend of Washkanaba and Drum Beater Lake. All this is happened many years ago, at the time of the coming of the white man. It is true, it is a simple tale. It has changed little in the telling and re-telling, throughout the generations of the People.
In that time, the Lakes were called: Turtle, Pipe, and Drum Beater. They have not been changed by the hand of man, only given new names. Today, you know them as U-Lake, Alder/Aldrich Lake, and Robbins Lake. On a map, you would locate them on the high ground to the east, across the Sound from the little town that bears the name of Captain Hood, after one of the early day explorers.
The People were called simply, the People, and the lake, Drum Beater. This is their story:
Life was good then, they fish... Read More
T-Shirts
Camp Hahobas Activity Uniform Program
The Camp Hahobas Activity Uniform Program included a varietyofT-shirts! Imagine ''dressing'' your entire unit in a camp T-shirt, customized with your unit number. Think of the benefits: the T-shirt...
From here, could order six or more camp t-shirts customized with your unit number or other text. Upon arriving at summer camp, units collected their order from the Camp Store.
Camp Hahobas T-Shirt - 2011
The 2011 collection of Camp Hahobas T-Shirts.
Video Tour of Camp
Camp Hahobas Video Summer 2010
Highlights from a Hahobas summer camp session in the summer of 2010.
Note: the activities shown here are no longer available.
William Seymour
William Wolcott Seymour (1861-1929)
In 1933, W.W. (William Wolcott) Seymour deeded a parcel of land to the Mount Rainier Council, which was located on the Eastern Shore of Hood Canal. Mr. Seymour was a large land and timber holder and held the position of Past President of the local Scout Council.
He came to Tacoma in 1889 and started the R.V. Barto Company with his brother Edmund. This company dealt with mortgages and bonds. In 1895 he was the President of the Tacoma Gas & Electric Light Company. Seymour's public spirit, cleanly life and high ideals led his friends literally to force him into the mayoral fight and he defeated A.V. Fawcett in the recall fight of 1911.'' (Credit to Tacoma, Its History and its Builders A Half Century of Activity by Herbert Hunt).
Mr. Seymour passed away and in 1934 his wife deeded another parcel of land on Hood Canal to the local Coun... Read More
Great White Newt Regatta
The Great White Newt Regatta
The Great White Newt Regatta was a Hahobas tradition going back over 15 years. The Scouts are given 3 'blue barrels' on which to build their rafts, using mostly natural materials found around camp: wood poles, bark, moss, and rope.
The barrels are tied together in a variety of ways, some more successful than others in staying afloat. The racers launch the rafts at the South end of Robbins Lake, and upon a group belly flop by several Scoutmasters off the swimming float nearby, the race is on!
The first raft to make it across the lake to Swan Lodge is the winner. If you capture the 'Newt Egg', you get an extra prize. Most rafts never make it past the end of the dock, and fly apart in some very spectacular ways.
How it all got started:
Camp Staffer Tanner Kay sat outside with Daniel D'Haem and Lee Jones after the last d... Read More
Great White Newt Regatta Video: Troop 575
Camp Hahobas 2010, The Great white Newt Regatta.
The fun had by Troop 575.
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