A response from Tari Hoenig, who grew up at Hawthrone Youth Camp (HYC) in the early 60's, and whose father originally helped formed the camp and was one of its first directors:
"Some of the best days of my life were spent at what I call "The Rangers Station". This would be the location our camp (HYC) would stop and have lunch, water balloon fights, and bribe the Rangers with food to trade for forest service posters, while heading up to Blue Ridge for our overnight camp-outs. I must have pictures somewhere of these times. I will look again. When I was a counselor at HYC, I had the name of Doe Doe (extinct bird). When I became the director of the camp, I had the new staff choose my name. They chose Smokey, as in Smokey Bear, because my sense of smell was (and still is) very refined. I could smell smoke from fires that were burning on the other side of the ridge when others could not. I remember it very well when the lodge burnt. Our family was visiting the area after the fire and I could still smell the smoke. I did not realize how important that little routine stop to visit the Rangers station was until is was gone..."
