Our first Base2Summit week is a wrap!
This program was a big milestone for CHSCF. Since the inception of Base2Summit, we have partnered with Encompass Learning to help provide the magic for the young adults who attend our survivorship program. Together, we have created a special week where young adults find a new family through adventure, wellness, and connection. Our goal is to give them the tools and people they need to navigate life after a cancer diagnosis. We are grateful for the role Encompass Learning played in helping us build the foundation of this program. It was always the plan to one day host Base2Summit on our own, and 2026 marked that moment!
We may have been a bit nervous to fly solo, but those nerves calmed quickly once we picked up our first participants from the Traverse City airport. I cannot explain how it happens except to have faith in the Divine. I often say they arrive as strangers, and within a short amount of time, the B2S crew becomes a family. They look out for each other. They cheer each other on. They share parts of themselves they maybe didn't intend to. It's a beautiful part of life that I am blessed to witness.
Our weather wasn't great (plenty of rain), and the mosquitoes were BIG and hungry, so once everyone returned from their daily adventure, indoor activities happened more than usual before dinner and an evening bonfire. It made me smile to see life slow down while laughter around card games and conversations over a puzzle filled the living area.
Unknown to me, our last group in 2025 purchased an M22 puzzle and left a note on it for future Base2Summit friends to enjoy. When you wonder, "Where is the good in the world?"...look no further.
I've learned something about young adults who have faced cancer. They know what it's like to need someone to show up. They know the power of a kind word, a shared laugh, or a simple reminder that they're not alone. Maybe that's why so many of them naturally look for ways to leave something behind for the next group. It was their quiet way of saying,
"We were here. We made it through. We're cheering for you too."
I see these moments at every Base2Summit. Participants write notes in our Brown Journal for future campers. They encourage someone who's struggling on the bike ride to the dunes. They celebrate another person's victory as if it were their own. Cancer could have easily made them cynical. Instead, it has often made them generous.
The world can feel heavy some days, and it's easy to believe kindness is becoming rare. Then I spend a week at Base2Summit. I watch strangers become family, and I'm reminded that goodness is alive and well in the hearts of these incredible young adults who, somehow, after all they've endured, still choose to make the path a little easier for the person coming behind them.
Peace, Love and Kayak,
Karen
