Pictures from August 12, 2011  (password required)

We normally do not post pictures on the last day of camp, but we had a few leftover pictures that hadn’t been published yet.

Parent’s day will begin at 10 AM on Saturday. Please plan to arrive around 9:30, but Please not before 9:15!! Our counselors will not be ready to load trunks before 9:15 and the campers will still be in assembly until 9:45. When assembly ends at 9:45, each camper will be able to demonstrate the activities of his choice, so plan to stay until noon and join us for lunch. If you were not planning to stay for lunch originally, don’t worry- we always plan for extra.  It is fine to bring other family members or friends that might be interested in seeing camp.

At some point before leaving please be sure to “check out” at the camp office.  The office will have a packet that includes an address list, cabin picture, store account refund, and a “jump drive” with pictures from the session (if you preordered one).  If you didn’t preorder a “jump drive” we will have extras available in the camp store.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning.

Pictures from August 11, 2011 (password required)

Yesterday was camper-counselor t-shirt swap day, today is “Wacky Hair Day”.  During breakfast a queue forms to get hair “styled”.  For some of our campers “Wacky Hair Day” seems to be a daily occurrence since they shower before bedtime & then end up with some unique styles when they come to the dining hall for breakfast the next morning.  One of the great things about camp is the wackiness and fun that goes on each and every day.

Tomorrow (Friday) is our last program day.  We will have regular activities and several special activities going on (be sure to ask your son if he painted a pony).

What’s Next? I always have parents ask about the difference between our two-week session and our longer sessions. The two-week session is meant as an introductory camp experience and all of the trips during a two-week session are beginner level trips. In every session our goal is to have a progression of building skills in the activities. When boys move on to longer sessions as they get older, we are able to build on their previous experiences and keep them at an appropriate level of challenge.

Climbing a short, low-angle, rockface earlier this week (~20')

The older campers in our four-week session, shown below, began their High Rocks careers climbing the same climb our two-week campers were on a few days ago, shown above. Each activity has a progression during a session and from one year to the next.  Another huge benefit to longer sessions is the social experience the campers have within the cabin groups. For us, a camp experience should be fun, but we also want our campers to grow socially and to become more independent as a result of the experience.

High Quality pictures- Some parents have been asking about getting copies of the pictures that are a higher quality than what we load on the net. We will have pictures from this session (almost 2,000 that are about ten times the resolution of the website pictures) available for sale on “thumb” drives ($30).  For those of you that pre-ordered the thumb drives, they will be enclosed in your check-out envelope on parent’s day.  If you did not pre-order one you can still reserve one by emailing townsend@highrocks.com

Today’s outings- There were several trips out today, including: a French Broad River canoeing trip; an overnight hiking trip returned; and a “Pilot Rock” climbing trip.  The guys in Hillside were on the Ropes Course this morning.

Parent’s Day- Parent’s day will begin at 10 AM on Saturday. Please plan to arrive around 9:30, but Please not before 9:15!! Our counselors will not be ready to load trunks and the campers will still be in assembly until 9:45. Each camper will be able to demonstrate the activities of his choice, so plan to stay until noon and join us for lunch. If you were not planning to stay for lunch originally, don’t worry- we always plan for extra.  It is fine to bring other family members or friends that might be interested in seeing camp.

One last reminder- please do not send any more mail, it will not arrive before closing day! (it is fine to send emails)

See you Saturday!

Pictures from August 10, 2011  (password required)

Camper-counselor shirt switch day! Some of these pairings are just hilarious! I'm not sure how Kevin felt about the "belly" shirt and Woody mentioned something aout not being able to breath !

For today’s blog, I asked Chris Dorrity if he could share some thoughts:

Chris Dorrity

Hey everybody, this is Chris Dorrity, the head of the climbing program here at camp.  Just the other day I had an interview.  Not a job interview, but one that was part of a study being performed by an undergraduate student at a local University.  It was for her sociology class.  She said that the study was an investigation on staff members working at local camps in the area, regarding their roles, positions, personal feelings, and past history with the camp that they work at.  As I was walking up to meet with my interviewer, I was anticipating some of the questions that I would be asked.  I knew for sure that one of those questions would be “what makes you keep coming back to camp”?  The interview lasted for about an hour, and sure enough, that anticipated question was the final one asked.

