The holidays are upon us and that meant it was time for the annual Reindeer Run in Brevard this past Saturday. To kick off a day of small town festivities, almost two hundred people ran the 5K race on a chilly mountain morning. There were tons of costumes, pre-race pictures, and lots of youth entrants sporting reindeer antlers. After a mass singing of Jingle Bells in place of a starter pistol, we were off, taking care not to be crushed by the tiny reindeer herd sprinting for the front.

John Carpenter, Morgan Williams, Hank Birdsong, and Woody Noland represented High Rocks in the race and everyone felt good about their runs. While we did not repeat our costumed performance from the Halloween 5K, it was nice to feel aerodynamic again and everyone’s final time dropped significantly without dragging a fat suit around the course. Hank and Morgan did especially well with Hank finishing first in his age group and Morgan second in hers. Congratulations to all the runners and go Team High Rocks!

If anyone feels like joining the High Rocks squad, there is a special race coming up in a few months. The Krispy Kreme Challenge (www.krispykremechallenge.com) is held on Feb. 4, 2012 and presents a unique twist to a 5 mile run. Participants run 2.5 miles, eat a dozen glazed donuts, and run 2.5 miles back. It takes place on the N.C. State campus and has quickly grown to more than 7500 runners supporting the N.C. Children’s Hospital. Not only have Hank, Don, Mark, John, Zach, and Woody all signed up already, but there are alumni (Scott Collins and Strickland Parks) committing as well. All CHR people within a reasonable area, come join in the ridiculousness!!

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 1, 2011  (password required)

Pictures from June 27, 2011  (password required)

The Three-Day Hike heads out to High Pisgah!

Even though we are starting to hit the countdown, there is a lot of awesome stuff happening in camp this week.  Many activities are sending out some advance trips.  The boys have been working hard on their skills and are now seeing the fruits of their labor in great two-day climbs, three-day backpack trips, more advanced whitewater, and even awesome pottery that is finally ready to be glazed.  We are still full speed ahead with six trips out of camp today. 

It is one of my favorite times of the session to see the guys stuff come out of the kiln at pottery and ceramics.  They were getting ready to glaze several things and send them back in the kiln for one last fire in the next couple days!

Tomorrow hosts equal excitement with another full-load of trips out.  The arts and crafts guys are working on the finishing touches of their projects, and I even saw some guys working hard at the gates course this morning for a possible solo boat test.

We sure are having the time of our lives!  Looking forward to seeing all of you on parents’ day!

Don Gentle

Nothin' sweeter than the waterslide on a HOT day!

It’s hard to believe we are almost halfway through the session.  Tomorrow is “bed switch” day so everybody that didn’t get a coveted top bunk on opening day will get their chance.  Tonight at dinner more than half the camp was away on some sort of event.  Pinnacle, Halfway, Lookout and Holiday Inn are all at Sliding Rock followed by Dolly’s Ice Cream.  About 25 campers are on an evening horseback ride that ends with a cookout at Townsend’s mom’s house (one of the camp founders- Jane Williams) and 10 campers are still out on a 3-day hike.  Tomorrow will be another active day with six trips out of camp.

My day has been a constant stream of campers and staff asking “How’s your eye”?  Yesterday I spent rest hour and the afternoon clearing a section of the lake between the cabin field and the bridge.  The area has been overgrown for years & I wanted to clear it out for hikes and fishing.  The area was covered in poison ivy, so I was prepared with gloves, long sleeves, and jeans.  Everything was going along well & I made good progress until I was on the mower going back & forth over a weedy area.  I felt a sting on my face then saw hornets all over me.  I took off across the pasture, threw off my sunglasses, and wiped hornets off as best I could until I was a safe distance away.  The total damage was minor.  I got two stings to my collarbone area, two on my arm, and one on the white of my eye.  The eye was quite the curiosity as I went around camp & said “want to see something cool?” Lots of oohs & ahhs & does it hurt??   Fortunately, there was minimal swelling & I’m back to normal now (mostly) -never a dull moment at camp.

I was planning on heading out to work on another trail project today, but I sent out my crew with Dan Noland instead so that my eye had another day to heal.  Trails are a constant process on 1100-acres of property.  We are opening an old section midway down the road that will be very helpful to horseback riders, hikers, and mountain bikers.  I’ll keep you posted on the progress.

We continue to have wonderful weather with an occasional afternoon shower.  Our one big storm earlier in the session hit us with a lot of wind & some hail.  No major damage here but I just found out that a nearby camp had softball size hailstones during the same storm!!

Enjoy today’s pictures and keep the cards and letters coming- the campers love to find something in the mailbox!!

Hank Birdsong
hank@highrocks.com

Pictures from June 19, 2011 (password required)

You never can tell what a Sunday will bring, or any day for that matter, to camp.  Of course we have a pretty strict schedule on most days, but even then the great things that come from camp are usually those gifts and events that are not on the schedule.  The five minutes in line at the dining hall with a counselor or maybe a special game at rest hour with a cabin mate.  What we get out of camp is way more than we can ever imagine.

