Full Speed Ahead

Tie-Dye Tuesday had a beautiful start with some early morning cloud cover breaking into blue skies and some welcome sunshine across camp. After yesterday’s socked-in mountain fog, feeling the sun on your skin is delightful, not to mention the effect it has on all that wet camper gear!

Breakfast was busy and delicious with eggs, sausage, cinnamon toast, hot and cold cereals, and fresh fruit to boot. With the sunny skies, the grogginess of yesterday was not in evidence as the boys began to chatter at their normal volume even before assembly began.

Once activities started, camp seemed really in tune. Campers at this stage are not just familiar with camp, but are starting to take advantage of all the shortcuts cruising around camp, know to-the-minute timing on when to grab snack, and where some of the good shady spots are come hot midday. The place feels right when we hit this level of expertise and it lets the guys look further in front of them for goal setting and achieving.

This is also the level of campering that has our boys taking ownership of the place. They know when things are awry, trash is on the ground, or some lost-n-found needs to be reunified with its (sometimes unknowing) possessor. Though knowledge of these matter is not the same as taking the next step, this is the time of camp where more and more of them do just that. It feels good to see that pride begin to grow in the members of the community as they realize they can be a productive part of the place beyond their initial expectations, and then the goodwill that kind of action can engender.

While ruminating on these elements of citizenship, our guys have been plenty busy on the activity end of things as well. Shooting sports are seeing campers advance through the ranks in distance or position, depending on their projectile of choice. Mountain biking has been hitting the trails around camp regularly and are looking at two days with two trips apiece coming up. Fishermen have grown quite comfortable on the lake and are beginning to range over to the island as well as out in boats occasionally. One young man at dinner today described the clarity of the water with the bright sun allowed him to see a big bass approach from the deeps to bite his lure, and be surprised in turn. He was clearly impressed with the whole encounter, as were the fellows around him hearing the tale.

Hiking was working through building fires, and even brought out the bow drill equipment to see who could get a blaze going. As I walked away, they were still at it with some serious gusto though not much heat yet. A group of hikers were also out of camp all day today in Panthertown with some great lunch views and a killer swimming spot. Climbers were all over the tower and had two groups of guys head to the High Rocks for a taste of real rock.

It was a good day all around and full of the camaraderie that results from more than a week of intense time together. At dinner, an entire cabin group was very purposefully coming through line together. After chatting with them, it became clear that they meet up at every meal, at free times, and basically just roll as a packaged deal. Guys were trading/loaning golf discs to people interested in trying the new hotness, or just ones who didn’t have a disc of their own and were hoping to play for a spell. Two gentlemen were waltzing in the lunch line…. just cause.

Tonight, Age Group 3 is out on their chill night adventure and so won’t be appearing in evening activity shots. I hope you enjoy today’s pictures in all their glory and we will see you back here tomorrow!

Woody