I thought about it for a moment, and then answered…  The reason I keep coming back to camp is different each year.  This is my seventh summer at High Rocks and each year is unique and unlike the ones before.  Some are filled with returning staff, where everything is routine and the whole summer is awesome and runs smoothly.  Other years there is a mix of new and old staff.  There are times when teaching roles and protocol is emphasized, and there is new excitement by the staff being part of a new community.  This year we had new staff members and there were new faces at camp.  The fresh ideas and enthusiasm from a new staff cannot be matched by an older staff.  Each year is special and has its special uniqueness all to its own.  However, there are challenges and difficulties that come with each year as well.

Some years for me I found it very challenging to be so distanced from my, now fiancé, Laura.  For the last two summers, she lived in Texas and there were times when I could not stand being so far away from her.  The crashing internet and bug-bitten nights spent at campfire hill trying to talk to her were unbearable at times.  There were other times when a staff member and I would disagree about something.  Sometimes the trips out of camp would be rained out and we would not get to climb.  Sometimes getting to supervise a cabin when the counselor had their night off is frustrating when the campers have still not brushed their teeth after asking them to do so 10 or more times.  Even my bosses would get upset at me for various reasons (none of which were my fault of course).  So, each summer at camp has its ups and downs and is completely different from the others.

So is there an overarching reason that I continue to come back to camp?  Yes.  Camp High Rocks is like my family.  We get along sometimes, and we get into disagreements sometimes, but every time, without a doubt, we are committed to each other and we are there for one another.  It is my family and my community.  Not just me and the staff, however.  The campers are what make this camp the complete community.  They are the lifeblood of camp.  It is their stories, jokes, adventures, learning, goals, achievements, growth, and maturing that make me come back to camp as well.  We are a family, through and through.  We have highs and lows, cranky and happy, excited and exhausted, but in the end we are all committed to each other.  We are committed to ensuring that everyone moves forward, learning, growing, loving each other, building each other up, and making each other stronger.  This is my family, and I love each one of them very much.

See you on Parent’s Day!

God Bless, Chris

Today’s outings- There were several trips out today, including: a Green River canoeing trip; an overnight hiking trip in Pisgah National Forest; a “High Rocks” climbing trip; and lastly- a Mountain Biking trip visited DuPont State Forest this morning.  The guys in Lakeside were on the Ropes Course this morning.  Connestee had their turn on the Ropes Course in the afternoon.  Hillside & Connestee are going to Sliding Rock & Dolly’s tonight.

High Quality pictures- Some parents have been asking about getting copies of the pictures that are a higher quality than what we load on the net. We will have pictures from this session (almost 2,000 that are about ten times the resolution of the website pictures) available for sale on “thumb” drives ($30).  For those of you that pre-ordered the thumb drives, they will be enclosed in your check-out envelope on parent’s day.  If you did not pre-order one you can still reserve one by emailing townsend@highrocks.com

It’s hard to believe there are only two more program days of camp!  We will upload pictures tomorrow & may upload a few on Friday.

Enjoy today’s pictures!

Hank Birdsong

Pictures from August 9, 2011  (password required)

Heading out on a backpacking overnight

Last night was a time to relax a bit.  The campers and staff have been going hard each day of the session, so last night we set up a screen in the gym and all of us watched a movie.  The movie title is always a closely guarded secret until showtime.  If any campers ever ask me what the movie is going to be I always respond that “it might be ‘Bambi’, but I’m not sure”.  With popcorn and candy bars, it was just like going out to a movie with 150 close friends.

As I walked around camp this morning it was evident that the guys have gained some skills in their activities.  Instead of learning mountain biking skills on the athletic field, the boys were off on a trail.  Two groups of paddlers were on river canoeing trips away from camp and a group of hikers headed out on an overnight.  The “Muggles” headed to Sliding Rock Recreation Area (no skill needed on that trip) and then to Dolly’s Ice Cream.  Even with all of that going on there was plenty happening at camp as well.

I noticed a bunch of tie-dye shirts today that I had not seen before.  The boys that had made them in crafts were wearing them proudly (be sure to wash them separately the first few times once they get home).  One of my last stops before mealtime was at the gym to play a bit of four-square.  There is always a game of four-square going on at free time or during choice period.  Today the four-square line was a bit longer than usual since Jeff G. had organized a friendly tournament.  No counselors were allowed in that game, so I joined in with a group that was playing on court two.

