We had a great day visiting with the Mini I parents and wish well to all those boys heading home today.   This group of “minis” was almost entirely first-time campers. It was a big step to jump into all that we have to offer.  I heard several stories about the boys not wanting to leave and how they wouldRead More »

Sometimes we are reminded that these mountains are part of a temperate rainforest.  It allows us to paddle all summer, keeps the trees and grass green without ever watering, and provides for delightful sunsets.  While it did rain today, it wasn’t much of a hindrance; we still did our activities outside. The total accumulation was not much. It was mostly aRead More »

Life at camp started pretty early this morning.  A group of climbers was heading out for a two-day adventure at about 7 am today. They will head off to Virginia to a cool location As I made my way to the dining hall for our daily “meeting of the minds” there was a flurry of excitement.  Several trips were gettingRead More »

Another busy day here up on The Rocks.  The climbers took off to South Carolina to a secret spot we don’t like to talk about.  It was toasty, but the crag is mostly in the shade and they didn’t get stormed out.  Canoers took a new crew to The Green River.  I sure have seen a lot out of theseRead More »

Tuesday dawned cool and cloudy for a rather slow start to a very busy day. After the sheer enthusiasm and energy spent yesterday celebrating the 4th, it seemed quite reasonable to see sleepy guys staggering to breakfast. A meal of eggs, cream of wheat, sausages, and blueberry bread got things moving a little quicker down to assembly where the bandRead More »

Independence Day is a great time to be at Camp high Rocks! What better place to be to focus on independence as you celebrate it on the same day?  We always have a large time on July 4th.  Our day starts with all sorts of fanfare and dress.  The staff worked hard after hours to decorate the dining hall andRead More »

We love Sundays at High Rocks! They are typically a little more chill than the rest of the week.  We wake up a little later, and the morning is at a much slower pace. However, that slower pace does include getting our laundry up to breakfast in the morning.  It doesn’t sound like a huge deal, but getting all ofRead More »

For as long as I have been here, we have had pancakes on Saturday.  Throughout High Rocks history, there was a time that the director himself would cook pancakes on Saturday since our head cook was off that morning.  I tried that for a while, but the program has become much larger and more complex than in those days.  Nonetheless,Read More »

It’s hard to believe it has been five days already! Our Mini I boys leave in a week!  It sure was another great day out in High Rocks Land!  We started the day with eggs, bacon, grits, a fruit bar, yogurt, and assorted cereals. Up to eat early were our typical padders and climbers.  They like to be first inRead More »

The flow of camp is already in full force.  Boys are heading out on trips, learning new skills, and making this summer at High Rocks THEIR experience. I hope you have enjoyed some of the pictures showing all the instruction going on here at High Rocks.  These boys are really learning a lot of new things as well as theRead More »

The morning started early with our first paddling group heading out to The Chattooga River. There are a few pictures from their adventure today. We also enjoyed the cooler temperatures today.  It was great to see the boys starting to get into the groove a little.  Some guys are still working on getting there in time.  More importantly, the boysRead More »

Our first morning at camp! I think it is such a special moment to wake up to the cool mountains of North Carolina in the morning. I am always impressed by how quiet it is before the wake-up bell. I really do love just listening to what is going on out there so early. It’s really just a ton ofRead More »

It sure was a wonderful morning to welcome in all our July campers! We are so excited for all our Mini I boys who have just joined the High Rocks family!  I know many of you are here for the first time. What a great session to step into for your first year! The four-week boys will be a bigRead More »

I can’t believe it has been three weeks already! There was no rest today as we blasted out the last day of the session with gusto!  What an incredible group of young men.  We played hard, we laughed hard, we cried a little, and we even danced a bit. Your son has made new friends and strengthened old relationships. He is moreRead More »

It’s hard to believe that today was the last full day of activities. It was another wonderful day with cool temperatures in the morning with a wonderful breeze. Many boys were still heading out on trips including tubing, paddling, climbing, mountain biking, and hiking. Tonight is one of my favorite nights with our oldest group of campers.  Zoob and I,Read More »

The clearest blue sky and cool breeze kicked off an amazing Tuesday here at camp. The sun quickly warmed things up, as did a breakfast of french toast sticks, scrambled eggs, hashbrown casserole, along with some fruits and cereals to round things out. A mountain biking trip got out early to beat the rush of people to Dupont and wasRead More »

It was another great weather day at High Rocks!  Warm, sunny, with just a touch of breeze all day long!  I enjoy it when the staff help create the vibe around High Rocks. One group this session is trying to spearhead another "them day" here at camp. Several of the guys have come up with a 'Merica Monday theme, completeRead More »

Our Sunday started out beautiful and stayed beautiful all day!  We enjoyed near-perfect temperatures with a wonderful breeze.  It was even a little cool this morning. After a wonderful breakfast of scratch-made cinnamon rolls, we headed down to the lakeside for our morning service.  I lead the group with some discussion on Focus, practice, and learning a new skill pairedRead More »

It sure is nice to have everyone back in camp on Saturday.  After a busy week of trips, there are some boys you have not seen for several days in a row. Most activities were running normally with a few added twists here and there. The weather was the best yet! A nice high-pressure day with lots of sun, breeze,Read More »

I ask the campers all the time “What was your favorite part about today.”  It gives us something to talk about and helps me remember what is important to them.  Well, my favorite part of camp today was that I was able to get out of camp and paddle with a group of canoers today on the Green River! IRead More »