Pictures from July 19, 2010 (password required)

Tonight we continue our “guest columnist” event as Chase Ferree takes the stage to write a little about camp from his  perspective.  Chase is a sophomore at the fine school of Washinton University (Wash. U.) in Missouri.  He has been a camper for five years and is now in his second summer as a staff member. I hope you enjoy what he has to say. -Don Gentle

To think that we’ve got fewer than five full days left at camp is absolutely mystifying. Though this is my second summer here as a staff member and my seventh at High Rocks, I’m still so surprised at how the end of the session just sneaks up on all of us!

All is well, though, as this session draws near to its close. As Don said yesterday, the three-day climbers are enjoying some sweet climbs out at the Red River Gorge, for their first full day of climbing. Paddling’s got two trips out, mountain biking one, and there’s going to be a great two-day hike going out tomorrow. I’ll be leading that last trip to Slate Rock in Pisgah along with another hiking counselor, Peter Kleinhenz (also our fishing head). Pete has extensive knowledge and experience working with reptiles and amphibians in his native Ohio; those of you with kids who have been on one of his trips should check out the pictures they’ve taken of these amazing creatures! If we’re lucky, there are a couple of species of salamander I hope we’ll come across in the next two days.

With so many campers and staff out on trips, there are only a few times during the session during which everyone is in camp – usually just Saturday and Sunday. These days are often two of the most fun per week, and the past weekend was no exception. This past Saturday night was marked by a particularly excellent (and globalized) square dance with Keystone Camp; at the end of the festivities nearly every one of their campers performed a dance to the song “Jai Ho” from the movie Slumdog Millionaire – the song had hardly to begin before our guys jumped in with them. And of course, Sunday’s Olympics were another highlight. As one of the Ghostbusters, I must say both Will McDonough, with his note-perfect Ghostbusters attire, and Peter, who portrayed Kentucky’s Turtle Man to brilliant effect, stole the show. And, as always, Sunday night was capped with a wonderful campfire and several stories from Dan Noland, who always knows how to captivate the campers.

After the busy weekend, we were all looking forward to a return to routine; today has been great for that. It’s also been a particularly beautiful day around camp; though it started off with some rain, keeping things cool, it was hardly noon before everything began to brighten up. The afternoon clouds are in gorgeous formation outside, preparing for what should be an excellent sunset, and the lake is alive with all sorts of activity. If you listen hard when you’re down on the waterfront, you can hear the “pocks” of tennis balls coming from the courts, where more than a few matches are going on. The camper-counselor tennis tournament is coming close to its end, with some more matches today during Choice Period, and I’m hoping the final will be a match for the ages (I know who I’m rooting for!).

For the Monday starting the last week of camp, I don’t think we could ask for a better one. I’m definitely looking forward to what’s shaping up to be one of the best weeks of the summer! Take care and have a great night!

Best,

Chase Ferree

Pictures from July 14, 2010 (password required)

Just as breakfast was ending, the hair salon was opening!  Several of our staff created some wacky hairstyles for whoever wanted one; everything from small braids to BIG HAIR!   They sure looked hilarious!  Assembly followed to what was to become a beautiful day!  The weather was partly cloudy all day, high in the mid-80’s, and a great breeze!  What a wonderful day at Camp!

Holy cow are we ever busy!  These boys are running in so many directions it is amazing!  It sure is a lot of fun!  Yesterday was a big treat for some of our paddlers.  We arranged for a group of the guys to meet up with Wayne Dickert, former Olympian and Head of Instruction at the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC).   They worked the river and received some top notch instruction at the gates.  Training that will set them up for success at next week’s Camp Cup event on the Nantahala River.  It was a great day!

Today was a huge day for our Mini II boys!   After breakfast they headed over to spend the entire morning on the high ropes course.  They spent the afternoon in their normal activities, and finally met up for a night in the woods formally known as their “cabin overnight.”  The guys packed up their backpacks and headed out to Lower Rocky Top Shelter, one of five Appalachian Trail style shelters we have on the property.  They will spend the night feasting on the favored “pita pizza” then wash it down with some good old fashioned s’mores!  We’ll get to see them roll in just before breakfast to get washed up just in time to eat.   I am looking forward to the stories.

