Dancing Stars
It’s been a great few days here at Hidden Valley, with the weather again playing an important role in keeping the good vibes going throughout camp. As the campers headed back to their cabins after the Holiday Dance on the evening of August 12th, the skies above the Valley decided to put on a show of their own.
The stars had their own waltz across the night sky, with the Milky Way gliding overhead and a few meteors making surprise guest appearances as they weaved through the star trails. It was a spectacular way to end the evening—and a beautiful reminder of just how amazing our Maine skies can be.
The morning after brought another beautiful day, with clear skies and cool temperatures providing exactly the conditions needed for a good class day. And indeed, it was a good class day! Also that morning, the final few cabins also woke up bright and early for an important HVC tradition. Cabin photos were taken and cabin cheers were recorded, all of which will be carefully curated into a special Year Book Video that families can look forward to seeing in the coming months after camp. It's one of the many ways we'll be able to look back on the friendships, personalities, and memories that made Summer 2026 so special.
Our final Electives! night of the summer was another fantastic one, with campers getting to again choose from an exciting lineup of activities. Water polo, Capture the Flag, blueberry picking, jewelry making, glass bead making, drawing from memory, and plenty more were all up for grabs. With so many options around camp, there was certainly no shortage of ways to spend the evening!
Our second-to-last day of classes brought plenty more HVC adventure and fun. Morning Meeting featured a very special guest appearance as former directors Peter and Meg Kassen paid us a visit. Their return to the Valley was warmly received by campers and counselors alike, and it was wonderful to have them back on camp grounds and sharing in the summer memories.
Later that day, during Interest Groups, another long-standing HVC tradition took center stage: the biannual Camper vs. Counselor Soccer Game.
As expected, the match was competitive from the opening whistle to the final kick. The campers and counselors battled their way to a thrilling 4–4 draw, sending the game into a penalty shootout. The counselors eventually prevailed in sudden death, walking away with the win this time around. They may have taken the bragging rights on the field, but the campers showed plenty of heart, determination, teamwork, and sportsmanship throughout the match. And with the Camper vs. Counselor Basketball Game still to come, the question remains: can the campers get their revenge?
That evening, cabins gathered for their final Cabin Night, and it was as intimate and special as ever. Across the grounds, campers were making the most of their time together—roasting s’mores, baking pizzas, swimming in the lake and pool, mountain boarding down the hill, designing cabin T-shirts, creating new cabin signature boards in the woodshop, and, most importantly, simply spending time together.
With the final days of Summer 2026 now upon us, every moment feels a little more meaningful. There are still memories to be made, games to be played, and a few more adventures waiting around the corner. And while the end of camp may be approaching, we're determined to make every last moment count.