Campers returned to Upward Bound Camp in the Santiam Canyon last week.
Author: Morgan Romero
Updated: 5:50 PM PDT July 16, 2021
GATES, Ore. — Last September's historic wildfires destroyed Upward Bound, a camp for Oregonians with disabilities.
Flames wiped out almost all of the old Gates Elementary School property where camp is held. As the cleanup and recovery dragged on, they worried camp wouldn't happen this summer.
Finally, last week, campers returned to their haven in the Santiam Canyon to experience an overwhelming feeling of joy that they waited 10 long months for.
Where mounds of melted metal and debris sat for months collecting rust, there's now a fresh slate; from the ashes they rise.