Pictures from July 29, 2010 (password required)

I enjoy our morning assembly.  We sing fun songs and hear cabin inspection results.  I particularly enjoy some of our motion songs.  I like to lead the song “My Bonnie” with the twist of standing up or sitting down whenever a word beginning with the letter “B” is sung.  We will sing the chorus several times and speed it up a bit each time.  The verse “bring  back my Bonnie to me” gets pretty confusing as we begin to speed up the tempo.  During the inspection report today one of the counselors put on a long hair wig & acted out being a “surfer dude” as he talked about the “wavy sheets” on the beds.  The cabins that have consistently good results will earn a pizza party at the end of the session.

Cabin Overnights are a Blast!

Cabin Life

Each cabin group has a nightly meeting to go over the day and discuss successes, highlights, goals, and to talk about getting along as a group.  Living together under one roof requires some give and take, so counselors help to guide campers in being a good citizen & to think about how their actions affect others.  Every cabin goes on a cabin overnight with the next-door cabin during the first week of camp.  For the boys, it is a fun camping trip; our purpose, however, is much more than fun.  The overnight is a great time for a cabin group to bond together as a team away from the distractions back at camp. 

Just a quick note about pictures…we normally take over 100 pictures every day.  We try to get as many different campers in the pictures as possible and have as many different activities represented as is feasible. Generally, we take more pictures around camp than on trips, and some campers shy away from the camera while others jump in front of the photographer every chance they get. We don’t force campers to have their picture taken, so if you haven’t seen your son in a picture lately, email him and ask him to get in front of a camera!

The campers love getting letters and e-mails from their friends and family, so keep them coming. The campers don’t have access to computers, but we print the emails & deliver them with the rest of the mail. If you send e-mails, please be aware that we do not open or print attachments (pictures, word documents, etc.) and it works best if the e-mail has black text on a white background. Please remember (& tell grandparents)- no packages! It is generally best to send your last letters on Tuesday to be sure they arrive before closing day. We will deliver emails and faxes that are sent as late as Friday morning.

Dolly's Ice Cream is a "Chill Night" tradition!!

In addition to “Chill Night” trips to Sliding Rock and Dolly’s Ice Cream, activity trips have started.  Today there were two climbing trips and one river trip that left camp.

 Tonight’s after-dinner activities:

• “Insane Cow Posse” (Hillside & Connestee) are in the Gym.
• “Prevaricating Platypuses” (Lakeside, Foxhollow) Foxhollow is on a cabin overnight, Lakeside is playing a game at the Cabin Field.
• “Tasty Taco Squad” (Flattop & Chalet) are going down the waterslide!
• “Rabid Monkeys” (Windswept & Outpost) Outpost is on a cabin overnight, Windswept is playing a game on the Activity Field.
• “Kings of Leon – - itis” (Halfway, & Pinnacle) are playing a game on the Activity Field.
• “Atomic Hippie Squad of Justice” (Holiday Inn & Lookout)  are headed to Sliding Rock and Dolly’s Ice Cream.

In the upcoming days I will hand off the blogging duties to different staff members.  I hope you enjoy getting to know them!!!

Take care,

–Hank Birdsong

The Chattooga River!

Today was one of those days in camp when you look around and say something like – “Where is everyone?”  The boys have been putting their skills into full swing this week.  Today and tomorrow might be the busiest yet.   Over 60 people were out of camp today for lunch.  All of them on some exciting trip in the woods!  Canoeing, Caving, Mountain Biking, Backpacking, and Climbing all had trips out of camp today. 

I have been impressed with the self-reliance these boys have gained in just over a week of camp.  They have chosen their own schedule, they get up and sorted for the days challenges, make their bed, clean (yes, clean!) their cabin, and even decide on which trips they want to attend.  Independence and self-reliance are one of those subtle traits that kids learn at camp, most of the time they don’t even realize it.  From the very first day these boys are presented with the guidelines, parameters, opportunities and a means to create their own camp session.  Camp is filled with choices, and much like life will hand them, they can’t have everything they want all the time.  For example, just this week a camper was faced with making a choice between two different trips in as many activities.  I was in awe to see this same boy work with both activity heads to make the trips work out so he could attend each of them.  Again, this boy was presented with a situation where he worked within the system to create a desirable result.  Now, it does not always work out that perfectly but sometimes, if you work at it, you can reach your goal even when presented with a challenge.  What a life skill!