Zoob Gentle

Crystal Clusiau

If the blog postings make it seem like camp is a logistical jigsaw puzzle . . . you’re correct.  We’re very lucky to have two ladies that are extremely skilled with coordinating schedules, trips, vans, and staffing for our program.  Our summer Program Director Elizabeth “Zoob” Gentle and her assistant Program Director Crystal Clusiau keep things running smoothly.  Our thanks go out to Zoob & Crystal for their wonderful and talented leadership!

Wednesday is probably the last day to send a letter or postcard from home and have it arrive before parent’s day this Saturday.  On parent’s day each camper will be able to demonstrate the activities of his choice, so plan to stay until noon and join us for lunch. If you were not planning to stay for lunch originally, don’t worry- we always plan for extra.

Take care,

Hank Birdsong
Camp Director

Pictures from August 8, 2011  (password required)

What another wonderful day!  We hit the ground running this morning – after a weekend full of fun and out-of-ordinary events, it’s time to get back into our regular schedule, practice those new skills and make the most out of the few days we have left.  It’s always a sad time of the year when we start to think about the last campers of the summer heading home…

Today we had two bunches of kiddos head up to the Cathedral Rocks for some rock climbing, another group of guys went out for a canoeing trip on the French Broad River, and a mountain biking trip made their way over to neighboring DuPont Forest to get on some super-fun trails.  To top that off, two cabin groups made it on to the ropes course today, and each activity stayed busy with fun and exciting in-camp activities.

I have to say, I really love taking a bit of time each day to walk around camp and just observe all of our campers in their element.  Each day I get to see them in the swimming area searching for lost treasures on the bottom of the lake, or on the rock-it mastering the teamwork required to get a whole group moving, but it’s a real treat to see them around other areas in camp as well.  All of these boys have such big hearts – this morning I got to watch a bunch of kids stop in the dining hall for snack at 10:30 and grab snacks for their friends as well.  They were making plans to canoe together, play disc golf, or be “buddies” at swimming during free times.  In each of their activities they continue taking on new skills and independence each day – the climbers are all putting on their harnesses (correctly!) and getting ready to climb as soon as they make it to the shed.  The canoers are taking less time to complete an “endurance lap” around the lake.  The fishermen are so excited to venture to the Bottomless Pond in hopes of catching Scarface.  It seems that with each activity hour, the boys know exactly what their mission is, and they are so excited about getting it done.

We only have 4 more full days left of camp, and they will undoubtedly fly by.  You can count on us to keep everyone busy and the boys to discover new fun elements of camp each day…  This is my seventh summer at camp and I still feel that way (I just learned about an awesome four-square tournament taking place tomorrow)!

Have a great night!

Crystal Clusiau

Pictures from August 7, 2011  (password required)

I love Sundays at camp; it’s a special day to relax, reflect, and re-energize. We get up about thirty minutes later on Sunday, and ease into the day.

The Krispy-Kreme fairy left a special gift in the kitchen overnight…dozens of glazed doughnuts for all of us! Oh Boy was the kitchen staff excited to see that! They rounded it out with the usual breakfast fair, including hard boiled eggs, yogurt, and assorted cereals. The kids loved it.

After breakfast we all headed down to the edge of the lake to sing some songs and learn a short lesson. Zoob did a little service centered on friendship using the wonderful story of Owen and Mzee.

After our morning service we got the kids all ready and excited about the Annual Counselor Hunt! Counselors are briefed on the acceptable places to hide, while the campers are oriented on the rules of the game. Once everyone is ready, we ring the bell and the cabin groups are off to build up their score by finding the hidden counselors. Finally, we wrap up the morning with some choice activities like canoeing, swimming, the bouldering cave, ping pong, four square, tennis, or fishing.

Right after rest hour we headed down toward the gym to get the guys ready for another annual event, The High Rocks Carnival. It is a special event that only happens in this two week session. Campers participate in a bunch of games and activities. Some are games of skill where the boys can earn points like ring toss, Frisbee golf, musical chairs, card games, squirt gun “rapid fire,” or the football toss. Other activities include the counselor dunk tank, moonwalk, and face paint. The boys can use the points to purchase snow-cones, and candy. Finally, each camper has a chance at guessing how many Skittles are in a quart size container. It’s a whole heap of fun! The boys seemed to really enjoy it!