Tennis had a special treat this afternoon as they headed down to town to enjoy some instruction at Brevard Racquet Club and experience the game of tennis on some top-notch clay courts.  Swimming also had an afternoon trip out.  The swimming staff took a group of guys out to Hooker Falls in Dupont State Forest.  It was a leisure event swimming below the falls and playing around in the huge pool. A perfect trip on for a sunny afternoon.

The cavers headed out after lunch for our first-ever “caving overnight.”  The guys will head into the cave tonight, then eat dinner, sleep, and hike back out!  Hopefully, we’ll have a few pictures to show you tomorrow.  The mountain bikers headed out for three days over in the Tsali National Recreation Area in the Nantahala National Forest.  Three full days of riding on some world class trails!  Our advanced paddlers head out early tomorrow morning for a two-day trip up to the New River Gorge in West Virginia.  The fun never ends!  Have a great night and feel free to leave some comments if you feel the urge.

Don Gentle

Pictures from July 1, 2010 (password required)

Each cabin gets one opportunity during the busy session to spend half the day on the high ropes course.  What a way to bring the cabin together and have some fun!  The boys learn the basics in the “ground school” training before ever going up to the course.  During this training they also learn to count on one another to be sure each person is making the right moves.  They even have to ask their partner permission to make movement through the course.  Our high ropes course has 16 different elements at levels of 25 and 45 feet in the air!  The half-day event ends with an exciting time down the zip line!

The last of the cabin overnights headed out tonight with the exception of our oldest boys in Holiday I.  We have a special mission for them that will happen Saturday night.  We’ll keep you posted.  SSSHHHH!

The climbers were also out today as well as our first group heading to Worley’s Cave for at day of what I call “indoor hiking.”   There is nothing like crawling around all day in the mud and not knowing whether it is rainy or sunny outside.  What a blast!

The legendary “Camper-Counselor Tennis Tournament” started today.  Each year the boys ask a counselor (or nearly any staff member for that matter) to be their partner in the tournament.  Camper players with more skill are asked to pursue staff with less skill and so on.   The guys over at tennis have a great time matching the pairs to create a fun tournament. The event will take the entire session to finish…  Along with trips, staff days off, and just a plain busy schedule, we have had some final games in years past played on parent’s day.  It should be a lot of fun; we will keep you posted on the details.

Our second group of paddlers headed out for some review and hard work on the Green River.  The boys spent the day not just heading downstream, but also stopping at many rapids and working on skills that will help them on future river trips.  Many times the boys even have to change positions in the canoe and re-run the rapid in their new setup, allowing the boys to become fully capable of working the canoe from the bow or stern.  You will hear about these guys on more rivers in the future.  The river trip pictures came in late, so check out tomorrow’s blog for some great canoeing shots from this group.

We often get asked why the boys have to spend time in a canoe first before moving on to a solo boat.   One of the best reasons is that the boys spend a little more time in a larger craft understanding how the river works and what it does to your boat.  The canoe offers an amazing vantage point to see all the river features downstream. It also give the boys an opportunity to work as a team and communicate with each other as they challenge themselves.   We want the boys to experience the river in what some might call a more noble craft.  Most all of the skills learned in a canoe are immediately transferable to a kayak.  Personally, I always felt that learning to paddle a canoe was like learning to drive a manual transmission (stick).  If you can drive “with a stick” you can drive any car my parents would say.  If the boys learn to paddle a canoe, they can paddle anything! The canoeing base to our paddling program is probably one of the longest traditions we have here at High Rocks.  It was actually brought over from Camp Mondamin when Townsend’s parent’s first started High Rocks.  The tradition continues to this day.

Have a great night and enjoy the pictures!