I wanted to go off on a tangent a little tonight to make you aware of some important things that are affecting our camp and many others in the State of North Carolina.  Some of you may remember when we contacted you about the nearsighted legislators that thought it might be a good idea to impose a sales tax on summer camps.  You might not know it, but summer camps are getting hit on all sides by regulation and permitting.   Things like building codes, school calendars, forest service permits, and even a health department required “NO Smoking” sign in the dining hall…as if!   In a few weeks we will ask you to take part in a really important study that can help give camps in our region a little credit.  The North Carolina Youth Camp Association (NCYCA) is sponsoring an Economic Impact of Summer Camps.  The goal is to quantify the direct and indirect impact summer camps have on the local and regional economy.  This study is an important tool to help legislators see how much camps do for the economy and the region.   Your input will be a very important step in the study.  Again, we will be getting information out in the coming weeks.  Please take a moment to fill out the online survey and help High Rocks and the surrounding camps have a voice and a tool to show how much we matter.  Thank you!

We have some great pictures of yesterday’s Chattooga River trip, some great horseback riding, and many additional shots in camp.  Have a wonderful night.

 Don Gentle
Associate Director
don@highrocks.com

Pictures from June 15, 2010 (password required)

Mountain Bikers scout the hill before the sweet descent!

Tuesday saw two more trips leaving High Rocks before breakfast began for the majority of our campers. Canoeing busted out to hit a long stretch of the Chattooga River. Known as Section 2, this seven mile stretch of water is designated as a Wild and Scenic Corridor and is one of the last free-flowing streams left in the Southeast. The run offers up great rapids to test our boaters, large pools to collect themselves again, and miles of unbroken wilderness to feel like they are exploring some serious backcountry. With swimming holes and jumping rocks, there is plenty of opportunity to pull over for a refreshing splash down, and huge rocks in the middle of the river for scenic lunches.

Climbers also got another early jump on the rock and headed to Horseshoe for a full day out in some beautiful (if warm!) weather. The guys still in camp spent the day practicing rappelling down from the top of the tower. Not the most comfortable sensation backing off a 50 foot edge, but totally worth the effort for the great descent. Later this week, some of our climbers will gear up for the first climbing overnight fo the session.

Mountain Biking also took a full load out for the entire day. The bikers hit up some amazing trails over in the Mine Mountain and Reasonover areas of DuPont. The group especially loved the professionally built Ridgeline Trail which is rated by the International Mountain Biking Association. The newly redone trail includes a steep, technical downhill which got everyone’s adrenaline levels pumping and had excitement bubbling out of the van upon their return. Our guys also passed by fellow boys’ camps out riding and got the chance to swap camp stories and learn some trail etiquette. A great day in DuPont!

Our 2-Day Hike made it back into camp later this afternoon after spending a great night out in the Pink Beds. The weather was gorgeous for the crew as they got to see storms moving through the mountains off in the distance, but were never troubled with any rain. The hikers made camp near a creek which created an impromptu “Stick Regatta” down the stream and created a very pleasant backdrop for sleeping. The morning saw some of the trails flooded from rain higher up in the mountains and our guys got to use map and compass skills to figure out a new way to get to the pick up area. This was successfully (and proudly) done, with the result of a cushy, dry-footed ride back to camp. Our three day hikers show up tomorrow and I am sure will have many more stories to pass on.

Tonight will see another age group, those in Windswept and Outpost, head off for their Chill Night to Sliding Rock and then on to Dolly’s where the reported favorite flavor out of 52 is, what else, High Rocks Arctic Slide. The Barn is also putting on a special invitational Evening Ride with campers cruising through some longer trails on the property at dusk before heading back to the barn to enjoy S’mores around a campfire.

It was a great day, please enjoy the (late) pictures and we will see you back tomorrow!

Woody

First Ropes Course group of 2010

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  The weather is amazing, staff are rolling in, and it feels like camp is just around the corner.  In a month almost exactly (June 6^th) the first campers will be rolling up the road and the summer of 2010 will officially kick off!  Knowing how busy this time of year can be for everyone, we wanted to post some preparation tips for camp with plenty of lead time.

