welcome to Lost canyon!
All of us at Lost Canyon are so excited to have you here! We are thrilled to partner with you to further your ministry and build the Kingdom. You do such amazing work with Young Life throughout the year—it is our privilege to collaborate with you during your session.
Christ’s love compels us to create a culture of Diversity, Equity and Belonging at Lost Canyon, so that we reflect the full breadth of the Kingdom of God and those we serve. A culture of belonging is a core value to ensure that Lost Canyon is a place where every person is welcomed, known, heard, respected and celebrated for the ways they uniquely reflect the image of God. This will be achieved through a posture of listening, learning, relationship, personal sacrifice and action.
We are committed to this in every effort from the planning of trips, the events at camp, the recruitment and training of our staff and volunteers, and how we serve one another. We are so excited to serve alongside you and can't wait to spend the session with you!
We know this time will be full! We are praying that God will show himself to you in new ways through this session. This manual will provide you with some practical information about the daily routines at Lost Canyon as well as some basic info about the surrounding community.
Please allow us to assist you with any needs that may arise during your time here and we will do our best to accommodate you. Know that you are in our prayers and that we appreciate you!
general information
On behalf of the Lost Canyon staff, welcome to the team! We are so excited you will be joining us this summer and feel incredibly thankful to partner with you in ministry here!
Rather than sending several emails over the next few months, we have placed everything you need to know for your assignment on this webpage! Any and all General A-team Info will be in the first few sections of this page. There are also job specific sections below that.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Sarah Strong at sstrong@lc.younglife.org or call the Lost Canyon office at 928.635.2900.
summer schedule
Assignment Team Rosters
You can find links Lost Canyon's Roster Tracking Sheets below. We will track your Health Form & Arrival Survey completion here. We also have your family info tracked here - please update it if need be (you should have editing access). There is a tab per session.
Themed Outfit Needs
For themed meals/events, please review the Program Letters found in on the Trip Leader Website.
Health Forms & Travel Survey
health form
The first thing we will need you to complete is an online health form for each person in your party. Each Young Life event (camp trip, assignment, adult guest, etc.) requires a new health form. If you have previously used this system, all you will need to do is create a copy of a past form. Make sure the following are selected:
- Camp = Lost Canyon
- Guest Type = Assignment Team
- Camp Session/Week = the dates of your assignment
Arrival survey:
Each Assignment Team member must fill out the Arrival Survey so that we can track who is coming with you (family, WC, SS, etc.), as well as additional information. Please fill this out no later than:
- Session 1: May 12th, 2025
- Session 2: June 5th, 2025
- Session 3: June 20th, 2025
If you are bringing someone from work crew or summer staff with you, there is a place to do so on the form below. We need to know beforehand so we can make sure we have enough food for them. Early WC/SS will be housed on camp.
TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT INFORMATION
In alignment with Young Life's national policy on Assignment Team Travel Reimbursement, camp will reimburse Assignment Team Members according to that policy. We would encourage you to review it here before planning for your travel.
You will need to fill out your travel Reimbursement Form (linked below) any time before or while you are here on assignment. The reimbursement will not be processed until the last week of your assignment.
Please see directions below based on your current staff standing:
Current Paid YL Staff
- Workday Users with Reimbursement Access - You will fill out the Reimbursement Form and then Lost Canyon will reimburse your area to that same account at the end of your assignment, ONLY IF you have filled out your Travel Reimbursement Form. You will then submit for personal reimbursement in Workday from your area. Please read the policy carefully to understand what is reimbursed and for how much. YOU SHOULD ONLY USE YOUR PCARD FOR FLIGHT/BAGGAGE PURCHASES, NOT DRIVING COSTS. You can find instructions for submitting reimbursements by visiting this page on Staff Resources.
- Workday Users without Reimbursement Access: You will need to reach out to your Region to be granted access in Workday to submit a personal reimbursement. You will also need to fill out the Reimbursement Form as well. You will also need receipts for each purchase you are submitting for reimbursement.
