Bethany Kaufer, the youngest of Steve and Cheryl Kaufer’s four daughters, enjoys a moment suspended on the high ropes course at CrossWoods Adventure Camp in Mason. The high intensity outdoor activities are designed to push campers outside their comfort zone, build confidence and offer integrated faith-life experiences. (Submitted photo)

Jenny Snarski
Catholic Herald Staff

Editor’s note: This article will be printed in two parts. The history of the camp will be included in the Sept. 25 issue.

In the fall of 2018, when Cheryl Kaufer, of Ellsworth, approached her husband Steve about the potential closure of CrossWoods Camp in Mason, she had the motivated support of the couple’s four daughters. The three oldest – Shelby, Kayla and Rachel – had all spent numerous summers at camp as both participants and staff; age 12 at the time, the youngest, Bethany, had not officially been a camper but was hopeful for her turn.

Kaufer had chaperoned camps her daughters attended and seen the fruits the Catholic adventure camps had given her children’s faith life. She felt the Holy Spirit saying, “Ok, it’s your turn. You need to look at taking this over” and continuing the mission.

The fruits of commitment

“I didn’t want one more Catholic youth place to go away,” she said, “because we don’t have enough as it is.” Although her husband was wary about taking on the debt, they sat down as a family to pray about, discuss and even argue about taking the leap. Kaufer was clear, “If we’re going to do this, everybody has to be in, because we can’t run this without a family commitment.”

The family’s commitment has been complete and, although not without challenges, also full of blessings. Over and over, the right people have been placed in their path. CrossWoods has also proved to be the right place for a number of the youth participants. Besides dozens of staff who were former campers and returning adult volunteers, vocations have been discovered and cultivated.

Two priests from the Kaufers’ home Diocese of La Crosse, Fr. Jared Clements and Fr. Isaac Pecha, credit camp with planting the seeds of their priestly vocations. Both ordained in 2023, they now attend CrossWoods as chaplains. Fr. Clements, who served three weeks at camp this summer, told Bethany Kaufer, “Adventure camp is one of the best things the Diocese of La Crosse does. Period.”

Kaufer’s daughters agree. She said they tease about camp not being a dating service, “but every one of my married daughters has found her husband through camp somehow.” Her first granddaughter, born Aug. 23 to Kayla and Braedon Hoecherl, will even call CrossWoods Camp home, as they live onsite. Braedon serves as property manager and music director; Kayla is camp nurse, lifeguard and adventure director.

Oldest daughter Shelby, the camp’s director, shifted her career plans, becoming a college professor so her work schedule accommodated summers at camp. Cheryl, the camp’s executive director, is a nurse practitioner who works part-time so she also has summer flexibility. She is also trained as a lay leader of prayer and has served in various ministry roles.

The Kaufer women’s experiences at CrossWoods – participating as campers, working as staff and volunteering as behind-the-scenes SOGs (Servants of God), helped facilitate the transition in ownership. They jumped right into the camp’s management and have made improvements and mindset adjustments with the goal of being “Catholics running a Catholic camp.”

“We’ve been told how helpful it is,” Cheryl confessed, “for the Catholic groups to feel welcomed and supported … to come and to do all the Catholic things.” Both the dioceses of La Crosse and Superior, who run their youth summer adventure camps at the Mason location, have acknowledged the changes.

Convicted by missionary hearts, Kaufer and her daughters have trained camp staff as missionaries. Kayla said previously staff were trained to run the adventure elements of the camp programming. Although they were encouraged to help campers “experience God in nature,” she said it changed a lot when they took over: “We wanted it to become a more exclusively Catholic camp.”

Since 2023, missionary staff has been recruited at the SEEK Conferences organized for college students by the FOCUS ministry. This is the fourth summer all missionaries have come through SEEK, with many returning more than one summer. Braedon noted in 2025 they were all from different states.

Staff are no longer “just the outdoorsy people,” Braedon commented. Kayla added that, “because we all have the same mission,” they really cultivate a heart for mission and integrate their personal testimonies and ministry with the camp programming they offer. With this integrated mindset, camp leadership has seen a real change.

“We see change in the campers,” Kayla shared, “but it’s cool because we also see changes in the missionary staff. Their hearts are so on fire for the mission.” Braedon said that many of them ended the summer sharing that they had grown spiritually more during their summer at CrossWoods than any other time in their lives.

Recognizing that “magical” wasn’t quite the right term, Cheryl noted that’s often how being at camp feels. “You step away from the secular world into a place where you’re able to just be unashamedly Catholic. You can let your guard down, be accepted, be celebrated as a Catholic.”

She said that one of their goals is give everyone – youth, young adults, adult chaperons and volunteers – a sense of being part of “a bigger world that supports you being Catholic.” For everyone, friendships made at camp last and grow.

Some of these friendships grow into partnerships. While the Kaufers are giving where they are gifted, they acknowledge that many needed roles fall outside their talent zone. One young man from Philadelphia who spent a few summers at CrossWoods volunteers his time “off-season.” Colin Long helps with marketing and promotions remotely while he’s in graduate school at Notre Dame. He has developed a quarterly newsletter, electronic communications, social media presence and other needed promotions.

“As directors, we can’t do it all,” Cheryl said, but the help of people like Long, who have “hearts for Jesus and love camp,” can pick up projects and “just run with it.”

“People believe in camp,” she emphasized. “They believe in what is behind camp – it’s the Trinity who really brings us along, but once you get on board you just can’t stop… Once people are ‘in’ at CrossWoods, they are part of the family.”

She has enjoyed working with young adult personnel for both the dioceses of La Crosse and Superior these recent years. “We’ve done so much work on building trust and partnerships.” She said they are proudly “the Catholic camp in the Superior diocese,” although they have groups that come from all over, including non-religious ones.

“There’s nothing not Catholic about CrossWoods,” Kaufer said, but values that maintain excellent relationships with other groups they host without being asked to provide the Catholic programming they have to offer. They happily host secular camps to fill their calendar, but they believe that even details like having crucifixes in each cabin are quiet ways to evangelize.

Even in the adventure programs offered like high ropes course, rock climbing and kayaking (which the Hoecherls are certified to lead), Braedon offered that the “high intensity adventures that push campers outside their comfort zones” are opportunities to integrate faith into daily life.

“When you challenge yourself physically, you’re more open to the spiritual aspects,” he said.

Cheryl concurred with her experience running high ropes and so many of the kids feeling nervous or afraid. Needing “a momentary check-in to muster their courage,” Cheryl challenges and encourages campers to rely on the Holy Spirit. “Remember he’s got you,” she’d tell them. When they jump and shout some praise to Jesus, Cheryl added, “they see in real time that they can rely on the Trinity and Mother Mary…. If you integrate non-religious activities and secular experiences with faith in real life, you see just how often relying on your faith can get you through the everyday.”

She sees everyone involved at CrossWoods finding their community there. “We take away their tech while they’re at camp but encourage them to exchange contact info and stay in touch. Know who’s got your back and is living the same ideals, striving for the same goals.”