Pictures from July 8, 2010 (password required)

Bingo Night!

It was another beautiful sunny day at camp.  The temperature was a bit higher than usual for us here at camp so it was filled with lots of time in the lake and a surprise afternoon rootbeer float treat!  The word spread like wildfire at camp once the first camper got wind of the concession stand that was serving up rootbeer floats by the tennis courts.

We had quite a few trips out today again the most experienced paddlers went to the Ocoee for a day of big water paddling.  There was another group out on the Tuckaseegee River today.  Climbers headed out to Horseshoe Rock and another group to Cedar Rock.  One two-day hike headed out today to the Turkey Pen area in Pisgah and another two-day hike returned from the Sam’s Knob area of Pisgah.  Mountain bikers headed out this afternoon to DuPont for an afternoon ride.  A group of campers got to experience caving today in Worley’s cave where the proceeded to get dirtier than anyone ever should but of course had a great time doing it!  All of these trips in addition to activities in camp. Needless to say- a very active and busy day here at High Rocks!

The Senior age group, Windswept and Outpost cabins, had the perfect evening activity for a warm day with Sliding Rock and a trip to Dolly’s (our locally famous ice cream stand).  They were not disappointed to find some lovely ladies from Illahee at Sliding Rock with the same idea.  The younger campers enjoyed a night of Ol’ Timers Bingo complete with powdered hair, canes, spectacles and other over the top costumes.  Prizes were awarded for creativity in costumes as well as Bingo.  It has been a new addition this year to evening program and is a BIG hit!

Enjoy the pictures,

Elizabeth “Zoob” Gentle

Associate Director

Pictures from July 7, 2010 (password required)

Nothing like Canoe Fill-ups after a long, hot day

Today was camp at its ridiculous best.  With a total of seven trips out of camp, it was almost a quiet day here at High Rocks with all kinds of personal instruction and opportunities happening in activities. While classes are normally quite small, you cannot beat a counselor for every camper in hiking learning about water purification or each canoe having their own private instructor on the lake. The day seemed to fly by with any free moment filled by much touted Camper/Counselor tennis matches and a viewing of one of the semi-final World Cup matches.  After dinner, the Juniors took advantage of the warm evening to play a refreshing game of canoe fill-ups. The Middlers disappeared down to the soccer field for a hectic game of three-way soccer and the Upper Middlers warmed up their throwing arms for some dodge ball in the gym. 

The Seniors and Upper Seniors combined in the dining hall for the first ever High Rocks Old Folks Bingo Night.  With the example set by several staff members, the guys showed up at the doors in a wild variety of costumes ranging from the infirmed, the snow-bird, the old maid, and even one with a metal military helmet and cape (not sure how it fit in but added to the flair).  With baby powder for properly grayed hair and cheerios to keep score, the game was on.  Wonderfully tacky prizes, tense moments of victory/defeat, and adolescent interpretations of old folk sayings kept the hilarity high throughout the evening and guaranteed a future bingo event.  Tomorrow night will see the other half of camp costumed and in the bingo hall.

Climbing today took advantage of the blue skies and bone dry climate to head over to the South Side of Looking Glass where the boys reported a great day out. Just enough of a breeze kept things comfortable and they spent the majority of the day working the rock. Two different river trips shot out of camp early this morning. Some older guys took a trailer full of kayaks and C-1s over to the Section 9 of the French Broad for a hard day of catching eddies, working holes, and generally brushing up on skills in preparation for their trip to the Ocoee tomorrow. The second crew took canoes over to the Tuckaseegee to practice on some more advanced water and bigger rapids than they have seen this session. 

The mountain bikers rode hard in DuPont today and had several stories of some rather epic downhill sections which combined steep descents and technical moves to push the guys out of their comfort zones.  The cavers brought back plenty of mud and stories of tight crawls that seemed to grow smaller with each telling over the dinner table.  Hiking was also busy with the first three-dayers returning for some much needed showers from their trip to Mt. Mitchell.  Some of the youngest campers headed out for an overnight in High Pisgah where they planned to top out on Sam Knob for some spectacular views and take serious satisfaction in a tough piece of trail conquered.

With a bit of time to reflect on everything the guys accomplished today, it is amazing at how much can be fit in less than twelve hours.  The campers and counselors both are working hard to take advantage of every moment available, with those spare down times filled by stories of things accomplished and challenges yet to come. This second week is the moment where campers have settled in and are now becoming aware of how much they can accomplish with the time ahead.  It is an exciting time full of creativity and possibility.  I look forward to seeing what happens tomorrow!

Woody

Pictures from July 6, 2010 (password required)

What a beautiful day in camp!  It was a fairly warm day reaching close to 90 degrees, but the cool evening air came in around dinner time and made it feel wonderful.  Our humidity is pretty low, so there were no afternoon showers today and no sign of any in the near future.  Sunny skies for the next several days!  The paddlers are getting worried, but the climbers love it!

