Not Far Now

July 25, 2018 by Don Gentle

My day started super-early this morning.  As one of the few North Carolina licensed fisherman on staff, I teamed up with the head of fishing and took a few boys out for an early fly fishing trip on the Davidson River.  We were out of camp by 6:45 this morning. It allowed us to be the first on our section of river and plenty of time to have all we wanted.  I will say that fishing the Davidson in later summer is not an easy task.  If you are a fishing guide, then you know what most of my morning was all about. If you are not then you might get the idea about how it goes when you are leading adolescents in most fun events.  Your joy is watching them do it and helping along the way. I spent most of the time handing my rod to a camper while I re-tied a knot or fixed their rod, showed them how to get your fly out of the wood, and guided them how to keep from scaring the fish.  Of course, I could have let these boys tie their own knots, but I wanted them to stay to the task. I know they can tie the knot, but my goal was to keep them fishing. While we did see a number of trout today, they were all too smart for us.  It sure was a fun adventure and it taught the boys a good lesson about expectations and living in the moment.  Every one of the boys said it was a great trip, they learned a lot, and had a blast.  I could not have asked for more.

I sure have enjoyed watching these boys learn and grow, enjoy each other’s company,  appreciate the differences, and have a blast! Their four weeks (or even just two) at camp has allowed them to forget about their phone, t.v., game console, and even the news.  A little isolation from the day to day chaos of school, grades, tests, competition, and peer pressure sure can be a fantastic moment, even if it is for just a few weeks.  I’m not just saying it, I SEE IT! Watching these boys actually look and talk to each other, discuss things, and appreciate 600 square feet with six other guys; it is vital to their growth. Studies show that engaging activities like camp prevent the summer slide. Even though they are not doing the math, they are still using their brains in an engaging fashion that keeps them on top.  Add to that, the fact that these boys do it all away from their parents is even more of a success. Research shows that if we do not allow our children to solve their own problems then our children will begin to believe that they can not. Part of coming to a place like High Rocks allows for the separation for our children to learn just enough independence that requires them to figure it out without mom and dad around. I sure am glad they are here! After 25 years, I sure have done my fair share of Eagle Scout recommendations, college references, and even federal profile interviews. The world out there is learning the importance of summer camp, even though many of you have figured that out a while ago.

What happened in camp today? Well, I missed the morning since I was out with anglers. A solid group of climbers took off for the Southside of Looking Glass Rock today.  They had a fantastic trip and climbed some hard routes. Horseback riding hosted day 3 of The Rolex.  Today was cross-country.  It looks like there are a few great pictures in the gallery.  Mountain biking took another trip to DuPont in hopes of the Reeb Ranch bike park, but they had to settle for a trail ride since the course was still too wet. About ten of our mini II guys hit the French Broad River today.  It is typically the first river trip for paddlers that presents some nice moving water and even a couple of rapids.  Our hope is that we have hooked a few more multi-year paddlers who will be hitting some whitewater like we had today in the gallery.  Swimming even had a little adventure out to Hooker Falls, which is also in DuPont Forest.

This afternoon the boys cooled off by the waterfront while David and Kathleen treated the guys to root beer and Coke floats!  The best part was the surprise visitor in the lake, a giant unicorn rainbow float.  It was a super fun time!

Closing Day tip for the night: While many of you already know and you may want to slip right out, plan on sticking around for the morning to let your son show you his activities, some of his friends and favorite staff, and share some stories.  We will even have some demonstrations in a few of our biggest programs. Lunch will be served around 11:30.

Your boys sure do make High Rocks a great place. We would love to have more boys that are just like your sons. Our best source for new campers to our community is YOU! Think about who would be a great addition to our community and let them know about Camp High Rocks.  AND, if you have any family friends in the area, the summer is the best time to see camp Have them come by High Rocks to see it in action.   Send them to our tour page and we will take it from there.  We love to show off High Rocks!  Here is a link to the Tour Page.

Thank you for trusting us to mentor your son.  Have a fantastic evening!

Don Gentle

Today’s Pictures