Team High Rocks: Ben, Zoob, Woody, Crystal, Don, Hank, Townsend!

This past Wednesday, several Brevard, North Carolina summer camps got together for some friendly bowling.  Over the last few winters it has just been Camp Illahee and Camp High Rocks competing for the “Cup.” 

The Cup is a sweet “made from old parts” trophy created by Hank Birdsong several years ago.  Over the last few years, the trophy has changed hands back and forth between Illahee and High Rocks.  Camp Illahee opened the competition field and invited several area camps to come out and play with us this year. The turnout included members from Keystone Camp, Camp High Rocks, Camp Illahee, and Rockbrook Camp. 

The fun included not only bowling, but deep fried food product, local flavor, and Karaoke! Yes, Karaoke!  We only had two takers for the Karaoke, including Megan, from Keystone, and High Rocks camper, Turner Strayhorn! 

Megan Kinsler from Keystone. Awesome Karaoke Singing!!!

High Rocks Camper, Turner Strayhorn. Totaling digging the Karaoke!!!

In the end, Camp High Rocks took home “The Cup.” Winning the cup, unfortunately, means that High Rocks has to organize the event for next year.   Thanks to Camp Illahee for organizing this year.  We all had a lot of fun!!!

Team Illahee!!!

Team Rockbrook!!!

Nate Colston will head up Hiking and Backpacking again. Ben will be back in Mountain Biking!!!

Have you seen how many staff are returning to Camp High Rocks this summer!!!  Not only is the wonderful duo of Nate and Ben Colston returning,  we have over 40 returning staff this year!!!  We are keeping our summer staff information page up to date, so swing by and see who is coming back as well as who is new for the summer of 2010! 

The Summer Staff link on the High Rocks website is http://www.highrocks.com/camp/staff/current_staff.htm .  Along those lines, if you are a 2010 High Rocks staff member, be sure to look over your information and if you need to make any updates, contact Woody (woody@highrocks.com) or Zoob (zoob@highrocks.com). 

I am so excited about the summer already! It’s going to be awesome!!!

Well, we didn’t play hockey, but we did take a little time out this week to play on the ice!  For the first time in over a decade the Camp High Rocks Lake froze over completely with the ice thick enough to walk on.  After more than two weeks of temperatures as low as the single digits and highs only in the 20’s, the lake was able to build up ice that was about 5-6 inches deep. The ice was actually so thick you could run all the way across the lake.  It had been a long time since the ice was this thick, said Townsend.  Back in the Townsend’s childhood days, her brother, David, would ice skate around the lake frequently during the winter.  David’s parents (Jane and Sumner Williams) told him he had to tie a canoe around his waist and drag it around with him, in case he fell through the ice.  Imagine seeing David cruising around the lake with a Grumman trailing behind him.  What a sight!

We all had a blast playing and sliding around this week.  Ben Little was the only one with skates this time, and he did skate around a bit as well as take in some hoops while he was at it.  We didn’t make him drag a canoe…

Click on any images to see the full picture.

Come visit us this spring and bring your dad with you for the fourth-annual Father/Son Weekend at Camp High Rocks!  This year’s event will be April 30^th-May 2^nd.  Enjoy some quality time with dad and have some fun around camp.  Activities include; High Ropes Course, Canoeing, Fishing, Water Slide, Climbing on the Tower, riflery/ archery, and more!

Preference is given to those thinking about camp for the first time and those who are registered first-year campers.  But, if we have space and you want to come, give us a call and we will see what we can do!

Be sure to check out further details and registration information on our website at http://highrocks.com/camp/father_son.htm .   We hope to see you there!

Tsali exploring her suddenly new world...

This weekend our area was hit with the biggest snowstorm in years, covering Camp in more then eight inches of snow!  The roads were impassable, the lake frozen over, and our fireplaces were kept blazing.  Once the storm had passed however,  it was time to get outside.  While Crescent is an old hand at cold weather, this is Tsali’s first winter ever, and she was fascinated by Camp’s new look.

And now she's getting the hang of this snow thing.

With help from Cantrell Construction, the county Game Warden, and our very own Danny Stewart, the camp road was cleared just in time for a visit by a group of last year’s summer staff.  There was plenty of snow left to turn Campfire Hill into a prime destination for some winter fun.

