There was plenty going on for a Monday as we got back into the action after a restful day. We had all sorts of trips heading out today. Hiking, climbing, canoeing, and mountain biking all had trips out the door. The hikers had a three-day heading out up to Shining Rock wilderness. They will start at Black Balsam Knob up on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This hike has amazing vistas and sits up at around 6200ft. Our staff member that dropped them off said it was only 60 degrees up there. From there, the boys will hike all the way to the infamous Dolly’s Dairy Bar right at the entrance to The Pisgah National Forest. That should keep them going for three days!
In other news, many teams were rushing to finish their second rounds of our Camper-Counselor matches today. They had to be wrapped up so we could move to the next round of play. Today was the deadline or be eliminated…
Our big news of the day was welcoming our July Mini II Campers! It was so much fun to see new and returning families this morning. Many we had met on the road last fall and some again at one of our father-son weekends. We had everyone here by 11:40am and the boys ere off and running. The guys did some tours around camp and then right into lunch. A few more processes and swim tests during our typical rest hour and then we had their schedules set for the afternoon. By 3pm all the boys were heading to their first activities. It has been a great first day for them. I will send you your campers schedule in a letter tomorrow.
Check out these guys in the Hero Shot! The beauty of a personalized program with quality staff leaders allows us to do some incredible events and trips with our boys. This group of guys did five laps on one of our favorite trails, Ridgeline, in Dupont State Forest. The short commute and killer training by the staff allowed these boys to rip it up for several hours before heading back to camp. What a great opportunity!
IMAGES AND GALLERIES
Option 1: High Rocks Photo Gallery (Free)
The High Rocks Photo Gallery is completely free to log in and browse through the daily photos. For new families, login information was sent this afternoon! For returning families, your login from last year will work. You can use the “forgot password” link if you need a new one. Send me a quick email if you need assistance.
Like in previous summers, each nightly blog will link to the daily photos posted on the High Rocks Photo Gallery!
Option 2: Waldo Photos (Paid – Facial Recognition & Downloads)
Waldo Photos uses facial recognition technology to automatically find photos of your son in our daily uploads and text them straight to your phone. Cost is $39.99 per camper for the session. You can see all the same daily photos found in the free gallery, just on Waldo site with their automated features and high-resolution download access. Sign up here!
When Will Photos Be Uploaded? Around 9:00 pm each night, we will post the blog and photos to the free High Rocks gallery. By 11:00am the next morning, we will upload the same photos to Waldo for facial tagging.
For a full breakdown of both services, you can visit our updated Blog & Photos Page.
!!For our new Mini parents. Evening program each night is typically within a smaller age group of guys. This allows us to hang out with guys our age and have a great time. Each night we do something a little different and fun after dinner until about 8:15pm. It’s then time for a snack at the dining hall and then back to our cabins to shower and slow down for the night. Here are tonights events:
Age Group 1 (Hillside, Connestee, and Lakeside): Dogeball in the Gym!
Age Group II (Flattop and Foxhollow): Games on the Soccer Field.
Age Group III (Chalet I and Windswept): Canoe Fill-Ups!
Age Group IV (Chalet II and Overlook): Games on the Tennis Courts!
Age Group V (Pinnacle, Outpost and Sprucepine): Waterslide and Rope Swing!
Age Group VI (Lookout and Halfway): Chill Night!!!
Woody, Zoob, and I, along with the entire High Rocks staff, are honored that you have chosen Camp High Rocks for your sons’ personal growth. We are all here to make sure your son has a great time along the way. Please let us know if we can help with anything! It is going to be a fun ride!
All the best,
-Don Gentle
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