This Sunday brought us Krispy Kreme doughnuts, an awesome morning service and skit centered on Shel Silversteing’s “The Giving Tree;” A wonderful children’s’ classic about unconditional love. We then had great fun with all sorts of amazing choice period options all morning long, and a lunch that kept on giving all the way into dinner.  The afternoon brought us fun hikes, field games, and a grand time on the waterfront with our age groups. Finally, we wrapped up the day with a campfire and story that couldn’t be beat.

On this special day for dads, I would personally like to say Happy Father’s day and thanks for letting your boys experience High Rocks.  We sure do enjoy their time here as much as they do…  There are some great photos from last night’s dance with Rockbrook.  Sorry we only captured the younger half.

Sweet Dreams,

Don Gentle
don@highrocks.com

Pictures from June 18, 2011 (password required)

It’s Saturday!  This is such a fun day of the week – everyone is in camp today and each activity likes to do something fresh to spice things up a bit.  The climbers enjoyed a day of ascending the tower to the beat of techno music; canoeing played some fun lake games where the kids all got wet; hiking went Americana with “car camping day” where they cooked around a giant fire and two-burner stove with pie irons and hot dog sticks; the horseback riders had Gymkhana, where they play games on horseback and get to eat doughnuts; and the swimmers played a game of greasy watermelon (they also finished the melon off at the end of the hour).  All in all, it has been a busy and fun day.

Earlier I was thinking about what I should write about for the blog today.  My thoughts are that many of you have gotten letters home about camp, but that there are probably some boys who haven’t written home yet at all – so, this morning I sat down to chat with a random sampling of fellows so that I could pass the good word along.  Here is what they had to say:

John told me that climbing has been his favorite part of camp so far because he loves the feeling of being safe and also getting to do really awesome things.  When I asked him what he is looking forward to, he was quick to let me know that he is eagerly anticipating the 2-day climbing trip to the Obed in Tennessee.

Patrick immediately told me that horseback riding has been the highlight of his week.  He loves riding Thumper, Molly and Barclay and is very excited about going on a trail ride during his activity hour on Monday.

Blake couldn’t choose just one favorite part about camp – his answer included horseback riding, the Rock-it (our inflatable water attraction), climbing and tennis.  He’s really excited about the prospect of heading out of camp on both canoeing and climbing trips this week.

Scott had a hard time deciding his favorite part, but the first thing he came up with was how much fun he had on his cabin overnight to Rocky Springs shelter.  He is also really enjoying canoeing and looking forward to the Green River trip this week, but concluded his comment by saying, “I’m looking forward to everything!”

When I talked to Sam he told me that he liked all of his activities – not one in particular, he just liked them all.  He said that he is excited about going out on trips, especially when he’ll get to go out for some mountain biking.

Luke told me that he really likes going out on climbing trips, and that he enjoys having climbing in the morning because it’s a really good wake-up.  He is also planning on going on the 2-day Obed trip and is really excited about getting on the rock.

The last camper I got to talk to this morning was Max, who, I’d like to mention, I saw fold and throw a very impressive paper airplane a couple days ago.  His favorite parts of camp so far have been riflery and pottery.  For the week coming up, he is especially looking forward to doing a woodworking project.

I’m sure you can gather by the responses I got that the boys are staying active, having lots of fun, and getting to experience a lot of different things this session.  I expect that today will be awesome in camp – between the fun in activities, sodas at dinner and a square dance tonight, it’s hard to go wrong! 

I hope you all enjoy the pictures tonight – check in with us again tomorrow!

Crystal Clusiau

crystal@highrocks.com

Pictures from June 17, 2011 (password required)

Campers enjoying the view from John Rock in Pisgah National Forest. You can see a good shot of Looking Glass Rock in the distance. We climb there often.

The end of the first week is nearly upon us and today was the first taste of what the next two weeks will be like. With four full camp days under their belts, campers are now experiencing some of the rewards for their hard work and get to show off some new skills. In-camp was in full swing with guys refining their strokes in our canoeing gates, regularly hitting bull’s eyes in riflery/archery, confidently guiding horses along cool new trails, and producing some remarkable projects in pottery and woodworking. Appetites are continuing to increase and almost everyone is sleeping until the wake-up bell as the crew hits that healthy, active camp stride.

Our tripping schedule was loaded today, a foreshadowing of what is to come. Cavers headed out before most people made it up to breakfast armed with coveralls, helmets, headlamps, and excitement running high for the tight crawls and mudslides to come. Climbers were not far behind with a crew bound for the Nose of Looking Glass in Lower Pisgah. Reports were the weather was perfectly conducive for a long, cool day of testing newly learned moves on real rock. Mountain biking headed out with a group of guys intent on putting some serious miles under their wheels, and judging from their tired, satisfied faces at dinner; mission accomplished. Canoeing took the first full day trip of the summer to the Green River which presents tons of technical, challenging rapids for the tandem canoe. Partners practice ferrying, catching eddies, how to read the water, and what to do if you happen to encounter a rock. Another group of guys that looked proud but eager for some downtime this evening. The hikers rounded out our tripping contingent with a jaunt over to the Holmes Educational State Forest where they learned tree identifications and stream ecology. The campers were eager to get a hike in as well and so ended up summiting a nearby mountain at record speed. Once on top, the trip practiced several styles of fire building before descending nearly as fast.

