Skyline to Me

Skyline to me means friendships that last a life time!

When I was 6 years old it was finally my turn to attend the best overnight, summer camp. I have two older sisters, Katherine and Marilyn, and they had been talking about Camp Skyline my entire life with our mom, Sarah Scruggs Estes, who was also a Skyline cutie. Back in those days sessions were a month. I went my first summer in June of 1975 and came home crying, pleading with my mom to send me back for another month. Luckily she was the Birmingham Rep at the time and she was able to send me back in July. And as my husband likes to say, “And she never left!”.

My girls, Sarah Grace Lindsey Renner and Libby Lindsey Stewart, were campers and counselors at Camp Skyline and even my son, Cooper, helped out with Ropes and Caving, Surviving, and Rappelling. I became Camp Mom in 2014 and continue to live my summers at Skyline helping young girls overcome homesickness, training counselors on how to handle homesick campers and talking with many childsick parents. Cooper Lindsey, my husband, and I bought the Little River Hardware store in Mentone and moved to the mountain in 2019. Since then I have worked full time at Camp Skyline as the Alumnae Relations Director as well as Camp Mom. I absolutely have THE best job!

Over my 50 year association at Camp Skyline it’s the friendships that standout the most to me. Addison Caddis Hubbard was my friend from home who went to camp with me. She and I would plan our summer camp schedule all school year and write Mountie club songs to teach as club leaders. Still to this day we get together and laugh till we are in tears about different camp memories.

Another friendship that has proven the test of time was my mentor at Skyline, JoAnn DeMartini, who is from New Orleans. She is a little older than me and really helped me become a good leader by her example as Mountie Captain and encouragement when I became Captain. We still keep in touch today and have spent several Thanksgivings together over the years along with a few other camper friends, Bain Whitten Massey and Nancy Schulte Springer. Bain is actually a Skyline Hero. A Skyline Hero is a Skyline Alumnae that has the same values as the camp’s mission statement, “Enriching young girls in God, Relationships and Self”, she has been in the work force/profession a minimum of 3 years, and is willing to pour into a college age young lady by talking with, praying with and guiding her in her school and professional endeavors.

And last but not least is Sally Cash Johnson, owner of Camp Skyline. We have known each other since we were 8 year old campers and I can honestly say it’s great to work with your best friend. Sally, Larry, Cooper and I enjoy living on Lookout Mountain where you can often find us eating lunch together at the Mentone Market or dinner at Elevation. Both places we highly reccomend. Actually the owner of the Mentone Market was a Skyline alumna, Kathryn Haralson Norris, and has also become one of our good friends.

Just recently I heard a young Skyline camper from Gadsden, AL say that she goes to her Birmingham camp friend’s spend the night birthday parties. So the legacy still continues even though we just have 2 week sessions these days. At our Skyline 75th we had over 100 alumnae come to celebrate. Get ready for the 80th ladies…we expect many more than that!