Northern California Van Council: 2015

Monday, August 24, 2015

CORN, CORN, CORN

Corn Cob Campout #42 Schroeder Park,
Grants Pass, Oregon,
Labor Day Weekend
plus one (starts on Thursday)
September 3 – September 7, 2015.

In the last 42 years Corn Cob has been held at many different places in southern Oregon. Early on, it was held up by Crater lake, then on the Ruch River, Lake Selmac (both a good and bad location, but that is another story), the KOA in Gold Hill, and County Parks along the Rogue River; White Horse, Griffin, and now Schroeder Park in Grants Pass.

In these last 42 years this run has been hosted by different groups. High Cascade Vans of Medford started the run and then it was put on briefly by Brian Holmes. A group of NCVC/NWVC Vanners stepped in when Brian had other commitments. In the late 1980s, Zephyr Van and Truck Association took over and has put the run on ever since. The run has been big and little, it has been hot and cold, it has even rained a couple of times on Labor Day Weekend! Vanners from all over the US, Canada, and Australia have attended. But the key to Corn Cob is that a good time is always had by all.

Corn is always a tradition at CCC. It started out with just a few ears in the vanners’ pots. As numbers grew, we moved to a large cooking pot to cook the corn in. Last year countless ears were consumed. No margarine is allowed at the corn table, only BUTTER is available. There is cooked corn available from noon on Thursday till midnight on Sunday.

Floating the Rogue River is another tradition at CCC. Floating devices have varied over the years. From the small intertubes, small blowup boats, ‘dirt bags’, wooden canoes (also another story), blowup canoes and large blowup boats (15-20 people). A blowup doll, baby goat, and assorted dogs have even made the trip down the river.

Riding the Hells Gate Jet Boats has also been very popular through the years. For a fun ride and dinner many vanners go on the Friday night Dinner Cruise. One year we had 80 vanners on their biggest jet boat - oh yeah, they remember us. If the river is high enough some years vanners go for the very exciting white water jet boat ride. It is a longer ride and a lot wilder. This ride goes farther down river than the Dinner Cruise, as far as allowed for jet boats. It leaves early in the morning and is a guaranteed wild time, getting wet, getting others wet, spins and jumps – definitely a great time.

Entertainment has come in in many forms at Corn Cob. Examples are: wacky games (day and night), snipe hunting, safe corn, Mona takes corn, corn horseshoes, regular horseshoes, shovel toss, buckethead, corn husking, panning for corn , corn coloring, Slut Bar, live music, strippers, recorded music, karaoke, Australian sprinkler – just crazy vanners doing what comes naturally.

My point to all this is if you have not come to Corn Cob Campout you have missed out on a great time. If you have attended Corn Cob Campout - thank you and Zephyr hopes to see you at the PARTY this Labor Day Weekend (plus one) September 3 – September 7, 2015.