Eliza Morton is making the most of her family time in Oquossoc in an imaginative way by creating her own version of Survivor, the popular reality television series that started in the year 2000.

What started as a way to ensure her family would all get together at least once a year, has become an increasingly elaborate and anticipated event.

The annual benefit concert for Rangeley Region Health and Wellness (RRHW) was already drawing members of Eliza Morton’s family to congregate in Oquossoc, but after the first year, the family had so much fun together, she wanted to make sure the first time, wouldn’t be the last.

“It started because we all started getting together for concert week. Every year became kind of our annual family weekend that we would all plan to be here. And we started doing a picnic, and that evolved into me trying to think of something that would be memory making for everybody, that they would want to be sure to put on their calendar. And I came up with Survivor”.

Creator of Oquossoc Survivor Eliza Chase Morton

Morton, her husband Mark, and their two children, Jackie and Wills, along with her extended family, have been coming to Rangeley for 13 years. After renting for several years, they purchased a place in Oquossoc on Rangeley Lake in 2014.

Originally, their first visit was rather random. Morton’s father was originally from Maine, so they had been renting a house in Sebago for many years, until one year the house sold unexpectedly, and the family was without their vacation retreat.

“It was a last-minute thing, and we needed to find a house where we could hold 16 people and I did an internet search and then there was a place here in Rangeley, and that was the only place I could find. So, we booked it, and everybody fell in love with Rangeley and never looked back,” said Morton.

The idea for Oquossoc Survivor came many years later, as time passed, and her family grew.

“It evolved. I mean, as the family grew, the addition of significant others, it was harder and harder to get together for your traditional holidays. So, my sister (Susie Sutley) and brother (Ted Chase) and I were talking about it and we thought we need to make our own holiday that everybody would want to come up for, that we could plan around, and create something that people would want to make the effort to come here for every year. And we could all be together,” recalled Morton.

So now, the last three years, she and her siblings collaborated on the Oquossoc Survivor event, and it has become their own family holiday.

Leaking water bucket challenge

“Everybody plans around it. I mean, Jackie flew back from Alaska this year,” said Morton.

The concert weekend that originally meant the family would get together, grew into including karaoke to the weekend, then a big barbeque, and now, Oquossoc Survivor.

Blue tarp group challenge

The adult children get excited for it early in the year and ask questions about whether they’ll get new custom buffs to show what tribe they’re on, and whether or not they’ll be competing in some of the familiar games from previous years.

Players start by drawing which tribe they’re on, either Moose or Loon, from out of a big pot.

Morton recalled that the first year was way less elaborate than it has become.

“Oh yeah, it was very sort of informal. I threw it together literally at the last minute, like 24 hours’ notice the very first year. And then I’m like, ‘Oh, they really love this. This is something. We can make it something that they will want to come back for,” Morton recalled.

Morton, happy this has become a successful event that everyone plans and schedules for is committed to the venture.

“I mean, I’m already planning for next year,” said Morton.

There are a variety of games with names like Who Runs the World Squirrels.

Blindfolded kayak challenge

Morton described the most popular game called Clueless Kayak, “Two tribe members, one from each team in a kayak with blindfolds while tribe members yell out instructions from the shore about how to paddle. And they have to paddle around obstacles.

Moose and Loon Tribes play a very large earth ball game.

Another of the team competitions involves giant inflatable balls, that look like the earth, that they must maneuver around the yard with their hands behind their backs.

Keys and tree puzzle speed challenge

They also have a speed puzzle challenge that consists of retrieving multiple sets of difficult to reach keys and then unlocking a chest with multiple locks on it to retrieve the replica puzzles from the television show.

“The tribe that wins that challenge goes to tribal council. This is just like the TV show, but instead of voting people off, because that’s too mean, and we don’t want people sitting around not doing anything because they’ve been voted off the tribe, everybody gets to stay on the tribe, they vote for the MVP of that challenge, and that person gets an immunity necklace,” Morton explained.

The Oquossoc Survivor is revealed at the end of the challenges as the person on the winning tribe with the most necklaces. Besides the pride of the win and envy of all, the winner gets an Oquossoc mug from River’s Edge.

There are slight changes each year. For example, this is the first year where Morton purchased large inflatable moose and loon team mascots.

Morton is pleased with how successful the family holiday has become.

“It’s a conscious thing that we’re doing, my sister, my brother and I. We are consciously trying to create an event, a weekend, that everybody will want to come back for and be together. And this year it was so nice because I heard so many comments about it. You know, younger generations saying, ‘I hope when we have kids that we’re still doing this, and our kids are doing this. And that’s exactly what we want,” said Morton.

Moose and Loon tribes of Oquossoc Survivor

The two teams with their large inflatable inspirational moose and loon props

An enthusiastic Team Moose

A happy Team Loo

 

Team Moose appropriately singing “We Are the Champions”.

2024 Winning Sole Survivor Chase Wittich