Hot Fun in the Summer Time
June 16, 2015 by Dan Noland
Well, it feels like summer, anyway, even if it doesn’t officially start until this weekend. But that’s no problem for us here at camp.
The lake was a popular place all day long: sprinkled with canoes, sailboats and paddleboards, campers out of as well as in them; bordered by fishermen, landing many bream and a few bass; full of people splashing merrily at free times, with some just chilling in the cool water.
We won’t hear from the hikers in Panthertown Valley until tomorrow, but with the many streams and pools and that impressive terrain, I know that they are having a great time. Another hike went out of camp for the day into the Turkey Pen area of Pisgah National Forest. They spent their time hiking along the South Fork of the Mills River in a narrow valley with forested ridges rising on either side, a couple of which they hiked up (and then back down). All smilingly reported a satisfying day, with the highlights being the many crossing of the Mills and several of its tributaries. With no slippery rocks to contend with, they were free to enjoy the cool water, which at times came up to their knees.
The paddlers went to the Green River and also had a wonderful trip. There were few other groups on the river today, and that meant that our guys were able to spend an entire hour at the Surfing Rapid, not only playing in the standing wave but also being able to work seriously on their skills. It is the kind of trip for open boaters and kayakers alike.
The climbers spent the day at Horseshoe Rock, and they came back tired but thrilled. As they were climbing up their routes on the right end of the curve, they could see the entire sweep of the rock, and below in the valley they reported a large Christmas tree farm. I wondered if that had inspired them to sing carols, but they saved their breath for the exertion of the climb.
A Gator was spotted tooling around camp this afternoon, and a rumor (turned out to be true) went out that it was bringing cold drinks and colder apples to activity areas. Soon it had the same kind of exited following that the Good Humor man inspires, though the ice cream had to wait for tonight, and that was just for one age group, but everyone gets a turn!
Some horseback riders also took an extra ride this evening as the sun and temperature dropped, finishing their Cowboy Ride with dinner over an open campfire back at the barn. By the time we knocked off and returned to cabins after snack time, all were ready for showers and a well-earned sleep. It’s always gratifying to note how quickly the busy sounds of a camp day mute into the many frog calls and leaves rustling when the lights out bell has rung.
Good night.
Dan