Don’t Have a “Clue” What Day It Is
July 12, 2019 by Woody Noland
We are deep into the session now and in my conversations around camp, it quickly became apparent campers have foregone the typical niceties of days of the week in exchange for “today”, “tomorrow”, etc. Several guys all took a stab at what day it was, and all missed the mark both earlier and later… I would say things are going very well indeed!
“Today” was a beautiful one. Low 80s, sunny with a breeze. Storms threatened but missed, and cooled camp off to a delightful level after a steamy midday. In camp, the day was a busy one which is just about always true on the mountain. Pottery was firing and glazing to beat the band. Woodworkers were finishing up projects like catapults or benches with hidden storage compartments. Tennis was sweating it out on the courts while sailors were enjoying the breezes and flying around the lake.
Horseback riding was taking advantage of our trail system here. With our camper crew fully comfortable with the routine, riding classes have the ability to maximize the time in the woods, seeing new parts of camp and enjoying the shade to boot! It is a neat sight to see guys take a strong interest in horsemanship, to the point that some will return at 5:00 free time for deeper lessons in brushing horses down, taking care of tack, feeding, picking a hoof, etc.
Out of camp, things were happening as well. Our paddling head, Sumner Williams, took a group on the Green river, which is exactly how he wanted to spend his birthday today! Mountain biking had a younger group in Dupont for their first taste of those excellent trails and some eye-opening downhills after some gasp-inducing uphill climbs. We also had a group of climbers come back from an overnight trip to Hidden Valley and a group of (smelly) older guys return from a rather grueling three-day hiking trip. It is always a fun part of a Friday to have the influx of people from the extended trips adding back into camp, with their stories and experiences to share in that grapevine fashion that a tight community does so well.
Today was also the last full day that our guys in the Mini I session had a camp before departing tomorrow morning. Tonight, the dining hall was transformed unexpectedly into a spooky mansion straight out of the board game Clue, and the guys were greeted with a bit of dinner theater over some fried chicken. A crime had been committed in camp and a series of clues had been scattered about camp with some (well) hidden counselors. Crews of campers scoured camp quite thoroughly in their hunt for sequential hints towards the truth. Hilarity ensued before a snack and then returning to their cabins still comparing notes.
Our Mini guys had one more step to their evening in a special campfire with s’mores with music and a story as they wrapped up their camp experience for this year. They were a wonderful, energetic bunch of guys and will be missed as they head out in the morning.
For the rest of you, we look forward to a Saturday at High Rocks and will see you back here tomorrow evening!
Woody