As if that wasn’t enough, we got all cleaned up after the carnival for an awesome cookout of hamburgers, hotdogs and all the fixin’s. Now Townsend is a bit of a beef connoisseur, so it isn’t just any old burger or dog. Our hamburgers are all wonderful Black Angus beauties and the dogs are of the best quality we can get! We also add in some cheese, lettuce, and fresh tomatoes from our garden. Add a few sides and a little bug juice and that is what I call a cookout!

Finally, we wrapped up dinner, dragged our full bellies and worn out bodies up to campfire hill to sing some more songs and listen to a story told by Dan Noland. It was so cool to finish the night singing taps and watching each of the cabins descend silently into the night, thinking about the great week ahead.

It sure has been a great week with these boys. Have a great night!

Don Gentle
Associate Director

Pictures from August 6, 2011  (password required)

As I walked through camp today, watching activities and getting to know some of the boys, I couldn’t help but notice what a great staff we have here at camp! Our young men and women at High Rocks work so hard to help these guys have a great camp experience.  Today was no exception!  I saw so many awesome camp experiences today; it was amazing!

We work hard to find the best staff for your sons, but we work even harder to keep them coming back year after year.  We have over 30 staff that have been working here for five or more years! Once we find the right ones we do whatever it takes to keep them here. Not only are they great at the skills they teach, but they are great at working with kids, and they love it!

What an awesome day today!  Lots of warm weather and a perfectly timed thunderstorm right at the beginning of rest hour.  The afternoon was filled with the sights of “Waterworld” down in canoeing where the staff did a little scenario referencing the infamous movie, then floating around the lake on a ship made of canoes –complete with a water slide, of course.  The climbers tried their skills on the tower with a themed “adventure day.”  Some guys were even making it up the tower blindfolded.  Horseback riding did gymkhana, or games on horseback.  Finally, hiking had their own little piece of Americana going on with a “car camping” theme complete with pie irons, hot dog skewers, a nice big fire, a pickup truck (of course), rock and roll music,  and even Jiffy Pop popcorn!

The fun never ends here at High Rocks.  I hope you enjoy the pictures. 

Have a great night, we sure are!!!

Don Gentle

Pictures from August 5, 2011  (password required)

How is it that summer camp can create so much independence?  Is it simply the model of camp that gives us independence or is it just being away from our parents?

Camp gives us a chance to try and do it ourselves, or at least it makes us feel that we are doing that. It’s something that we wish we could do as parents, but is so very hard to do. As parents we want to be there to “help” and to make sure our kids are always happy and maybe that’s why we can’t let them go make their own decisions or make mistakes.

I love the August Session of camp, mostly because there are so many new guys here that are giving it their best shot away from home for the first time. Of course, the sheer excitement, joy, and laughter are a close second.  Learning new skills and making friends is a big part of what the boys are doing here.  What about making their own decisions? How about trying an activity and realizing it wasn’t what they thought?  Personally, I love seeing the boys find their way around camp; figuring out what activity is next and what they need to wear, or even figuring out how to make their bed and get dressed… What an opportunity to be a kid, yet feel like you’re calling the shots.

Another awesome day at camp!  There was a lot of great skills and advancement happening in the activities.  I even saw the boys starting to explore some new options in the dining hall.  The boys are finally in the groove and really starting to get the most out of camp.  It takes a week just to figure out what is actually going on.  Now we are ready to tear it up!

Thanks for letting us have the opportunity to show the boys what High Rocks is all about.  We sure are having fun!!!

Have a wonderful night.

Don Gentle
Associate Director

 Pictures from August 4, 2011  (password required)

It was another exciting day in activities today at camp.  Campers have their schedules and routines down and now we add a little spice in the form of trips out of camp.  Today several of our Rock Climbers got to hike up to the Cathedral Rocks also known as the “High Rocks” about a 20 minute hike from main camp.  There are several large boulders that make up the area and climbers get to experience climbing on real rock.  The morning group headed out after assembly and returned before lunch.  The afternoon group got an early start on the afternoon and left during rest hour and returned a bit early due to a much needed rain this afternoon.   Tomorrow we will have more climbing trips out and an all day hike to Dupont State Forest as well as two trips to the French Broad River for beginning paddlers.  The French Broad offers a great opportunity for eager paddlers to experience navigating a canoe on gentle moving water.  These trips are in addition to regular scheduled activities in camp.  Campers are invited to participate in the trips when they are ready for the challenges they present.  Many of the campers are interested in the trips but not quite ready to leave camp because they are having so much fun.  We feel like we are doing our job when it is a tough decision!

