A Rite of Passage Deep in the Sisters Wilderness

In the Cascades, a family’s rite of passage repeats across generations

Nestled deep in the Mount Washington Wilderness Area near the base of the Three Sisters in the Cascade Mountain Range, Camp Melakwa has served as a base for generations of young men in the Boy Scouts of America looking to carve out their own path. In the wilderness away from any form of society, their journeys take them through challenges of adventure, brotherhood, discipline, and tutelage. For the men of the Martin family, this rite of passage has been a weaving journey marked by three generations: my brother and I, my father and his two brothers, and my grandfather. All of us have spent time at this camp in the wilderness throughout different stages of our lives. 

In 1974, the path to Camp Melakwa was through the old McKenzie Pass, which was the old Highway 242 that curves with the landscape and through the lava fields. Nowadays, you follow Highway 126 to the base of the mountain where the camp is located and hike in, as Camp Melakwa is one of the last remaining primitive summer camps in the nation. My father spent several years on staff during the early ‘80s as a ranger, leading young men on journeys out of the camp, across the lava fields and up to the peak of the Middle Sister as the disciplines of accountability, self-reliance, and self-responsibility were instilled in them. Integrity was a key component between the staff and camp director, allowing my father to serve in the manner he did. 

After hearing the mythos of Melakwa for many years, I had the opportunity to revel in the pristine natural beauty of the Sisters Wilderness in the summer of 2006. My grandfather took my father and I up to the mountain where we worked together with the help of longtime friends of my father from his days on staff at Melakwa. It was the start of an arduous process as we installed a new septic system, ran pipes through the forest, and cemented a new concrete foundation for one of four buildings in the entire camp. Long hours of work were rewarded with freshly caught trout, a swim in the glacial-fed lake, and watching the sun set on the Three Sisters from the cliff on Council Bluff. 

In between my father’s time on staff and my time on the mountain, my grandfather would return on an annual basis. Rebuilding the water system from time to time, campsite and trail clearing from down trees, and upgrading the shower house were among the many tasks that my grandfather took upon himself to accomplish to ensure that Melakwa was running upon the arrival of the next generation.

My younger brother had the opportunity to experience the allure of Melakwa a few years later. His journey was a different beast as the camp was still under six feet of snow in the middle of summer. However, the reconnaissance work that he, my father, and grandfather were able to accomplish provided the necessary knowledge to make the camp functional during the annual Beaver Crew and Order of the Arrow weekend slated before Melakwa opened. 

We returned many years later with my father and grandfather, after both of us had finished our journey in the Boy Scouts; myself earning the rank of Eagle Scout and my brother leaving the organization to pursue other avenues for his journey. Once again, we had work set aside for us to complete as my brother and I pressure washed the entire wooden shower house in preparation for new protection from the ice and snow. Upon completion of our work, we were able to get the rules bent ever so slightly to hike over to Skinny Dip Point and fish for a couple hours before our time on the mountain was complete. We snagged a couple trout as we talked about our next steps in life, reminiscing on our journeys into adulthood. After our final farewells were made, my grandfather continued to serve in a camp director position to ensure the vision of the former camp director would live on until he was no longer able to do so. 

In the words of Melakwa’s former camp director, the late Pat  Patterson, “there is something about the magic of this mountain, that once you have been here, you never forget it. We have the people that come up and teach the skills of the outdoors - the stars and the weather and the cooking; those are a valuable resource that money cannot buy and I think that is why Melakwa is a unique camping experience.” 

Melakwa is still there, hidden amongst the pine trees, the lava fields, and the peaks of the Three Sisters, waiting for the next group of young men to make the first step towards their legacy.

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About the Author

Based in Middle Georgia, Hayden Martin is an adaptive creative and storyteller who invites people from all walks of life to immerse themselves in the outdoors. He thrives most when building lasting relationships in the duck blind, capturing meaningful experiences through a lens, and contributing to the outdoors lifestyle through written expression. Hayden has worked in live entertainment, sports journalism, and outdoor media industries; his creative work can be found in both digital and print publications including Wildfowl Magazine, Split Reed, Palomino County, and Houston Home Journal.