It was a very busy out of camp today.  We had two rock climbing groups in the forest, a fishing trip to Mills River, paddling on the Tuckaseegee River, a mountain biking trip to Dupont, and the three-day hike to Mount Mitchell that was still out.  That is quite a schedule!

The first fishing trip of the session tried their hand at some trout fishing on the North Mills River.  North Mills is a hatchery supported stream that is second only to the Davidson in popularity.  The boys enjoyed the scenery and a beautiful clear stream.  Unfortunately, the fish were on to us and we didn’t land a single trout.  The boys still had a good time playing in the stream.  Sometimes the best laid plans work out that way.  You have huge plans for catching trout, but the boys actually enjoyed playing with the landing net trying to catch minnows.  They did a pretty good job; on several occasions brought in a few wild rainbow minnows about as big as your pinky finger.

Things in camp are still kicking along as well.  A new group of guys are working out their plans in the wood shop. Their ideas will soon take form in the next couple of days.  Hiking had an afternoon excursion up to Rocky Top Bald, a beautiful granite bald right here on the property.  Tennis continued on with the camper/counselor tournament.

Our new “choice period” has really added a whole new component to our in-camp program.  We used to call 5-6pm “freetime,” but this year we have added some “choices” for the guys, which has really added some excitement in camp.  The boys can still choose to hang out, but we also give them cool things to do like lacrosse, disc golf, bouldering, and the game room.  We also schedule fun games on the field like kickball, croquet, or even bocce.  Some choices have also included out of the ordinary things like today’s event…Improv.  Yep, we had our own little improve session up in the lodge today.  I have not heard how it turned out.  We will keep you posted. 

Tonight’s pictures include most all of the cabin group shots.  There are still a couple that we have to shoot; those will be up shortly.

Have a wonderful night!

Don

Pictures from July 5, 2010 (password required)

We awoke this Monday morning to a beautiful day and many campers heading out on trips.  Two river trips to the Upper and Lower Green River, caving, climbing two day trip, mountain biking in Dupont and a middler/upper middler three day hike.  In camp activities were busy as well. The camper-counselor tennis tournament featured a match with one team using brooms because they are so skilled they needed a handicap against the other team.  It was quite impressive but the stroke does not resemble tennis at all!  It is all in good fun and in the spirit of deemphasizing competition and encouraging participation and good sportsmanship.

Tonight the Upper Seniors are headed out to chill night.  This is a trip to Sliding Rock in Pisgah Forest followed by a coveted trip to Dolly’s Ice Cream Stand.  The boys really enjoy this evening and “chilling” out together.  Each age group will have an opportunity to do this.

As we begin our second week, I can’t help but think this is such a great group of campers and we have them for such a short time.  So much can be accomplished in their time at camp from personal growth, friendships, advancement in skill level to development of independence and confidence.  There is a lot packed into their time here and we hope they are accomplishing all of their goals.  We are here to help them to just that.  If you have any concerns or questions please feel free to drop us a line.

I’d better run now.  My tennis match is in ten minutes.  I feel sorry for my partner as I am his handicap!

Have a nice evening.

 Townsend

Pictures from July 4, 2010 (password required)

A Patriotic July 4th!!

Independence Day… Camp Style!

There is nothing like waking up on a beautiful mountain morning to an ear-splitting rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner as played by Jimi Hendrix.  Continuous 4^th-of-July-themed music urged the campers on during cabin clean up, and they came to breakfast listening to the Declaration of Independence read by Don Gentle. Needless to say, the donut addition to breakfast was completely unnecessary to get the energy level cranking immediately.

The boys held it together through our first Sunday lakeside talk, a traditionally calm and reflective moment, before unleashing themselves onto the Camper/Counselor tennis tournament, a beanbag toss tournament, the American Kickball game, rounds of disc golf, and a series of ridiculous events at the swim docks—longest jump, biggest splash, and belly-flop contests, along with blind water basketball. Nearby, face painting produced variations on the American flag and patriotic demon motifs, and everyone was wearing red, white, and blue: flag stickers on shirts, hats, bandannas.

We had our traditional Sunday mid-day dinner feast of turkey, dressing, rice and gravy, green beans, salad, rolls and, of course, sundaes, with campers choosing their favorite ice cream flavor and adding caramel and/or chocolate sauce topped off with (red, white and blue)sprinkles. All then waddled off to cabins for a much-needed extended rest hour.

The afternoon began with age group activities including hikes to Polar Bear Falls, dodgeball in the gym, capture the flag on the field, and a re-enactment of a British invasion of an American beach.  Then it was on to the Activity Field for the egg toss, sprinklers, sack races, popsicles, and counselor painting. Again fueled by loudly patriotic tunes, everyone wore themselves out before the dinner cookout.

