Sundays are special here at High Rocks.  We want to be sure the boys have some time for reflection and to change it up a little bit.  Rest is important.  We give the boys an extra thirty minutes to sleep in on Sundays and we also share some important lessons down by the lake. Today was a perfect Sunday morning! Our firstRead More »

The weather was near perfect up here with temperatures at just around 80 degrees for the hot part of the day. There was a light breeze with mostly to partly cloudy skies.  Western North Carolina was meant for summer camp! We are also situated right at 3000 feet, which gives us even a little more advantage than just Brevard. I’mRead More »

I really do enjoy the quiet of the morning here at High Rocks. You see a few staff up early or exercise but for the most part, it is still.   I like to take a few minutes on the porch to view the lake and appreciate the moment. The cool mountain air and a mostly light clouded sky. Just sippingRead More »

The boys are beginning to figure out the high-energy camp day. They even looked a little winded already this morning.  I think the constant movement and excitement of camp are set in a bit.  You see it in the morning wake-up process. The boys are not jumping out of bed as quickly as they did the first couple of days.Read More »

As I walked around camp today, I enjoyed seeing all the learning happening. By design, these boys choose their own activities. They choose the path and how to walk it. Of course, there is guidance and some discussion from a mentor on opinions about how best to succeed. Ultimately, it is up to the individual about where to go next.Read More »

I enjoyed hearing the first wake-up bell of the session ring this morning.  In recent years it has been immediately followed by an energetic “GOOD MORNING HIGH ROCKS.”  It’s been something of a modern tradition that has caught on over the years.  The most excited person lately has been Nate our Camp Chef and kitchen manager.  He loves to get outRead More »

It sure was a wonderful opening day of the season! I certainly enjoy meeting new families and reconnecting with so many of the boys that come back year after year. It was fantastic to jump into the summer with such a fantastic group of boys. I am so excited to share the wonder of what we do every day.  MyRead More »

It was a wonderful finish to our July session today. We kicked off the day with our advanced horseback riders giving us a drill team show in the big ring.  The next big event was the final match of the counselor-camper tennis match. The final two camper-counselor pairs matched off while several campers and staff looked on. A time-honored eventRead More »

It’s hard to believe that today was the last full day of activities.  There were still a few trips out today including a paddling trip to the Tuckaseegee and one more mountain biking trip to DuPont. We all had a great time with our cabinmates this evening.  Each cabin group picked different places in camp to hang out and haveRead More »

It’s hard to believe we are hitting the last few days of the session here already.  I enjoyed seeing another group of trips out this morning including the Mini Men canoers making their first river trips down the French Broad.  My hope is that it is one of many in the future. There was another group of Mini Men hittingRead More »

In this last week of the session, days begin in both a sleepy and expert fashion. The morning was clear and gorgeous, allowing for the bell ring to carry clear across camp with the responding cheers by the anticipating campers. Our paddlers heading to Section 3 of the Chattooga were the ringers this morning, dragging themselves from their beds earlyRead More »

Mondays always start with a lot of excitement.  We had 6 trips out of camp today and 2 additional special events on the high ropes course. Rock Climbing had two trips out to our private High Rocks climbing area.  It’s so close, that we don’t even get in the van and the boys are finished in just a half day. Read More »

Another fantastic Sunday here at High Rocks!  After a much-needed sleep-in, the boys worked hard to get their laundry up to the lot before breakfast. We enjoyed some of those scratch-made cinnamon rolls from Nate and the kitchen crew accompanied by scrambled eggs, oatmeal, fresh-cut fruit, yogurt, and assorted cereals. We had a great meal, then a little bounce-around time in assemblyRead More »

It sure was another fantastic day! The morning kicked off with the time-honored tradition of pancakes and sausage. We sided with some home fries and boiled eggs and then fresh fruit, yogurt, and assorted cereals.  Today is the day I fill in for the photographer, so I am out and about all day long.  It’s not that I don’t getRead More »

The cool morning brought a smokey-looking mist off the lake. I love these sorts of mornings in the mountains. It has been nice to see a slow drying of the air and some lower temperatures. It was only 57 degrees at 7 am this morning! The high did make it to 79, but the cool breeze most of the dayRead More »

I was super excited to get up to the dining hall this morning. While I typically make it up there fairly early for our daily meeting, I wanted to be sure I caught some of the mini guys coming in from their cabin overnights. As luck would have it, I was even able to catch a few of the boysRead More »

I had one of those “jack of all trade” days today at camp. After my usual admin meeting at 7:30 am, I made the rounds in the dining hall catching staff and campers for various needs. Then,  I had to fix a printer over at the health center, which lead to an Amazon list of needed items that the nursesRead More »

This Tuesday was a beautiful morning with clear skies, a light breeze, and a loud-n-proud wake up bell to start the day. For our 4 Weekers, that morning energy is an expected part of the day and if the typical yelling does not occur they are not shy in asking what happened. For our brand new crew of Mini IIRead More »

We sure enjoyed seeing all our Mini II families today! The cool moist air in the low seventies welcomed them to the mountains when they stepped out of their cars. I always enjoy the surprise on our parents’ faces when they open the door to the beautiful mountain air.  Life at 3000ft has its advantages!   Four-week parents, today weRead More »

Another fantastic Sunday at camp.  After a wonderful breakfast, and a little music, A multi-year staff member, Dallas, lead our morning by the lake with a talk about empathy; what it means, and how it can help our community. I was impressed to see the boys participate in some of the questions and really seem to understand what he wasRead More »