I love Saturdays at High Rocks! In the 30 summers I have been here, there have always been pancakes on Saturday. It’s just what we do. Our Chef Nate makes the recipe in one of those giant Hobart floor mixers and always uses real eggs and real buttermilk. It does make a difference. It was a wonderful event sided with some lovely sausage links, home fries, and hard-boiled eggs if you wanted them.
I enjoyed checking out the guys down at paddling this morning! They were enjoying what we call “try-yak” Saturday. Also known as Try a Kayak Saturday. We let any of the boys bob around in kayaks for the whole period. It was an awesome time and the boys had a blast. Meanwhile, the hikers took a break from the heat with “underwater hiking.” It’s a bit of a water aerobics event with lifejackets as the “hike” in the lake. A great way to stay cool and just have some fun. Griffin did a great job of adding some geology, ecology, and jokes. Did you know that every lake in the Southeastern United States is man-made?
Our paddling program always starts out in canoes and always on flat water. The canoe gives the boys a good vantage point for when they first hit the river and it gives them a bigger craft that is not as edgy as a solo canoe or kayak. It is a tried and tested tradition in these parts that go back over a hundred years. The boys will learn both the bow and stern positions on the lake and on the river. All of their strokes and maneuvers are designed to take them down the whitewater river progression. Once the boys have moved up to the second or third rivers in the canoeing progression, they can move into a solo boat like a kayak, C-1, or OC-1 (solo canoe). They will continue their progression in the canoe and the solo craft. Year after year these boys are challenged on new rivers with new skills. It is still one of our most popular activities. While there are a few boys that are deep into the progression and kayking on rivers already, many in this session are just starting along that progression that can eventually take them to Class III and IV white water a few years down the road. Teamwork, cooperation, and building skills. All of this trnafers to real life situations. Our part is just a little more fun…
I really enjoyed one of High Rocks’ modern classics down at rock climbing. Crate stacking is an acrobatic feat that requires the climber to ascend and stack milk crates as he slowly adds one at a time without letting them tip over. Of course, they are on belay and roped in with plenty of guys cheering them on. It requires a lot of balance and poise. Some boys were able to get as many as 18 crates. An impressive feat. The pictures tell a lot of the story here.
Tonight, the boys enjoyed dinner out. Each cabin gathered up their dinner and took it to wherever they wanted. Pizza, chips, scratch-made chocolate chip cookies, and sodas. It was a big hit and a wonderful evening to just sit out on the lawn or the boathouse or wherever just enjoying the cool mountain air and a little fellowship.
We will slow down a little tomorrow, at least in the morning. The afternoon has big plans. There are some paddling trip pictures from yesterday that did not make the loop.
Have a great night!
Don
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