Three Mile Island (Lake Winnipesaukee)
Encyclopedia
Three Mile Island is an island on Lake Winnipesaukee
in New Hampshire
, located three miles from the town of Center Harbor
. It has been owned by the Appalachian Mountain Club
(AMC) since 1900 and is run as a full service camp during the summer.
Flora on the island is typical of the region: a mix of deciduous
and evergreen
trees including maple
and pine
, and a mix of ground plants including Canada Mayflower, Sheep laurel, Iris
, Pink Lady's Slipper, and the endangered Ram's-Head Lady's-Slipper. Wild blackberries, blueberries, and gooseberries can also be found on the island. Fauna includes a number of water birds, including duck
s, Canada geese, and loon
s, bat
s, rodents such as squirrel
s, chipmunk
s, and mink
, and the occasional large mammal such as deer
or moose
that either walk to the island while the lake is frozen or swim over after it has thawed.
During the summer weeks three meals a day are provided, as are a variety of activities and programs. Hiking trails, tennis and volleyball courts, and several public buildings are available to campers free of charge, and sailboats and canoes are available for a nominal fee. Only four buildings on the island have electricity: the central lodge where meals are served, the recreational hall on the main dock, the changing facilities on the main dock, and the quiet Retreat reading room. Only the lodge and changing rooms have running water. There are no flush toilets on the island, although there are several outhouses, including a composting outhouse from Clivus Multrum. Access to the island is by boat, either a private vessel or the launch run by the camp, which operates three times a day during the summer. Typical daily activities include exploration of the woods, swimming, boating, conservation programs, crafts, and relaxation.
During its 100+ year history, several traditions have evolved on the island. Every morning, campers are woken to reveille
played on the bugle
. First Call
is played to signal campers to the main lodge for meals, although tradition calls for campers not to sit until the Mess Call
is played signaling the start of the meal. During the summer weeks, a Town Meeting is held on the Saturday night that campers arrive, where the camp manager will go over the island's policies and schedule, and where the camp's college-aged "croo" introduce themselves. "Croo" introductions are done in the form of a skit which usually involves costumes and a majority of the croo getting thrown in the lake. On Sunday nights, the camp holds a "Sunday Sing", in which the croo (dressed in all white) and the campers sing a variety of religious and secular songs, ending with the playing of taps on the bugle. A square dance
and a talent show
are also held during the week. Mail is delivered to the island every day but Saturday at noon by the M/V Sophie C during the summer and early fall weekends, and campers will often gather on the dock at this time to purchase ice cream and snacks from the boat.
Lake Winnipesaukee
Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It is approximately long and from wide , covering — when Paugus Bay is included—with a maximum depth of ....
in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, located three miles from the town of Center Harbor
Center Harbor, New Hampshire
Center Harbor is a town located in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 1,096, a number which multiplies severalfold during the summer months. It is situated between Lake Winnipesaukee and Squam Lake.- History :Center Harbor...
. It has been owned by the Appalachian Mountain Club
Appalachian Mountain Club
The Appalachian Mountain Club is one of the United States' oldest outdoor groups. Created in 1876 to explore and preserve the White Mountains in New Hampshire, it has expanded throughout the northeastern U.S., with 12 chapters stretching from Maine to Washington, D.C...
(AMC) since 1900 and is run as a full service camp during the summer.
Geography
Three Mile Island covers an area of 43 acres (17.4 ha) and is approximately 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) long, 0.25 mile (0.402335 km) wide, and 1 miles (1.6 km) around. The highest point on the island, a ridge running north to south, is between 50 feet (15.2 m) and 60 feet (18.3 m) above the water line. The shoreline is mostly stone, although there are at least three small sandy beaches. There are no major bodies of water on the island, although there are 5 swamps—the largest being the Rhododendron Swamp. There are three smaller uninhabited islands within 300 feet (91.4 m) of Three Mile: Hawk's Nest Island, Rock Island, and Nabby Island.Flora on the island is typical of the region: a mix of deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
and evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
trees including maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
and pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
, and a mix of ground plants including Canada Mayflower, Sheep laurel, Iris
Iris (plant)
Iris is a genus of 260-300species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species...
