Mountain Life
June 21, 2018 by Don Gentle
Life is good on the mountain! Not only do we enjoy all the wonderful views, cool mornings, a passing shower, and even wonderful sunsets. Mountain life has many advantages. Especially, life at 3000 feet. Chill night is a perfect example. Hanging out in a perfect mountain stream that is also an incredible natural waterslide. I really enjoy the name we came up with for this Sliding Rock evening followed by the Dolly’s ice cream extravaganza. You are first chilled by the cold mountain water, then you are even mre chilled by the frozen dairy dessert! We have just a couple more chill nights next week to wrap up the session.
As a camp director, you learn so many different skills. First, you generally have a basic knowledge of all the activities. Of course, there are those cool skills like driving tractors, mending fences, playing with power tools, and loading hay in the barn on a fall day. Then there is less than exciting skills like plunging toilets, shoveling horse manure, Hobart dish machine, cleaning just about everything, and throw-up… Today was one of those random skill days. It usually happens early in the season. A counselor will come up to me an mention that they tried to plunge the toilet and it just will not work. I hear things, like “it’s never coming unclogged.” Don, I really tried, I think we should call Danny (lead facilities Guru, who can fix anything).” 99 times out of 100 the plunger works. I enjoy showing the next generation about how this simple tool works. What I find is that the skill spreads quickly, however. I never have to show more than one or two staff. The trade instantly travels down to the next rookie. I think the boys have pride in their new skill and enjoy showing the next “rookie” counselor about how to actually plunge. It almost falls into the age-old system of learning a trade. You apprentice with someone else and then you become the master. Anyhow, that was my skill of the day.
The other trade I enjoy is leading a camp tour. Today I enjoyed showing a new family around camp, talking with campers, introducing them to my new friend, Rob from Birmingham. I get to brag about all the wonderful things High Rocks has to offer, but most of all I enjoy listening to the current campers tell this prospective camper and his family why he comes back to camp year after year. It makes my heart glow! My new friend Rob and his family visited just about everything in main camp. Of course, it’s hard to make your way around the whole 1100-acres, but I feel like Rob would have stayed all day if I let him.
I can’t believe we are heading into our last weekend! We have a lot in store for this weekend that will really make for some wonderful pcitures. Tomorrow night the boys will be enjoying a kick-off to Medieval Night on Friday. I believe the role of king and queen will be played by Don and Zoob. Saturday night is a square dance with Keystone. On Sunday we will have our annual test of the upper senior age group with the Upper Senior Challenge along with a mudpit finale! I can’t wait!
Have a great night!
Don