Parent Pack – by now, every registered camper should have received a mailing to help you organize before arrival.  This includes health and medical information for your camper, a suggested packing list (perhaps taped on the underside of your child’s trunk lid for reference), a cabin placement survey, a travel form, and other information about arrival and camp policies during the session.  If you have not already returned the necessary forms please get those to us soon.  If you need replacements of any forms or are looking for more information, please refer to the Parent Guide section of our website: www.highrocks.com/camp/parent_guide.htm   

Trunks – encompass a camper’s dresser, shipping container, seat, card table, step ladder for top bunks, and even an expression of self.  With six in a cabin, please keep the trunk/footlocker size to no larger than 14 inches high and 36 inches wide.  There are many different options on the market, ranging from plastic containers that will be good for a summer to high quality trunks that will stay with a camper for years.  One company we recommend is C&N Footlocker (www.trunksandfootlockers.com).  For those campers with a brand new trunk this year consider some bumper stickers/favorite sports teams/decoration on the outside to add a little spice, it makes for a great first day conversation starter.

Labels – when in doubt, label it!  It is a fact of camp life that things will be misplaced or forgotten. We have a system of lost-n-found, but it relies heavily on having a camper’s name attached to the item. Whether it be iron-on, stick-on, sewn, or Sharpie, please take the time to put your camper’s name on everything.  Initials are ok, first initial and full last name even better.  Don’t forget the shoes, socks, towels and non-clothes items: tennis rackets and balls, fishing poles, Crazy Creeks, flashlights, water bottles, etc.  Anything you would like to get back!

Collateral Damage – basically, don’t bring anything that you absolutely cannot live without. Camp by nature is a rough and tumble environment where things can and do get broken, usually with the best of intentions and much remorse after the fact.  It is not the place for nice clothes (except for a set for square dance night!) or expensive, easily broken items. 

Accoutrement – regardless of the length of session, camp happens in the blink of an eye. However, it is a veteran camper move to bring those comforts of home that make life just cushy enough for his stay.  Downtime is minimal, but provides a great chance to read a book, play cards with friends, or listen to music on a video-free IPod.  Any travel-size game is perfect for the cabin, especially if it is designed for two or more players.  A Frisbee, hacky sack or lacrosse stick facilitates pickup games and making friends. A small personal fan, unusual pillow case, or poster for near the bed makes the camper’s bunk more personalized and comfortable.  And of course there are the classic pictures of family/friends/pets taped on the underside of a trunk lid.

Correspondence – never a guarantee, but you can increase your odds.  Encourage your camper to write home.  Provide them with pre-addressed (and pre-stamped) envelopes in a zip-loc to combat humidity.  Include an address list of any potential recipients, just in case.  For some younger guys, the ad-lib pre-written letters can sometimes have better results.  Any letter supplies can also be purchased in the camp store.  

As always, we are here for any and all questions in the weeks leading up to camp.  Please don’t hesitate to call about anything, from types of quick-dry clothes to feelings of nervousness.  Hope everyone is enjoying a successful end to the school year and we can’t wait to see you! 

This summer, we have something new for our June Session paddlers.  High Rocks will be one of many camps participating in the 1^st Annual “Green River Games,” June 23^rd, hosted by Green River Adventures in Saluda, NC.  The best part is that the event is almost at the end of the session, which allows our campers who sign up for whitewater paddling to get fully in shape for the fun day on the river. 

As many of you know, our paddling program has its roots in tandem whitewater canoe.  As boys progress, they can then take a choice of kayak, C-1 (decked canoeing:  basically paddling a kayak on your knees with a canoe paddle), or OC-1 (Solo open boat canoe).  The program is designed to challenge you every summer you come back.   Each year the boys learn more and more skills on the lake as well as on many of the rivers in our area.  The guys start out on easy moving flatwater and then progress on to more difficult rivers as their skills allows.  Many of our most advanced paddlers (sometimes after several summers) paddle class III+ rivers during the summer.  Last summer we even introduced C-2 into the program.  Our C-2’s (tandem decked canoeing) are world class slalom boats and are the same boats paddled by Olympians in the whitewater slalom competition.  The boys will have plenty of time to get up to speed before the big event, including several trips down the Green River before the event even happens this summer.

The Green River Games will be an all day event on the Lower Green River near Saluda, North Carolina.  Sponsors, including Green River Adventures, will be providing mini clinics, professional athletes, extra boats to try out, and live web coverage.  We will wrap up the day with some fine Hubba Hubba BBQ, and a little entertainment.  Parents, we will send you information about the web coverage when we get closer to the event.  What fun to see your son on the river!  It’s going to be a great day on the water!

Up and over the roof or 55 feet of obstacles?