Don

Pictures from June 22, 2010 (password required)
note: today’s pictures span several days

Paddling on the Chattooga River

 We had another active day at High Rocks! Seven trips were out & there is an evening horseback ride, so nothing is slowing down around here!! Pictures today include some that a few staff members have been taking over the last week, so the pictures today encompass several days.

It’s hard to believe there are just two more program days left in the session!  Be sure to check this blog tomorrow for the last day of pictures and information about parent’s day.

Parent’s day is FRIDAY, beginning at 10:00am; please plan to arrive between 9:30am & 9:45am.  Parent’s day will last until after lunch.  Please plan to stay for the morning & see your son demonstrate his favorite activities!  More details will be in tomorrow’s posting.

 Take care,

Hank Birdsong

Pictures from June 21, 2010 (password required)
note: today’s pictures span several days

Mountain Biking Across Upper Pasture

What a day at High Rocks! Six trips were out & we still had all of our regular activities too!!  This last week is the culmination of the skills our campers learned in the first few weeks.  Lots of trips will leave camp each day this week and in-camp activities will be continuing their skill progressions until the last day of camp.  For many campers just being away from home for three weeks is the biggest challenge.  For others the biggest challenge might be attaining a goal in an activity.  Our ongoing goal is to be sure that High Rocks contributes to the growth of our campers.  Fun and adventure are a big part of our program, but we have other goals for our campers that we hope they will carry with them into the future.  Taking a few steps towards independance, treating others with respect, developing self-confidence, being a contributing member of a community- these are some of our goals for our campers.  

Mail can be slow to arrive in Cedar Mountain. At this late date in the session, I recommend not sending any more letters.  Any letters sent after today probably will not arrive until after the session is over. We will continue to deliver letters, emails and faxes until Thursday.

Several camps in the Brevard area will end on Friday, which means full hotels and restaurants on Thursday evening. If you will be in the area on Thursday night, it would be a good idea to have supper reservations unless you plan to eat fast food. Here are some possibilities, most take reservations:

Nicer local restaurants (not chains), all are downtown, except Sora-

Sora – 828-883-9808 (Hank’s Favorite) Japanese / Sushi (near Wal-Mart)
Jordan Street Cafe – 828-883-2558 (Townsend’s Favorite for supper)
Falls Landing – 828-884-2835 (Seafood- we eat there often at lunchtime)
HobNob- 828-966-4662 (Don & Zoob’s favorite)
The Quarry- 828-877-2244
Marco Trattori- 828-883-4841
Square Root- 828-884-6171

Not fancy, but lots of food-

Twin Dragons Chinese Buffet- kids like it, lots of food, lots of variety
Cielito Lindo – Mexican- Fast service, no reservations needed

More restaurants are listed on www.brevardncchamber.org

You should be receiving a letter from your son’s counselor soon. Townsend was proofing them over the weekend & most went in today’s mail.

Wednesday will probably be the last day of pictures. We will all be fairly busy with numerous end-of-session details on Thursday and Friday.  Many of you pre-ordered a flash drive of pictures from the session.  The USB flash drive is a 4-gigabite drive with high quality versions of the lower-quality pictures we have included on this website.  If you did not preorder a flash drive we will have more available for sale on closing day as well.

Take care,

Hank Birdsong

Pictures from June 19, 2010 (password required)

Danny helping Fisher with the final details of his lamp in wood-working.

This Saturday was a lot of fun in camp.  We kicked the day off with pancakes prepared by guest grillers, Scott Sullivan and Dan Noland.  We then had a rip roaring, fun time the rest of the day!  On with the activities!

Starting over at the climbing wall, we begin with the zany “Pirate Day” where campers “storm the tower” and staff members defend it by throwing water down on them.  The boys have a blast as they get soaking wet!  The event ends each hour with a selected camper climbing to the top of the tower with the pirate flag as a cape and lays claim to the Climbing Tower at the top!