All around camp activities were hopping.  Lookout cabin got to have their turn on the Ropes Course this morning and Halfway had their turn this afternoon.  The Ropes Course is a great opportunity for the boys to work together as a cabin group that often helps the boys bond a little closer having shared the experience together.  Every cabin will have a chance on the Ropes Course this session.  We start with the older cabins and give the younger boys a little more time to adjust to camp before sending them on the Ropes Course.

This evening Lakeside, Pinnacle, and Holiday cabins headed out on their overnights.  It will be a fun evening of making pita pizzas and s’mores over the campfire.  It is a great time for the boys to sit around the campfire and play games.The boys will come in tomorrow morning covered in sticky marshmellow goo and a layer of dirt on top.  It is easy to tell which campers are returning from an overnight.  Luckily they have an opportunity to clean up a bit before breakfast.   The boys on overnights often think they stay up till midnight but do not be alarmed.  I assure you they are crashed out early but some of the counselors let them think it is later to ease the transition to sleep. 

It has been another busy day at camp and there will be a lot of campers falling asleep I bet before their head fully reaches the pillow.  Long active days outside are a great catalyst to a super night’s sleep!

I hope you will enjoy tonight’s pictures and be sure to check back tomorrow!

Elizabeth “Zoob” Gentle

 Pictures from August 3, 2011  (password required)

Greetings from Camp High Rocks! The second full day of activities has been just that…full.

All of the guys in Holiday Inn cabin spent the morning on the ropes course, & Pinnacle had their chance in the afternoon. Time spent on the ropes course is an opportunity for campers to get to know their cabin mates, work on different types of trust among the members of the cabin group, and have a great time. As with all activities at Camp High Rocks, we subscribe to the “challenge by choice” theory on the challenge course, which means we encourage the campers to participate in the activities, but the choice is ultimately theirs. The picture above shows the last element of the Ropes Course- a 450′ long zip wire that begins 42′ in the air!

Tonight Halfway, Windswept, Outpost & Lookout cabins are going on their cabin overnights. Each cabin will hike to a different shelter on camp and spend the night. The guys will get to cook their own pita pizzas (with counselor assistance) and enjoy s’mores for dessert.  After a night of camping they will be back to the main part of camp for breakfast in the dining hall. Cabin overnights are always a favorite of the campers! Every cabin group will go on an overnight by this weekend.

This is just a quick note about homesickness for those parents who may be ‘campsick.’ Our objective is to have a very active program with little “down time”. Our past experience tells us that as campers are acclimatizing to their new surroundings they will be fine as long as they are active. For a few boys to experience some homesickness is normal. Homesickness is nothing to be alarmed about and usually passes quickly. Homesickness is usually limited to slower times of day, such as rest hour or immediately before bedtime. If you get a letter or postcard that sounds a bit down, you can bet it was written during rest hour. These letters usually reach their destination by Wednesday or Thursday of the first week (but could be even later). Ironically, campers have usually become immersed in the camp experience and forgotten about homesickness by the time their letters reach home.

So, if you receive a letter from your son saying the he is not enjoying camp and would like to come home, do not be alarmed. Chances are that we have him ‘under our wing’ and that he has already moved beyond his homesickness and is enjoying his camp experience to the fullest. If you get a less than positive letter, feel free to call or email our head counselor, Woody Noland (woody@highrocks.com).  He does a great job of following up with the campers that might need a little boost. More times than not, Woody is already aware of any campers that are “down” and has already been working with them and their counselors. Letters from home should be encouraging and express how proud you are of his independence & that you look forward to seeing what he has accomplished when you come to camp on Parent’s day (August 13th).

• “Moldy Geezers” (Hillside & Connestee) are playing a game on the Cabin Field.
• “The Muggles” (Lakeside, Foxhollow) are at the waterslide.
• “The Inferno” (Flattop & Chalet) are in the Gym playing Chum Ball.
• “Howling Hounds” (Windswept & Outpost) are headed out for their cabin overnight.
• “Uncle Jonathan’s Corn Cob Pipe” (Holiday Inn & Pinnacle)  are heading to “Sliding Rock” and Dolly’s Ice Cream.
• “The Lazer Snails” (Halfway & Lookout)  are headed out for their cabin overnight.

Have a wonderful evening and enjoy the pictures!!!

Take care,

–Hank Birdsong
Camp Director