Summer camp… These words evoke games on a field, overnight camping trips, long sunny days, and sitting up late around a campfire. Parents are regaled with excited stories about favorite counselors, new experiences, friends made, and critters encountered. Where else would a child (or adult!) get the same breadth of experience packed into such an intense few weeks. The stimuli are nearly overwhelming, often resulting in a young camper exclaiming, “I don’t want to leave yet!”

With our population of all boys, that initial assessment is often all we hear at first. But it is in the slow accumulation of stories from parents, moments of reflection from campers, and our observations as staff that another level of camp begins to reveal itself. A current counselor observed about one of his campers: “The concrete skills that Billy learned such as paddling a canoe in a straight line will most likely not help him in his everyday life. However, when he leaves High Rocks, he will certainly take home skills which he won’t even realize that he learned.” Beneath the excitement, there are quieter impacts camp can have, frequently without a camper conscious of them occurring. In this particular time for our country, with every decision being weighed carefully, it is important to look past the surface talk of fun and consider the full value of a camp experience.

When a young camper arrives at High Rocks for the first time, he comes as an individual into a brand new environment. Often for the first time in his life, he now has no one to define him. His is a blank slate to build upon as each choice begins to define who he becomes in this new place. The benefit of camp has already begun as he enters the unknown. A new camper does not know what lies in store for him, how he will do, if he will make friends, but now he knows that he has made a choice; he has decided to brave the fear common to all first time campers and try something exciting, scary, and new. One of our Upper Seniors, the oldest campers and leaders for the rest of camp, reflects on his first time here, “When I first came to camp, I was very bad at making friends. I was under the impression that people would not like me and that I would be shunned. But at camp, people befriended me and I gained self-confidence. In my years coming back to camp, I have tried to do the same with others.”

In the time that follows, the days blend together in a series of activities, trips, meals, and games. Our new camper has made friends, tried many new activities, learned new skills, encountered challenges and experienced fear in pushing himself farther then he considered possible. He has become comfortable with his cabinmates, is part of a team during morning chores, and knows camp’s many secret trails and shortcuts. After stepping into a new world, He is emerging on the other side armed with friendships, memories, skills, and pride in his individual accomplishment. As one current camper put it, “I learned many more things at High Rocks than how to ride a bike. I learned leadership, and when to follow. I learned how to win, and how to lose. I learned how to be who I am today. I will remember that and take seriously the task of orienting, teaching, and leading other boys at camp.”

The second part of that quote reveals another impact of camp. As individual choices are made and changes recognized, our camper also begins to think of his new community. Camp life makes fellowship a necessity.  There is a need to support and be supported in order to face challenges, to attempt the unknown. For campers, this takes the form of pitching in with cabin chores, volunteering for clean up on a camp out, or helping a partner pass the gates course in a canoe. As campers return, their perspective slowly shifts. A returning Upper Senior: “Another skill I am finding to be invaluable is teaching. Having to work in the blazing sun with kids who can’t do things I find very simple is, at the very least, frustrating. As I work with my classmates and younger kids, I have found that the patience and ability to slow things down and move step by step not only helps the other person understand; it helps me learn whatever I am teaching so much better than I ever knew it before.”  Consistently we have seen returning campers take a new guy under their wing, a young camper talk to a peer about how he got over missing home. That respect of others occurs naturally in the camp environment, and will remain with a camper far beyond his years here….

Woody Noland
(For the rest of the story, check out the High Rocks Alumni newsletter coming to your mailbox!  If you can’t wait, download the newsletter today.)

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!

We just had the wonderful opportunity of catching up with longtime staff member Brad Carter (1995-2000, 2002, 2003 Expedition).  Brad worked and grew our climbing program for many years.  He lead two expeditions to Yosemite, and has been a great friend ever since.

Brad just came through town to attend and play music for a wedding of some local friends here in Brevard.  While catching up with Brad, we had the opportunity to meet his new wife, Melisa!  We actually found out Brad was married one day on Facebook.  It was posted something like this…”got married in Yosemite in September to best ever gal Melisa Holman.”  It was posted December 23rd; perfect Brad Carter fashion.

Brad is doing really well and currently living in Seattle with his wife and playing music, mostly, for a living.  He still keeps up on the guitar and the banjo;  Melisa plays the violin.  Brad also keeps up with Brent Harding (staff-1996) who is head chef at Le Pichet’s in Seattle and Aaron “AJ” Power (staff-1995,96,2000-2001), who has made a living as an amazing artist.

We were also able to catch up with Travis Herbert (1997-99), who is still in the area working for North Carolina Outward Bound’s Unity Project.  We also had Stuart and Katie Dodson over that night too.  They live in Brevard and will be expecting their first child this summer!

Stuart, Katie, Travis, Melisa, Brad, and Zoob

It was a wonderful evening of catching up, laughing about old times, and remembering so many others that have put Camp High Rocks on their path.  My best to all of them; it was a wonderful time!