Volunteer Assignment Team Members (non paid YL Staff)
- You will need to fill out your Travel Reimbursement Form as well as a Federal W-9 Form so that we can send you a check for personal reimbursement from camp. You will also need receipts for each purchase you are submitting for reimbursement.
arrival at Lost canyon
Arrival Times:
- Session 1: May 30th after 4 PM
- Session 2: June 21st after 4PM
- Session 3: July 10 after 2 PM
The LCY team is working with your session's Camp Director on a rooming list and that will be sent out closer to the assignment.
DRIVING TO LOST CANYON:
- Address: 1450 S. Perkinsville Road, Williams, AZ 86046
- You can also download and print these driving directions.
SErving at Lost Canyon
We recognize that while many of you have served at Lost Canyon before some of you are joining us for the first time. The elevation at Lost Canyon is approximately 7,000 feet above sea level. Most people have no problem adjusting to the altitude. Occasionally, some guests experience a mild headache and feel tired for the first 24 hours. The best thing to do is to drink plenty of water on your way to Lost Canyon and for the duration of your stay. Also, since we are closer to the sun, it is important to wear sunscreen, even if it is cloudy outside.
PACKING LIST:
- Camp provides sheets, blankets, pillow cases, and towels, but we ask you to bring your own pool towels. We will provide new linens weekly, but laundry facilities are available in Goldmine. Bring any special laundry detergent, stain remover, or fabric softener you may need.
- Evenings can get chilly in northern Arizona and we often have monsoon rains in mid to late summer. Come prepared with warm layers. Check with your Camp Director about any theming outfits you might want to bring!
VISITORS AND ADULT GUESTS
2025 vISITOR pOLICY
The Lost Canyon Staff needs your help in making it very clear to the Assignment, Work Crew, and Summer Staff teams, that unless visiting guest have gone through the proper channels of approval it is very difficult for us to serve them well. We strongly desire that every person that sets foot on camp feel welcome. Following the guidelines below will enable us to achieve this. Please help us communicate and enforce these guidelines throughout your session.
***Housing is very full for this summer and we do not have set aside rooms for overnight Drop-In Guests. The Pullmans & Inner Loop Apartments are used to house our medical teams and thus are not available this summer. If you are curious about AGL openings, please contact the Camp Admin Manager in the Lost Canyon Office.
Requesting Approval for a Visitor
- Requests must be approved by the Camp Director & Camp Manager. If they are WC/SS visitors those must also go through those coordinators.
- Visitor requests need to be submitted 24 hours in advance and can be done online using this link:
Rules for Drop-in Visitors
- A Young Life staff or leader/committee person who is familiar with camp is required to host the visiting guests. This person must be able to remain with the visiting guests during their visit.
- Drop-in visiting guests may be asked to come back at another time depending on dining hall space and availability of guest hosts.
- Visiting guests will be asked to sign in and out of the Main Office.
- Visiting guests are asked to wear a guest badge for the duration of their stay.
- Visiting guests are not permitted to drive through camp due to the nature and purpose of Young Life camping. Parking will be provided for Lost Canyon guests at the Main Office.
- Visiting guests will be asked to complete a guest waiver release form if wishing to use recreational facilities.
- Visiting guests are not permitted to have pets on property due to health department requirements.
Fees for Visitors
- Fees will be settled at the Main Office (by CC - Cognito Form) upon arrival unless the YL area has made arrangements for an internal transfer.
- Fees: Single Meals = $10/person
2025 ADULT GUEST PROGRAM
We will be having an Adult Guest Program this summer with limited availability as Hosts have been asked to fill the building for their week. If you have questions about Adult Guest availability, please contact the Camp Admin Manager at Lost Canyon.
camp directors
The following manual will give you a well-rounded view of your role as the Camp Director including the National Camp Director job description, preparation information, and much more. Be sure to also review the contents below in this section as well.
As your session approaches, the admin team will begin to collect a lot of important information from trip leaders using YL Connect Camp and the registration packets. We will compile it all and place it in the google drive for you and the Head Leaders. When you go to the Summer 2025 Master Folder, you will see:
- Head Leader Folder: This is a space for HL specific documents, resources, etc. It also contains helpful documents from previous HL's.
- Session Folder: In here you will see the LCY Weekly Summary, folders for each week, and inside each week, a week break down
- Trip Leader Observations: In here you will see 3 session folders and we will upload TLO as they come in throughout the session.
- Admin Folder: This is for the administration team use.
- Wellness Checks: If we use the digital form, you will see compiled results here.
