End of the "Work" Week

This second Friday is the midpoint of camp for some, and the last night of the session for our Mini I guys. The day got a great start with cooler temperatures encouraging people in for breakfast. Many went down to a rocking assembly afterwards with movement songs aplenty to get that cinnamon toast moving through the veins. Properly prepped for the day, the in-camp day launched into activities.

Others headed out on trips with mountain biking heading to a morning ride in Dupont bound for Wintergreen Falls. Our boaters also left camp with a crew of some older paddlers heading for the Chattooga river. Any chance to get on a run that follows water designated as Wild and Scenic is a treat and a different experience from many other rivers. The topography of the river also lends itself to beautiful swimming spots and great rock jumps. The paddlers may have actually paddled more than they played along the run, but it was a close thing.

Our 2 Day climbers made it back from Hidden Valley after big days spent climbing some great routes. Some of the guys made it back to camp just in time to jump out of their climbing van and jump straight into their Chill Night vans as they rolled right back out of camp. The endurance of these guys at this stage of the session is not to be underestimated!

The day grew warmer as it went along though it remained noticeably cooler than the beginning of the week. In camp, Sprucepine had their crack on the high ropes course. A group of veteran campers, they handled the heights with ease and enjoyed making up challenges to test themselves/each other. The Upper Seniors had their Chill Night event heading out from dinner and left offering varied and somewhat ridiculous bets on how many times each could go down the rock.

The tennis courts were quite busy through the morning classes. Not just from the cooler weather either. Our tennis instructors had created a Wimbledon experience in the Player’s Lounge with Pimm’s Cups (camp style) and strawberries-n-cream to fully get into the spirit. The players clearly enjoyed the treats and the moment, with more and more campers showing some sudden interest in the sport as they passed by! To add to the tourney flair, there were a string of matches being played in the Camper-Counselor Tennis Tournament that goes for nearly the entirety of the 4 Week session. It is a well-tracked event by most in camp, though it has no bar for entry to anyone who wishes to sign up at the beginning, making for a wonderful mix of skills, costumes, and just plain fun.

The afternoon enjoyed a solid rainstorm to cool everything down once again. As the skies cleared, camp emerged into afternoon fun and then headed into evening events. Most of camp enjoyed a hearty dinner of chicken alfredo, garlic bread, grilled asparagus, salad, and ice cream. One lucky cabin got to head straight to the barn instead for their Cowboy Dinner Ride. They were met by a guest rider, Don Gentle, and proceeded to ride trails as the sun was setting before returning to the barn for a dinner cooked over the fire, replete with s’mores as well.

A good day at High Rocks to wrap up our second “work week”. And now we get to head into a fun weekend as well. We look forward to welcoming all of the Mini I parents to camp tomorrow!