The Bouldering Cave under the gym has recently been framed in and is now ready for the climbing staff to figure the perfect place for each and every hold!  From the two roof sections, to the overhanging wall in the back, to all the boxes, angles, and other obstacles down each wall, the Cave will present a wide variety of challenges for all of our climbers.  The addition of fourteen new fluorescent lights illuminate the area better then ever before, making those precise moves more intentional, and less of a hope and prayer.  The floors, shown here post-construction, will actually be covered with layers of mats providing a soft landing zone when attempting the Iron Cross (ala Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible II).

Guaranteed to provide frustration, the roof/overhang/box corner.

The Cave is now covered by 1232 square feet of paneling, designed with more anchors then holds to allow for constantly changing features, moves, and problems.  Regardless of a camper’s experience, each will be able to find challenges that suit their individual ability and push their skills and confidence to new levels.  This hard work will pay off in increased comfort on the rock face and in their overall enjoyment of the sport.  Not to mention a sweet way to spend time on a rainy day!

The originators of the Bouldering Cave idea

Ryan with a nice sized trout

I took a day off last week to catch up with staff member Ryan Donovan.  Ryan has been running our mountain biking program for four years and will return for his fifth (backpack summer)season this summer.   We decided that a morning on a mountain trout stream would be a good way to hang out.  Ryan has been an avid fisherman since childhood, so I took him up on the chance to learn a few tricks about fly fishing for trout in North Carolina.

The Davidson River is probably the most noteworthy trout stream in our area.  Trout Unlimited rates the Davidson River as one of the top 100 wild trout streams in the United States.  Ryan first asked me if I wanted to fish for smart trout or dumb trout.  I didn’t really care.  Then he said, “Do you want to fish or catch trout.”  “Well, catching trout would probably be a whole lot more fun,” I said.  Given that information, we headed out to the East Fork of the French Broad River, which is a hatchery supported stream in North Carolina.  The Davidson is a great river, but the trout in the Wild designated areas see a lot of fishermen, and they are quite smart. 

Even though the weather was a little rainy from time to time, we had a great day!  I learned a lot about various presentation and drifting techniques.  Ryan and I took turns on different hot spots as we waded upstream together.  In the end we each caught a few trout and had a lot of fun taking in the mountain scenery.  We even witnessed a few stonefly and March Brown (Mayfly) hatches, as the first days of spring were approaching.

Don's trout. Not so big but good looking, right?

We are very fortunate to have great staff like Ryan.  In his “real life,” Ryan is the operations director for the Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education program at Brevard College.  I would say he’s a rock climber by choice, but he actually possesses a mastery of skills in a number of disciplines.  He says he really enjoys the shift to mountain biking during the summer, since he does spend a lot of time teaching rock climbing, and keeping up with the day to day operations of such a busy program during the school year.  The summer presents new challenges for him, and a welcomed change.  He enjoys the mentoring of staff, and teaching campers about such a great sport.

Along with his fishing, climbing, and mountain biking leadership, Ryan is also a Leave No Trace Master Educator.  He teaches outdoor leaders how to train participants the principles of LNT in the field.  Leave No Trace is an educational non-profit organization dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and stewardship of the outdoors.  Check out http://www.lnt.org/ for more information.  

It sure is great to have such wonderful natural resources so close to camp.  Maybe we’ll get the chance to take a few of the guys out to the East Fork this summer in our fishing program.  I am getting so excited about the summer and the camp season!  See you all very soon.

Don Gentle

The Rockit!

Is this thing cool or what??? They call it the “Rockit” and it will be on the waterfront at camp this summer.  Although it’s not an alien spaceship, the Rockit is guaranteed to provide at least as much entertainment. This versatile, circular water rocker offers unlimited fun for up to 8 people. Stand or sit in several different ways. Work together, or in factions to balance, roll it, and rockit!  It is sure to be a hit this year on the lake.

Other happenings around camp that will be noticeable to campers is the new arts and crafts, and pottery area.  The whole area under that section of the gym has been completely revamped and re-organized.  We have made better use of space for arts and crafts, gave pottery a little more room, and anticipate the bathrooms to be back up and running over by mountain biking.    The old pottery area will now be a small game table area with foosball and ping pong.  We have four new tables coming in next week!   It really looks cool down there.

Just on the other side of the wall, the bouldering cave is finally receiving its finishing touches.  We have added all new lighting and a completed bouldering area.  The cave will have two large roof sections and several advanced section to challenge everyone!

I am getting so excited about the summer!!!  Have a great weekend!

Don

don@highrocks.com

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.)

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!