Horseback riding had a similar pirate day event with trail rides staged around a treasure hunt.  The boys would have to follow the clues along the way in order to find the buried treasure!  You will also see some “Celebrity Barn Staff” in the pictures today.  The barn has selected staff from other activities to come down from time to time and be a celebrity rider.   I must say, Woody, our head counselor, looks quite sharp in riding gear.  Chris Dorrity, our head of climbing, also made an appearance this week.

The mountain bikers put on some pretend tattoos then dressed up a little rugged and ready for the road.  They set their bikes up with the classic clothespin-playing cards in the spoke to create a motorcycle-like sound.  Finally, the boys “drove” their bikes through camp to create a sort of bike gang harassment as they cruised through each activity.

Archery and Riflery each had special skilled events going on for their Saturday.  The archers each put multiple balloons on their targets, and then attempted to pop each one with arrows.  In riflery, the boys would pair up; one shooting, the other spotting with a scope.  The goal was to find the small camouflaged plastic dinosaur in the grassy hill.  The team has to work closely since only the spotter can usually find the dinosaur.  The spotter then tries to communicate the location to the shooter to create a winning combination.  It is a great skill in teamwork and communication that the boys really enjoy.

The hikers started out with some great fire building, and then the boys used the fire to roast marshmallows for s’mores.   What a way to motivate someone to get a fire started…add a little chocolate!

Arts and crafts started their ever-popular Tie-Dyes today.  The boys are always excited about these.

We have a dance tonight with another local girls’ camp from Brevard.  Keystone Camp will be coming over to square dance with us tonight.  It should be a lot of fun!

Have a great night!

Don Gentle

 Pictures from June 18, 2010 (password required)

Today was a beautiful day to be in Western North Carolina.  The weather was wonderful and the temperature was warm but a little cooler than recent days.   It was a great end to the tripping week and the boys are a little bit worn out after numerous trips and adventures in camp.

Today we had our first Kayaking trip to the Green River.  The boys have been working really hard and got to set out on the Green River for a new adventure.  It is always different the first time in a kayak.  The guys did great and I believe are chomping at the bit for more rivers next week!  Thee two-day hike from Sam’s Knob returned and there are some great pictures from that trip.  The Rock Climbing trip to the Obed also returned this evening after two great days of climbing. 

The climbers were the last trip to make it back, which makes for a great sigh of relief as a camp director.  We work hard at everything we do and our staff are amazing at what they do, but it sure makes me happy when that last van rolls into the lot for the weekend and everyone is home!

Tonight was skit night and were there ever some laughs!  The sillier the better on this night and the campers and counselors certainly did not disappoint.  There were scenes from America’s Next Top Model all the way to rapping fast-food cashiers.  What fun!

On with the weekend!  As we ready ourselves for a little mixed up fun again in tomorrow’s activities, kicked off with pancakes made by the directors and other none-kitchen staff.  It’s a tradition that has continued for decades here at High Rocks.  Some of you alumni will remember Mr. Will (Sumner Williams; Townsend’s dad) making pancakes for camp every Saturday, as time passed Hank and Dan Noland stepped in to help and later took over the event.  Today you can still see Hank and Dan with other “apprentices” learning the ways of the griddle every Saturday morning.

Tonight’s pictures highlight a group on the ropes course, some great waterslide shots from a swimming class, and finally all of cabin photos.

Have a great night!  Sorry we were late…

Zoob Gentle
Associate Director

Pictures from June 17, 2010 (password required)

Heading out to Sam's Knob, Pisgah National Forest

As we near the end of the second week, our guys are starting to see some of the returns from all the initial hard work they’ve been putting in. Campers that had never been in a canoe before this session made it onto their first Green River trip today and got a taste of a real whitewater river and the challenges that can present. The butterflies that build in each boy on the 45 minute ride over are in full frenzy when they first push off from the bank. Armed with new paddle strokes, counselor guides, and a partner to face the unknown with, each camper finds himself pushing through the nerves and slowly gaining the confidence in his own skills to face what lies around the next bend or around the next big rock. The excitement of the moment sometimes prevents each camper from realizing the boost such an experience can have, and it takes that same van ride back to camp or sharing stories in the cabin for the accomplishment to begin to sink in. This is that same bug that bites so many guys here, and can set them on a path for a lifetime of enjoyment in all sorts of endeavors.

