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

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

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

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