The moment of truth...

It took concentration to miss the briar patch.

The snow train attempt, from the left - Benjamin Birdsong, Ben Little, Andy Glas, Liz Walker, Scott Martin, Mark Birdsong.

Happy Holidays and see you in the New Year!!

Left to Right: Stuart, Katie, and Wylie Dodson; Erin McManus; Liddell Shannon; Logan, Andie, and Robert Dye; Grace and Zoob Gentle; Gary Thompson

This past Sunday was a fun event at the Gentle’s!  A long-time friend and colleague of the High Rocks community came to visit all the way from Idaho.  Many on the staff-side know him as “Uncle Gary.”   Gary Thompson worked for six seasons at High Rocks, from 1998-2003.  He only worked the summers at camp for two seasons, but spent several years as an instructor for our “LEAP” school group program and an additional summer as an expedition leader.  After graduating from Brevard College, he pursued a Master’s at the University of Idaho.  He came back to help out at Brevard College, including one trip with Robert Dye (wearing the High Rocks hat) in Argentina.  Gary is currently living in McCall Idaho where he is the Director of Operations and Leadership at McCall Outdoor Science School and a seasonal NOLS instructor.

Let me give you a little background on the rest of those pictured above.

Stuart, Katie, and “Baby Wylie” have a combined 17 years of summers at camp.  Both served as staff for all of those years and met at camp.  They both currently live in Brevard and are focused on their daughter Wylie.

Erin McManus came to High Rocks by way of Camp Green Cove and worked several seasons with the LEAP school group program.  Erin has managed to stay in the area after earning her masters degree at Wake Forest.  She has most recently been the Pre-College Coordinator for WCU’s Center for Math and Science.

Liddell Shannon is another amazing local legend.  She’s made a point of calling Western North Carolina home after spending years working at a number of different outdoor programs in the area.  Like Erin, Liddell came to us by way of Camp Green Cove, and spent several season in our LEAP school group program.  She just finished up another summer in Alaska at area tripping program, Adventure Treks.  When not traveling the world over, Liddell is currently working for the GEAR-UP college readiness program in Cherokee, NC and has just finished her Masters in Education at Western.

Next from the left, Logan Dye is currently coming back for his fourth summer at High Rocks.  He and his parents (pictured) live in Brevard all year long.  His dad, Robert works as a professor in the Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education program at Brevard College.

It was a great gathering of friends all linked together by our connections with Gary and Camp High Rocks.  Many of us had not been together in a number of years.  Good food, great stories, and a lot fun!!!  Keep in touch everyone and stay safe!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Don Gentle, Liz Walker, Will Leverette, and Sam Sommers at Adventure Education Conference

I just got back form Brevard College’s Adventure Education Conference.  Each year BC along with Western, Montreat, and Warren Wilson rotate to host a small conference in the fall focusing on adventure programming and outdoor experiences.  They target a number of small area colleges and universities.  Students from Warren Wilson, Western Carolina, Mars Hill, Montreat, Southwestern Community College were in attendance.

Camp High Rocks’ own Will Leverette was the opening keynote speaker.  Will did a presentation on his new book, The History of Whitewater Paddling in Western North Carolina.  For those of you who do not know it, Will is a family member of High Rocks.  His Aunt and Uncle started Camp High Rocks and his grandfather started Camp Mondamin.  He spent many years growing up and working at camp, mostly the paddling program. 

Of course, Camp High Rocks, along with Mondamin, Green Cove, and Camp Merrie-Woode were the pioneers of organized paddling on many of our area rivers, including The Nantahala and the Chatooga River.  It was great to here Camp High Rocks come up so often during this presentation.  I felt part of something larger than myself and proud to be part of the paddling history here at camp.

Liz Walker, who was our Assistant Head of Mountain Biking for the summer of 2009, was also a presenter at the conference.  Liz is a senior at Brevard College and presented a session on “Sustainability in Outdoor Programs.”