Every Sunday evening we eat hot dogs and hamburgers outside–from the campers’ perspective the highlight is our once-a-week candy bar dessert—and then we go to the top of Campfire Hill for the spectacular vista over camp and the nearby ridges, music and singing and everyone in camp sitting around the fire. Tonight David Kirby, a long-time camper and first-year counselor, will spin a yarn for us. We end Campfire with a look ahead to next week, an epigrammatic thought delivered by a staff member, taps played on a trumpet by Sumner Williams and a quiet walk back down to the cabins for bed. But tonight, another grand event still awaits us. High Rocks Fireworks!

After tooth brushing and pajama donning, a gunpowder overture, which is usually a combination of a deceptively measly bottle rocket and some more impressive explosive, calls us to the lakeside for the show. Much commotion and excitement ensues as streams of campers with their flashlights wind down to the water. With the last colors of sunset draining beyond the dam, the sky lights up with a full spectrum of flashes, each accompanied by impressive BANGS (and appreciative “Ooohs” and “Aaahs”) that echo off Rich Mountain: fountains, rockets, mortars, fireworks with no known names. We traditionally build in a false conclusion so that campers believe the show is done, only to be surprised by the big booms of the finale.

Then the day really is finally done, and the last sounds we hear are the whispered retellings of the days’ festivities, followed by the calls of the Whip-poor-wills and the early crickets of summer.

 Pictures from July 3, 2010 (password required)

A perfect day dawned over High Rocks this morning, with low humidity for a change and the temperature topping out in the mid 70s. The first morning of Independence Weekend got off to a tasty start… pancake day —25 pounds of mix, 4 gallons of water, probably that much syrup and many satisfied, sticky smiles!

When assembly ended and the campers burst out of the lodge towards their first activity, loud music greeted the rock climbers (actually all of camp and some of the neighborhood!) as they made their way to the tower for classic-rock rock climbing day. Down at the barn, horseback riders went on Patriotic Rides, scouring the woods for unpatriotic items such as water pistols and kitchen pots, which their team redeemed for much more patriotic candy and jelly beans, plus carrots and apples for their mounts. Mountain bikers spent the day on trails as well, though not the same ones! Archers in pairs fired their arrows at targets taped into tic-tac-toe boards—the cat got many games, and the riflery pairs located and shot small plastic (non-human) figures.  We sent another canoeing trip to the French Broad River for the morning, our only trip out over the weekend, and in camp the paddlers piled several into a boat and used the T-grips instead of the blades for propulsion. In all cases, the campers got to use the skills they have been developing in classes in new ways, having fun without necessarily realizing how much good hard work they were doing.

Morning free time saw much activity at the tennis courts, since the camper-counselor tournament is now in full swing and many first-round matches were played. Disc golfers are lobbying for their own tournament, but in the meantime teams of them were all over camp, and flying discs are now part of the atmosphere. However, as afternoon choice period began at 5 pm, a strange silence descended over camp, and suddenly not a single camper was visible outside. To deepen the mystery, our water pressure dropped suddenly, pleasant aromas began to waft from the cabins, and, when the campers did eventually reappear, they were all sporting clean clothes, scrubbed faces and combed hair. This can mean only one thing… it’s Square Dance night!

Indeed it is. We’ll have sub sandwiches for supper, washed down with the highly anticipated, once-a-week treat of sodas, and, after some of us have repaired the ketchup and mustard damage to our dancing clothes, we will go to the tennis courts and await the arrival of the Rockrook Camp girls. After we coax the younger campers to get partners, we relearn the moves and the get whirling with Virginia reels and old-fashioned square dances: circle right and left, open the garden gate, four leaf clover, birdie in the cage, bow to partner and corner lady. Even the kids who began the event thinking that square dances are for…squares…get hooked, and by the time we sing “Good Night Ladies,” all of the talk is about next week’s dance!

Then it’s to the cabins and much-needed rest, though we’ll all be a bit restive as we try to wait patiently for the many special festivities tomorrow.

Goodnight.

Dan Noland

Pictures from July 2, 2010 (password required)

Surfin' on the Lower Green River!

What a great week!  We had another two paddling groups out today on the French Broad River for their first canoe trips.  Climbing had another group out in the forest today as well.  It wraps up our first week of the session with over 10 trips out of camp in four days.  Next week there will be over 30 trips out of camp! We will make a point of getting the cameras out so you all can enjoy some of the fun as well.

Life at camp is such a joy!  As I walked around today during choice period I had such a sense of wonder and pride; so many young men having fun doing great things together and being active.  There must have been over 50 people around the tennis courts either playing some sort of “round-robin” type game or just cheering for the next camper/counselor team playing their match.  There was probably another 25 guys playing on the disc golf course.  This activity has been a huge hit!  Every day at 12:30 or 5pm there are groups of guys getting together to enjoy a little disc golf.  We have had a few “hole in one” shots during the summer, but not one camper yet during the July Session.  We’ll keep you posted.