This afternoon saw a group of tired, grubby guys show back up to camp after two days of mountain biking with a campout in between. Having ridden six miles in several hours, the group said they staggered in to their shelter for the evening where their gear had been dropped off earlier that day. Not only did they get to feast on a full Mexican dinner in the middle of the woods, but they also had a treasure note waiting for them which directed them into a nearby, ice-cold mountain stream where eventually a treasure trove of sodas was found floating in a pool. Fueled by stories of the day (and some sugar) the group stayed up into the night playing a Greek Mythology game of Mafia, a favorite around the campfire. The next morning they crushed a breakfast of pancakes before heading back onto the trail, and then back to camp victorious, and needing showers.

Two more 2-Day trips went out today. The hikers headed up into High Pisgah where the weather is cool at an elevation around 6000 feet and the views are amazing. Sam Knob is a spectacular two – peaked mountain rising above the clear waters of Flat Laurel Creek and the surrounding meadows. A group of climbers were off to spend a couple of days climbing in the Obed Wild and Scenic River area. Boasting world class sandstone climbing, campers will have many different routes and levels of difficulty available to them in a very popular destination. With so much of the climbing occurring on private land, or tracts owned by the National Park Service and the Nature Conservancy, the campers also get a chance to appreciate the work and effort the climbing community puts into maintaining the sites, in the hope that they will continue to remain accessible.

The last trip today was a huge group of soccer and tennis aficionados who descended on a nearby girls’ camp, Camp Illahee, for an afternoon of co-ed doubles on the courts and a high energy game of soccer with the mixed teams constantly rotating. The buzz surrounding these inter-camp visits usually makes the trip before it starts, but everyone was all smiles and stories rolling back into camp.

Today in camp was one of the prettier days in a while with no rain or thunderstorms threatening, but the weather stayed cool enough to encourage lots of exuberance. Horseback riding did numerous trail rides through some of the rhododendron tunnels and open meadows of camp while climbers on the tower learned how to place gear to protect themselves while climbing on real rock. Fishermen continued to have success on the banks and some from canoes so they could track down the big bass hiding in the deeper areas of the lake. Improvisational comedy instruction was offered later in the afternoon for cabin groups looking to prepare for Skit Night on Friday. Lakeside and Foxhollow ate an early dinner before blasting off to Sliding Rock to commence their Chill Night. All in all, a busy day throughout camp and beyond with some tired fellas dragging themselves off to bed after a snack of large soft pretzels.

Check in tomorrow for more pictures, more news, and more fun!!

Woody

Pictures from June 14, 2010 (password required)

The week started out with a bang today with six trips heading out in every different direction.  The caving trip was the first down the road at 8:15 this morning.  They took a new group of boys to Worley’s Cave for a day of playing in the dark and getting muddy!  Next out were the climbers.  They headed to Cedar Rock again and were able to dodge the afternoon rain and still get some climbing done at the rock.  The paddlers had to work around some water release schedules after they found out that Duke Power would not be releasing water on the Green River today.  Unfortunately, they don’t let us know until the morning of the release as to whether they will give you water or not.  They made a quick alteration and headed to Section 8 of the French Broad.  There are some great pictures from today’s trip.  Mountain biking was next with another trip over to DuPont.  They spent the whole day hitting the trail.

The last two trips out today were our first backpacking trips of the session!!!  The boys spent the first week learning some of the skills necessary on overnight trips like what to pack, how to pack it, setting up tarps and tents, how to where your pack and even how to read maps. Now it was time to use those skills on the trail.

The two-day backpacking trip was lead by Chase and David who took some “middler” aged hikers off to the Pink Beds.  Pink Beds is an easy trail with many cool bridges, and unique flora and fauna that is supported by the surrounding mountain bogs.  There’s even a beaver dam!  It should be a lot of fun! 