Finally, Sam Sommers just happened to be in town for a couple days and decided to come over and see Will’s presentation.  Sam is currently living in Rochester, NY and was looking into the possibility of an outdoor job down here in Western North Carolina.  Sam has over 10 years at High Rocks, both as a camper and staff. His tenure spanned the late seventies, through the nineties.  He was an avid paddler when he was here, so he was very excited to see Will’s presentation.

It was great to have such a wonderful High Rocks representation at this small conference.  I enjoyed meeting several students who may be interested in working at camp for the 2010 summer season.  What a great way to spend my Friday!

take care,

Don

We  just wrapped up our fall camper recruiting here at High Rocks. Our travels took us to over thirty different cities throughout the Southeast, Midwest and New England!  We all enjoyed re-visiting with campers and families from the summer as well as having a chance to meet and introduce new families to the Camp High Rocks experience!

Our new video was finished just in time fro travels season.  We heard many favorable reviews about it; if you have not had a chance to see it, follow this High Rocks Video link.

Here are some pictures from our various travels. Click on any of the images to get the full picture.

Many, many thanks to all of our families who hosted such great events!  It was a pleasure to visit with all of you; we couldn’t have pulled it off without you!  Have a great school year; we look forward to seeing you this summer!

Don Gentle

Rafting on the Nantahala River!!!

Our last program of the 2009 camping season just left on Friday, Oct 23^rd.  Camp High Rocks hosted ten different middle and upper school programs during its spring and fall LEAP seasons this year.  We host some of the best private and charter schools from throughout the southeast!  School programs this year included:

• Ravenscroft School, Raleigh, NC, 8^th Grade
• KIPP WAYS Academy, Atlanta, GA, 6^th Grade
• KIPP Believe, New Orleans, LA, 6^th Grade
• Pace Academy, Atlanta, GA, 9^th Grade
• Trinity Prep, Winterpark, FL, 9^th Grade
• Durham Academy, Durham, NC, 10^th Grade
• The Summit School, Winston-Salem, NC, 9^th Grade
• St. Andrews School, Savannah, GA, 12^th Grade
• The O’Neal School, Southern Pines, NC, 7^th Grade
• Ashley Academy, Johnson City, TN, Grades 5-8
• Tampa Prep, Tampa, FL, 6^th Grade

Each school participates in its own custom designed program that focuses on particular goals and outcomes based on our own philosophy and the needs of the school.  Activities include backpacking, rock climbing, canoeing, whitewater rafting, high and low adventure course, stream ecology, and a number of other fun events.  We use our 110-acre facility along with nearby Pisgah National Forest, and beautiful Dupont State Forest.

 The 2009 season was an amazing group of programs and an incredible staff of caring adults!  We look forward to next spring when we will start it all over again!  For more information about the High Rocks LEAP program, visit http://leap.highrocks.com.

Don Gentle

don@highrocks.com

The American Camp Association® (ACA) announced today that CAMP HIGH ROCKS has received ACA-Accredited®Camp status for 2010. On July 29, two ACA standards visitors reviewed the Camp High Rocks program by interviewing directors, program staff, nurses, kitchen managers, and campers as well as  looking over nearly 300 protocols and supporting written documentation.

“ACA Accreditation means that Camp High Rocks submitted to a thorough (up to 300 standards) review of its operation by the American Camp Association (ACA) — from staff qualifications and training to emergency management — and complied with the highest standards in the industry,” said Cindy Moore, National Standards Commission.

“Parents expect their children to attend accredited schools.  They also deserve a camp experience that is reviewed and accredited by an expert, independent organization,” Moore said.

“CAMP HIGH ROCKS and ACA form a partnership that promotes summers of growth and fun in an environment committed to safety,” said Don Gentle, Associate Director, “ACA accreditation demonstrates our commitment to quality camp programming.”

Camp High Rocks is currently the only camp in the nation that is Accreditated by the American Camp Association and the Association for Experiential Education (AEE). AEE focuses more on high adventure activities like rocks climbing, whitewater canoeing, mountain biking, and backpacking.  AEE accredits adventure programs like NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) and Project Adventure, as well as other outdoor university programs and and schools.  Camp High Rocks was the very first program to be accredited by AEE back in 1994.  We enjoy how the two accreditations compliment each other and help keep our program not only on top of industry standards but focused on some of the best practices available.