We opened up Lacrosse for the first time this session during choice period.  It looks like we should have a good amount of interest to get some games going.  The boys enjoyed the time ptichingm catching, and getting warmed up for some more play later next week.

I almost feel like playing taps every Friday night when the last van rolls up the drive.  As the song goes …all is well…safely rest…”  Everyone is home safe and ready to have a great weekend!  What a weekend we have in store!  It’s Independence weekend here at Camp High Rocks!  What a better way to celebrate our freedom than the freedom to move our bodies!  Run, dance, catch, jump, and swim; it’s going to be a blast! Tomorrow we will have many fun games at the barn, a fun-day at the climbing tower and then end the day square dancing with Rockbrook Camp. Sunday will be an all-day celebration ending with campfire and our very own fireworks show.  

We had to jump through a few hoops this year for our fireworks show since North Carolina increased the regulations beyond our relatively simple permit in the past.  Gordon Strayhorn from Camp Illahee and I found out just in time to get through the licensing requirements and be able to put on our shows.  Along with a fair amount of paperwork, we both spent an entire day in class learning about things that blow-up, and meeting a lot of folks that do that sort of thing.  Finally, we had to pass a state exam prepared by the state fire marshal.  You will be proud to know that we are both Certified Pyrotechnic Operators licensed by the State of North Carolina!  Even a card to prove it!  I think I might just drop the whole Associate Director thing and make that my title; it sounds way cooler…

I need to wrap up here.  I have to make sure I get my beauty sleep and be ready to head up to the kitchen in the morning.  I have been selected to help Dan Noland with Saturday pancakes.  It’s been a few years since I have been invited back to the duty and I want to have a good show.  I hope everyone is having as much fun as we are here at camp! Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the pictures!

Sincerely,

Don Gentle
Licensed Pyrotechnic Operator

Pictures from July 1, 2010 (password required)

Each cabin gets one opportunity during the busy session to spend half the day on the high ropes course.  What a way to bring the cabin together and have some fun!  The boys learn the basics in the “ground school” training before ever going up to the course.  During this training they also learn to count on one another to be sure each person is making the right moves.  They even have to ask their partner permission to make movement through the course.  Our high ropes course has 16 different elements at levels of 25 and 45 feet in the air!  The half-day event ends with an exciting time down the zip line!

The last of the cabin overnights headed out tonight with the exception of our oldest boys in Holiday I.  We have a special mission for them that will happen Saturday night.  We’ll keep you posted.  SSSHHHH!

The climbers were also out today as well as our first group heading to Worley’s Cave for at day of what I call “indoor hiking.”   There is nothing like crawling around all day in the mud and not knowing whether it is rainy or sunny outside.  What a blast!

The legendary “Camper-Counselor Tennis Tournament” started today.  Each year the boys ask a counselor (or nearly any staff member for that matter) to be their partner in the tournament.  Camper players with more skill are asked to pursue staff with less skill and so on.   The guys over at tennis have a great time matching the pairs to create a fun tournament. The event will take the entire session to finish…  Along with trips, staff days off, and just a plain busy schedule, we have had some final games in years past played on parent’s day.  It should be a lot of fun; we will keep you posted on the details.

Our second group of paddlers headed out for some review and hard work on the Green River.  The boys spent the day not just heading downstream, but also stopping at many rapids and working on skills that will help them on future river trips.  Many times the boys even have to change positions in the canoe and re-run the rapid in their new setup, allowing the boys to become fully capable of working the canoe from the bow or stern.  You will hear about these guys on more rivers in the future.  The river trip pictures came in late, so check out tomorrow’s blog for some great canoeing shots from this group.

We often get asked why the boys have to spend time in a canoe first before moving on to a solo boat.   One of the best reasons is that the boys spend a little more time in a larger craft understanding how the river works and what it does to your boat.  The canoe offers an amazing vantage point to see all the river features downstream. It also give the boys an opportunity to work as a team and communicate with each other as they challenge themselves.   We want the boys to experience the river in what some might call a more noble craft.  Most all of the skills learned in a canoe are immediately transferable to a kayak.  Personally, I always felt that learning to paddle a canoe was like learning to drive a manual transmission (stick).  If you can drive “with a stick” you can drive any car my parents would say.  If the boys learn to paddle a canoe, they can paddle anything! The canoeing base to our paddling program is probably one of the longest traditions we have here at High Rocks.  It was actually brought over from Camp Mondamin when Townsend’s parent’s first started High Rocks.  The tradition continues to this day.

Have a great night and enjoy the pictures!

Don