The second backpack trip was a three-day trip to Middle Prong Wilderness.  Middle Prong is up high in the Pisgah National Forest with an elevation of about 5200 feet.   It has been so hot down at camp, the boys were very excited once they jumped out of the van and felt the noticeably cooler air.  Middle Prong is named after the “middle prong” headwaters of the Pigeon River.  The guys will change some elevation throughout the hike, which will create a good challenge.  They plan on finishing at Sam’s Knob, which is an awesome hill up in the High Pisgah Meadows just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.  If you are ever up here from mid-August through Labor Day weekend, you should make a point of hitting Black Balsam and the High Pisgah region up on the Parkway.  The blueberries are amazing!  No blueberries for our guys, but they should have an excellent hike!

This evening begins the first of five “Chill Night” trips.  Tonight Halfway and Lookout cabin groups will have an evening where they head to the natural waterslide called “Sliding Rock” in Pisgah National Forest.  The mountain stream water is a chilly 55 degrees, but is a lot of fun!  The boys will then head for ice cream at the locally famous Dolly’s Dairy Bar.  The name “Chill Night” is quite appropriate given the activities.  It will be chilly, but a ton of fun!  I’m sure you will hear about Dolly’s on closing day.  There are always several families that head off to see this “famous” ice cream stand.

More excitement tomorrow!  Enjoy the pictures!

Don Gentle
Associate Director

 Pictures from June 13, 2010 (password required)

Sunday Morning by the Lake

Today started out with a sweet bang!  The Krispy Kreme guy came late last night and dropped off 400 sweet and delicious glazed doughnuts!  The boys were psyched!  Krispy Kreme is more of a household word than it used to be.  Of course, most everyone around here has known what “Hot & Now” has meant for decades!  The sweet “wall of glaze” that the doughnuts go under after they are fried still enchants me to this day.

The day continued with a time for songs and reflection down by the lake, where Zoob lead us with some words about friendship.  She queried the boys about what makes a good friend and how do we go about choosing them.  Her discussion continued about how some of your best friends are the most unlikely ones initially.  She shared a story with the boys that has become a modern classic; the story of “Owen and Mzee”.  It is a true story of a baby hippo and a 130 year- old tortoise who are forced into an impossible relationship, one that by all the rules should never have happened. A tale of two creatures who come to depend on one another in extraordinary circumstances when a baby hippo is rescued after being separated from its mother in a Tsunami and paired up with the ancient tortoise.  The two form an inseparable bond that defines what friendship can and is all about.  Check out www.owenandmzee.com if you want to hear more about this incredible story.

High Rocks is one of those places where friendships are created under incredible circumstances.  I know of so many stories of boys who have met here and request to be bunk mates every year…and they live hundreds of miles away from each other during the school year.  Camp creates so many great friendships; bonds that last for decades and beyond.  Zoob did a great job of identifying some of the former campers (now staff) who have formed life-long friendships here at camp that continue today.  She challenged the boys to be on the lookout for those friends and reach out to those who seem unlikely to be your friend, but could be your best friend once you get to know them.  What a great message…

Sunday morning continued with many choice activities that lasted until lunch including: fishing, swimming, canoeing, disc golf, ping pong, bocce’, croquet, basketball, and tennis.  Lunch was a hefty feast of roasted turkey, rice, dressing, beans, gravy, biscuits, and the salad bar.  We washed it down with ice cream “sundaes on Sunday,” and took a much needed rest.

The afternoon continued with age-group activities that involved a lot of running wrapped up with a refreshing swim.  The evening continues with a cookout on the lawn, followed by our weekly campfire event where we sing a few songs, listen to a story, and reflect on the past week with an eye on the week ahead.  I love Sundays!

There are some great pictures from the square dance last night as well as a climbing trip, and finally the boys having fun on Sunday!

Have a great night…we sure are!

Don Gentle
Associate Director