All of camp is showing signs of a week well spent and a new idea of what can be achieved in the next two weeks. The weekend will provide a much needed break with the focus put on goofy fun and spending time with friends before the pace picks up again on Monday. Please enjoy the photos this evening and check back in tomorrow!

Woody Noland
woody@highrocks.com

The Puddle Pals” (Hillside & Connestee) – Capture the Flag
“The Hobbits” (Lakeside & Foxhollow) – Rope Swing/Waterslide
“The Flying Cheesecakes” (Flattop & Chalet) – Dodge ball

“The Titans” (Windswept & Outpost) – Waterslide/Rope Swing

“Group 7” (Halfway & Lookout) – McCallie Ball
 “Shallow Pop Culture Reference” (Pinnacle & Holiday) – Chambers Ball

Pictures from June 16, 2011 (password required)

The bouldering cave is such a great place to practice climbing moves or just warm up.

Day 5 of camp and everyone has forgotten how life outside of camp works without a bell. Campers have gotten their activity schedules down to a science knowing exactly what items they need to bring and which activity switches allow enough time to grab a snack from the dining hall.  It is so fun to see campers taking control of their schedule and really taking control of their experience at camp. 

We had more trips out of camp today with a hiking trip that went to John’s Rock in Pisgah National Forest.  The camper’s got to enjoy a terrific view after a steep hike to the top.  Canoeing had two trips to the French Broad River today.  Rock Climbing had campers climbing at Horseshoe Rock.   The members of Windswept cabin got to enjoy the ropes course this afternoon.

The last of the cabin overnights headed out tonight with Foxhollow, Chalet, Connestee, and Windswept cabins.  The boys were excited as they loaded their packs with the ingredients for delicious pita pizza’s and smore’s.  Counselors trust the boys to carry most of the food items but volunteer to carry the chocolate bars just in case.  Tomorrow morning I am sure we will see a lot of sticky, dirt covered boys hiking back into camp with epic tales from their cabin overnight.

The boys have managed 5 days without electronic stimulation and really don’t seem to notice.  It is so fun to see these boys get into the flow of camp and experience so many new things.  New friendships are being formed both in the cabin and in activities.  The days have been packed with games and activities.  The busy days have made way for great sleeping on nice cool evenings.

I hope you will enjoy the pictures this evening!

Zoob Gentle
zoob@highrocks.com

 Pictures from June 15, 2011 (password required)

Learning the Basics of Belay with Climbing Head, Chris Dorrity

Greetings from High Rocks!  We woke up this morning to a delightfully cool day and a temperature of 56 degrees. Talk about your great sleeping weather!  The lake was still and the fog dense. As I headed up for our early morning head staff roundtable, I was lucky enough to see some the first overnights of the session hike back into camp in the morning light.  Many of the guys still had remnants of last night’s dinner and s’mores on their face and shirt.  The guys got unpacked, ready for the day, and excited about breakfast at a clean table that was made for them.

As the morning bell rang just a few minutes later the calm and quiet was gone and the camp day was immediately in full swing.  Of course, I did hear rumors of those boys at Hillside up early again to get a jump on cabin clean-up.  The excitement of the day is just too much for them to sit tight in their beds right now; hang in their cabin counselors… 

Breakfast made way for assembly where the excitement continued to brew with fun motion songs and hilarious commentary from the days cabin inspection reports.  The boys sprinted with excitement from assembly to their first activity.  The waterfront came alive!  One group of campers headed for the first river trip to the French Broad River, as others tried their skills at fishing.  As the sun warmed the air around the lake, the wind slowly increased, so the sailors rigged their boats and hit the lake.  The “Rock It” sat quiet and still until Choice Period when it was once again a big hit.

The climbers headed for the south side of Looking Glass Rock; it was a beautiful day on the rock.  A caving trip to Worley’s Cave was also a huge hit.  Tonight four more cabins haad their cabin overnights, Hillside went to Lower Rocky Top, Lookout went to Still Oaks, Halfway went to Dogwood Den and Lakeside went to Rocky Springs.  Here the boys will cook Pita Pizzas and have s’mores over a campfire before sleeping in their sleeping bags in the shelter.  This is a lot of fun and a great bonding experience for the cabin group.

The campers have really settled in quickly and I have had so many staff mentioned to me that this is a great group of boys.  They are polite and courteous, happy and active, and seem to be very focused on getting the most out of the time they are here.  We have been very pleased how well everyone is doing but please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Enjoy today’s pictures! There’s a ton!

Townsend Birdsong
townsend@highrocks.com