While cruising camp, I like to have questions ready for campers that will get them talking about their time at High Rocks. One favorite is “What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen today?” as it is so broad and is a question that they actually think about answering. Always fun to see how seriously some take it.
The answers come as a potpourri of camp stories. Some are focused on physical features of the place like how awesome the new pump track is or how far the newest disc golf drivers will fly. The key point here, it is directly related to how fierce some the beast pictured on the disc comes across.
Some guys think more along the line of successes. Moving from 15 to 20 yards in archery was a quick one this morning. Another guy was pumped to see his hand hit a feature 2/3 of the way up a wall on the tower, the highest he has been (so far) and clearly a success in how far off the ground he chose to go. Some tired guys all answered seeing the Green River while sitting in a kayak for the first time. A much different perspective than higher up in a canoe.
And some answers are just bits of camp gold that you wouldn’t hear about any other way but asking at the right time and place. One fellow’s quick answer was on the turtle eggs his mountain biking trip saw right at the edge of their trail. “They looked just like mushrooms!” was his rather surprising description. Another came from a hulking upper senior in the midst of eating (tons) of foods. He had seen two horses playing together for the first time at the barn, already knew that they were being introduced to create a friendship for the off-season, and was quite satisfied that the animals were well on their way to a happy winter. One young fellow was quite impressed that a peer could answer questions by saying “Yes” and shaking his head no… at the same time! Sometimes it is the little things.
When I hit Don up with a similar version of the question before I sat down to write, he talked about the opportunity during 5:00 choice period for him and Zoob to head into camp armed with coke floats. It was a hot day, and cold coke poured over ice cream speaks to the soul in such conditions. Each location they went to, the scene was clearly different, but the vibe was the same. There was a chill enjoyment going on and groups of guys just being present in their respective places and playing.
Tennis games and matches were happening on the courts. Sweaty gaga gladiators were handling business in the pit, a couple of guys were under a shade tree reading a book. On the waterfront, swimmers were staying cool in the deep end. Paddleboarders could not have been more relaxed and had rafted up together to spend time chatting way out in the lake. Paddlers were either working on decked boat skills near the dock or putting in major efforts out in the gates course to pass certain requirements to unlock their access to those same decked boats. Actually, as the Gentles rolled up, a canoeing partner pair succeeded in passing the final test and paddled back towards the dock to cheers from everyone around them, just in time for a victory coke float to properly revel in the achievement!
A good day at camp, and a wonderful way to kick off our third (or first!) weekend. I hope you guys enjoy the pictures from today and we will see you back here on Saturday evening.
Woody Noland
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