Back At It!

It was so incredible to see so many old and new friends today.  I feel like it was a family reunion of sorts.  The best was also all our “new friends” we visited with today.  After months on the phone, Zoom sessions, informational videos, tons of correspondence, and then that final 1.3 miles up the camp road!  It was pure magic and it was certainly about time to get back to High Rocks.  The new drive thru process sure is efficient and I get to see almost everyone on opening day.  I know it was a long road on this side, but I also heard many stories of how excited everyone was to get here today!  No phones, no Zoom calls, no virtual anything!  The boys get to hang out everyday and talk with people in person!  They never knew the missed it so much! It was just time to be back at High Rocks.

The day was filled with getting back into “camp shape” for all the boys.  We spent a little time this morning getting our bunks ready and then we hit lunch.  Even though we had snack out all morning long, you would not have known it.  The boys rocked out on our famous chicken tenders, fruit, kettle chips, green salad, and even some couscous salad   They crushed some tenders today.  Always a good sign folks are doing well! 

We headed into the afternoon with some tours around camp, some reacquaintance with a few process items, then they were able to have about three hours of activities. Boys will be able to try many activities this week that will set them up for opportunities later in the session as they work through the progression.

After an afternoon of fun, it was time to eat again!  A dad told me one time he felt like the fact that we just fed his boy for a month was break even for him.  All the rest he gained at camp was bonus!  These boys do eat a lot of food. Most all our food is scratch made so we know exactly what goes in it and the kids love it! At dinner, we enjoyed some pasta with alfredo, marinara, meat sauce, and pesto option (all scratch-made).  We had corn, broccoli, salad, warm yeast rolls, and some fantastic chocolate chip cookies. 

This evening the boys had some free time with their cabin.   I love hearing the rope swing and waterslide just outside my office.  Sound of summer camp as the cool mountain air settled in with a nice breeze.  It is SO wonderful to have these boys here. The boys had a little extra time this evening for one more snack, shower time, and some cabin meetings before lights out. What a great start to an incredible journey.

There is a link below to today’s gallery.  You should have received an automated email from me for the login.  After checking your spam, drop me an email tonight if you did not receive it. I will set you up. These automated emails have tendency to get dropped from some servers.  We will but up 250 or so each day. We tend to push some up at midday and again in the evening.  You will know all the pictures are up once my nightly blog goes live.  So be sure to check back often.

Zoob and I, along with the entire High Rocks, are honored that you have chosen High Rocks for your sons’ personal growth.  We are all here to make sure your son has a great time along the way.  Please let us know if we can help with anything! I will try to capture the day’s events along with some lessons each night, so please tune in to read the details.

All the best,

-Don Gentle

Today’s Pictures