LCY Weekly Summary
The Weekly Summary gives a snapshot look of the most important information regarding each week. You will be able to view each week on a separate tab. Each week's tab shows:
- Numbers Summary (everyone on camp)
- Area Information (Trip Leader Names, Contact Info, 10/48/Final Numbers)
- Area & Number of 1st Time Leaders
- Transportation Details
- Misc. Needs/Requests (Diversity breakdown, housing needs, etc.)
- Adult Guest Information
- Prayer Requests
- Medical Team Information
We will be updating this document to include ARRIVAL NUMBERS. We will give a radio shout out once all areas have arrived at camp and we have a good handle on area changes from the 48-hour Arrival Form in YLCC.
Weekly FOlders
The Week breakdown folders will include the following:
- Weekly Summary (mentioned above)
- Area Information - Housing Report from YL Connect (mostly head leaders, admin, and the medical team will use this information). We will be adding this information as it comes in from areas 48 hours before arrival.
- Master Housing and Rides – Head Leaders use this google doc to assign housing for each area once they have updated their trips in YL Connect Camp. Guest Services will then use the room assignments to build out the ride schedules.
Camp Director Weekly Report
Each week as the camp director, we will need you to complete a weekly report to provide feedback, stories, and prayer requests. Upon submission, the form automatically gets sent to the Young Life president, vice president of Camping, the vice president of Human Resources, the Southwest Senior Vice President, the Southwest Camping Coordinator, the Camp Manager, the Camp Administrative Manager and the Excellence in Camping Team.
The camp director's report is completed online and is automatically distributed via email to the positions listed above. As Camp Director, you will also receive a copy of this report. Note: It is possible to save your work and return to this form later using the Save button on the bottom right.
Camp director's End of Session Evaluation
At the end of each assignment session, the camp director completes an evaluation of the individuals on the assigned team.
Please use the online form below. Once completed, copies of the form will be distributed via email (when you click the Submit button) to the following individuals:
- Camp administrative manager
- Camp manager
- The appropriate divisional senior vice president
- The appropriate camping coordinator
If you have any questions with either of these reports, please contact Camping Services at 719-381-1844.
camp speakers
The following manual will give you a well-rounded view of your role as the Camp Speaker including the National Camp Speaker job description, preparation information, and much more. Be sure to also review the contents below in this section as well.
Each week as the camp speaker, we will need you to complete a weekly report to provide feedback, stories, and prayer requests. Upon submission, the form automatically gets sent to the Young Life president, vice president of Camping, the appropriate divisional vice president, the vice president of Human Resources, the appropriate divisional camping coordinator, the camp manager, the camp administrative manager and the Excellence in Camping Team.
The camp director's report is completed online and is automatically distributed via email to the positions listed above. As Camp Speaker, you will also receive a copy of this report. Note: It is possible to save your work and return to this form later using the Save button on the bottom right.
PROGRAM TEAM
The following manual will give you a well-rounded view of your role as the part of the Program Team including the National Program Director job description, preparation information, and much more. Be sure to also review the contents below in this section as well.
Trip leader communication
This summer all of the information that trip leaders will need will live in one spot on the Lost Canyon Trip Leader Website (linked below). If there is anything you want added to that page (and subsequent pages - linked below), please email that to Sarah Strong at sstrong@lc.younglife.org.
There are samples below of previous Program letters that were provided to trip leaders in the past. If we were to add anything Session Specific to the Trip Leader page, it would be under the "Helpful Resources" Section.. If your session contains different types of camp weeks, it might make the most sense to create separate letters for each type of week.
Previous Years Program Letter Examples
Head Leaders
The following manual will give you a well-rounded view of your role as a Head Leader including the National Head Leader job description, preparation information, and much more. Be sure to also review the contents below in this section as well.
As your session approaches, the admin team will begin to collect a lot of important information from trip leaders using YL Connect Camp and the registration packets. We will compile it all and place it in the google drive for you and the Camp Director. When you go to the Summer 2024 Master Folder, you will see:
- Head Leader Folder: This is a space for HL specific documents, resources, etc. It also contains helpful documents from previous HL's.