, Pink Lady's Slipper, and the endangered Ram's-Head Lady's-Slipper. Wild blackberries, blueberries, and gooseberries can also be found on the island. Fauna includes a number of water birds, including duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s, Canada geese, and loon
Loon
The loons or divers are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia...
s, bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s, rodents such as squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
s, chipmunk
Chipmunk
Chipmunks are small striped squirrels native to North America and Asia. They are usually classed either as a single genus with three subgenera, or as three genera.-Etymology and taxonomy:...
s, and mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
, and the occasional large mammal such as deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
or moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
that either walk to the island while the lake is frozen or swim over after it has thawed.
Three Mile Island Camp
The AMC currently runs a full-service family camp on the island. Campers stay in one of the 47 16-foot cabins or 5 wood-framed tents for one or two weeks during the 8-week summer season. A limited number of the closer cabins are available for four fall weekends, and other programs such as a volunteer work weekend and yoga retreats are also held on the island.During the summer weeks three meals a day are provided, as are a variety of activities and programs. Hiking trails, tennis and volleyball courts, and several public buildings are available to campers free of charge, and sailboats and canoes are available for a nominal fee. Only four buildings on the island have electricity: the central lodge where meals are served, the recreational hall on the main dock, the changing facilities on the main dock, and the quiet Retreat reading room. Only the lodge and changing rooms have running water. There are no flush toilets on the island, although there are several outhouses, including a composting outhouse from Clivus Multrum. Access to the island is by boat, either a private vessel or the launch run by the camp, which operates three times a day during the summer. Typical daily activities include exploration of the woods, swimming, boating, conservation programs, crafts, and relaxation.
During its 100+ year history, several traditions have evolved on the island. Every morning, campers are woken to reveille
Reveille
"Reveille" is a bugle call, trumpet call or pipes call most often associated with the military or summer camp; it is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise...
played on the bugle
Bugle
Bugle is a brass musical instrument.Bugle may also refer to:* Contrabass bugle, lowest-pitched instrument in the drum and bugle corps hornline* Bugle , common names of flowering plant genus Ajuga...
. First Call
First Call
First Call is a Contemporary Christian music group, originally consisting of Mel Tunney, Marty McCall, and Bonnie Keen. Mel's husband, Dick Tunney, acted as the arranger and producer for many of the group's early projects.-Group history:...
is played to signal campers to the main lodge for meals, although tradition calls for campers not to sit until the Mess Call
Mess Call
Mess Call is a bugle call which signals mealtime.Mess call is associated with the following lyrics:Mess Call is a bugle call which signals mealtime.:Mess call is associated with the following lyrics:...
is played signaling the start of the meal. During the summer weeks, a Town Meeting is held on the Saturday night that campers arrive, where the camp manager will go over the island's policies and schedule, and where the camp's college-aged "croo" introduce themselves. "Croo" introductions are done in the form of a skit which usually involves costumes and a majority of the croo getting thrown in the lake. On Sunday nights, the camp holds a "Sunday Sing", in which the croo (dressed in all white) and the campers sing a variety of religious and secular songs, ending with the playing of taps on the bugle. A square dance
Square dance
Square dance is a folk dance with four couples arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, beginning with Couple 1 facing away from the music and going counter-clockwise until getting to Couple 4. Couples 1 and 3 are known as the head couples, while Couples 2 and 4 are the side couples...
and a talent show
Talent show
A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
are also held during the week. Mail is delivered to the island every day but Saturday at noon by the M/V Sophie C during the summer and early fall weekends, and campers will often gather on the dock at this time to purchase ice cream and snacks from the boat.