June 13, 2018 by Don Gentle
Camp is in full swing now! We had several early trips heading out this morning. It was fun to see Nate out there with some climbers for the “Good Morning High Rocks” at the bell this morning. We started right into an amazing breakfast that included the usual assorted cereals and fruit, but the main course was all about the scratch-made biscuits! Add some eggs and a tasty sausage patty and the morning is starting out well!
Hiking had two different trips out today. A van load headed over to visit some of the incredible waterfalls in DuPont State Forest. In the afternoon, another group of younger guys hit the summit of our own Rich Mountain. I was able to see the young guys coming back. They were super stoked to see the High Rocks boulders and had the satisfaction of hitting the top of a mountain!
A climbing group headed out today to Cedar Rock in Pisgah National Forest. It’s a little off the beaten path and has some harder lead setups, so you do not usually see a lot of groups over there. The boys had several opportunities to climb several grades of climbs from 5.8 all the way to 5.11. the routes even have cool names like “Mr. Friction,” and “Toads are Us.” The boys had a blast and so did the staff!
The paddlers took another trip down the Green River with a slightly younger group today. We have some pictures from that trip that will probably go up tomorrow!
Hurricane day is one of my favorite activities ever in hiking! Imagine if you will, a hiking class on how to set up your tarps. A couple of the guys were definitely new at it. The staff gives them some pointers and the let the boys set up their shelter tarps in what they feel is an appropriate design and location. Now the fun part begins as the hurricane starts to blow! First, a little rainfall (hose), then some wind kicks in (backpack leaf blower). Finally, the rain has turned into wind-blown rain. Meanwhile, there is a constant background of thunder (staff banging on a metal trash can), and even a little hail (cups of ice falling from the sky). The whole chaotic event continues as the boys have to make small adjustments to their tarp and then run back to safety. This event continues on for a solid 20 minutes. What a sight to see. A fun and eventful way to learn how to be sure you have set your shelter up appropriately. It is certainly experiential education at its best!
The rest of the pictures just finished uploading at 9:40! There is a whole lot more ahead as we move closer to the weekend. Stay Tuned!
All the best,
Don Gentle