- Session Folder: In here you will see the LCY Weekly Summary, folders for each week, and inside each week, a week break down
- Trip Leader Observations: This is for Camp Directors to review TLOs
- Admin Folder: For use by the administration team.
- Wellness Checks: For the Camp Director ONLY
LCY Weekly Summary
The Weekly Summary gives a snapshot look of the most important information regarding each week. You will be able to view each week on a separate tab. Each week's tab shows:
- Numbers Summary (everyone on camp)
- Area Information (Trip Leader Names, Contact Info, 10/48/Final Numbers)
- Area & Number of 1st Time Leaders
- Transportation Details
- Misc. Needs/Requests (Special Diets, etc.)
- Adult Guest Information
- Prayer Requests
- Medical Team Information
We will be updating this document to include ARRIVAL NUMBERS. We will give a radio shout out once all areas have arrived at camp and we have a good handle on area changes from the 48-hour Arrival Form in YLCC.
Weekly folders
The Week breakdown folders will include the following:
- Weekly Summary (mentioned above)
- Area Information - Either a Housing Report from YL Connect (mostly head leaders, admin, and the medical team will use this information). We will be adding this information as it comes in from areas 48 hours before arrival.
- Master Housing and Rides – You will use this google doc to assign housing for each area once they have updated their trips in YL Connect Camp. You will then use the housing information to schedule rides as well. The Guest Services Team will help train and support you in the rides portion of the document.
Trip Leader Communication
This summer all of the information that trip leaders will need will live in one spot on the Lost Canyon Trip Leader Website (linked below). If there is anything you want to be added to that page (and subsequent pages - linked below), please email that information to Sarah Strong at sstrong@lc.younglife.org.
There are samples below of previous Head Leader letters that were provided to trip leaders in the past. If we were to add anything Session Specific to the Trip Leader page, it would be under the "Helpful Resources" Section. If your session contains different types of camp weeks, it might make the most sense to create separate letters for each type of week.
Previous Years Head Leader Letter Examples
Summer Staff & Work Crew Coordinators
SUMMER STAFF
The following manual will give you a well-rounded view of your role as a Summer Staff Coordinator including the National Summer Staff Coordinator job description, preparation information, and much more. Be sure to also review the contents below in this section as well.
WORK CREW
The following manuals will give you a well-rounded view of your role as a Work Crew Coordinator or Work Crew boss including the National Work Coordinator & Work Crew Boss job descriptions, preparation information, and much more. Be sure to also review the contents below in this section as well.
WC/SS Turnover Nights
Many assigned teams want to find enjoyable activities for their work crew and summer staff to do together during their turnover time. Work crew and summer staff do not have to do the same things, but you are also welcome to!
As you look ahead in planning your session here at Lost Canyon, we would like to offer you a selection of activities from which you can choose. We will help the assigned team prepare the activities, but it will be your responsibility to facilitate the event and then clean up and return the items to their proper locations.
We hope this gives you the opportunity to serve your work crew and summer staff and fellowship with them on their evening off. Please make your selections and submit this form prior to your assignment, so we can work to facilitate your requests.
We would ask that this form be filled out by the Work Crew Coordinator and 1 of the Summer Staff Coordinators. It might also be helpful to coordinate together for a planned all camp activity if you prefer.
WC/SS Visitor Policy
Any visiting guests for Work Crew and Summer Staff needs to be arranged at least 24 hours in advance. The Coordinator will complete the online Cognito form on behalf of the SS/WC and is subject to approval by the Camp Director.
Unfortunately due to the requirements of their jobs, only IMMEDIATE family members are allowed to visit.
Drop-in visiting guests may be asked to come back at another time depending on dining hall space and availability of guest hosts.
Parents are welcome to come for a meal. We do not have housing available for visiting WC/SS Families. The best time for parents to come is the evening of a camp departure day since SS/WC schedules are more flexible. Please discuss options with your SS/WC coordinator prior to making arrangements.
camp musicians
As camp musician the obvious role you will play is to be messenger of the gospel through song and story. However, your presence at camp will impact kids on and off the stage, so performing is just one of the ways you will have a platform with kids.
Below you will see a link to the Young Life Camp Musician Expectations and Guidelines which helps give a more detailed picture of your role on Assignment and as a messenger of the Gospel. We are so thankful you are sharing your gift with kids this summer!