Olympic Sunday

July 18, 2010 by Don Gentle

 Pictures from July 18, 2010 (password required)

Not only was it Olympic Sunday, but we also had a “sleep-in Sunday!”  This morning we let the boys come up to breakfast at their leisure.  Many chose to sleep-in just a little, while some took full advantage of the extra time!   We had some events going on in the dining hall and lodge for those that woke up early, including Krispy Kreme doughnuts for breakfast and a few Looney Tune classics!

After our leisure wake-up we headed down to the lake for our morning service lead by our most enthusiast counselor, Ashley Upchurch.  She focused on the importance of relationships.  Our morning service was followed by our Sunday choice period where the guys had options including bouldering, paddling, ping pong, disc golf, swimming, and many additional opportunities.

We started the afternoon with the kick-off to our Olympic festivities.  As many of you know, we divide camp in half and create a situation that requires a resolution.  The resolution involves the events of all camp Olympics.  This year the teams were the “Scooby Doo and Mystery Machine crew” vs. “The Ghostbusters.”   The costumes were great and the excitement even better.   All ended well with the “Ghostbusters” pulling ahead in the end, giving them first-bell rights at dinner.  As usual the focus was on the events and fun.

Our three-day climbing trip took off just after lunch today for the Red River Gorge in Kentucky.  They will spend the next three days climbing some of the best sandstone in the southeast.  Our head of climbing, Chris Dorrity, has many connections up there and a lot of knowledge about the area.  He has arranged with two different landowners to get the kids on some private rock faces others only dream of climbing!  Chris has been heading up our climbing program for over five years.  He is well known and a well respected climber in the southeast.  He recently finished a bouldering guide book for Rumbling Bald; “The Rumbling Bald Bouldering Guide,” which has turned in to the “must have” guide for this newly developed area.   Like most all of the young men we hire here at High Rocks, Chris is not just an amazing climber; he’s a great role model for our boys who also climbs very well.  He has added a lot of wonderful attributes to our program and continues to make it better every year while he leads these boys to new heights and takes them places they have never imagined.

As we head into our last week of the session, there is still a ton of excitement ahead.  We’ll keep you posted on all the fun!  Have a great night!

Don