The cool weather today was amazing! After a few warm days, it was a pleasant change for us!  The cool “athletic” weather is just what the boys needed. I am sure you have noticed a few pictures of the dogs around camp.  I think it’s funny how the boys want to know so much about them. There are two mainRead More »

So, Sundays at camp are always a little different.  We like to slow down a bit, think about the week we just completed, and ponder on the week ahead.  This morning was that kind of morning. The sun was coming up and there was a nice cool feel to the mountain air.  Just about perfect!  Although I still woke upRead More »

For as long as I have been here, we have had pancakes on Saturday.  Throughout High Rocks history, there was a time that the director himself would cook pancakes on Saturday since our head cook was off that morning.  I tried that for a while, but the program has become much larger and more complex than in those days.  Nonetheless,Read More »

As we close out our first week of the session here at Camp High Rocks, it is always fun to chat with campers and counselors about the cool camp moments they’ve seen happening all over camp, every day.  You get all kinds of answers to that question. Today being on the warmer side, the waterfront featured prominently for some. PaddleboardsRead More »

This morning I enjoyed watching the guys roll in from the woods after their overnights.  The stories of the “grit” these overnights teach us are always enjoyable.  They even create the best memories.  I enjoy hearing about how late they stayed up, who ate the most pita pizzas, or even how bad the sleeping conditions were last night.  While youRead More »

It was a delightful morning here on the mountain.  Life at 3000 feet has its advantages. The blue sky stayed with us all day.  The morning breeze picked up as the temperature began to change. It made for a welcoming morning. While it was warm today, we still save a few degrees from Brevard that is another 1000 feet downRead More »

I think the first full day of camp is one of my favorites.  The boys have had a little time to be comfortable, but there is still a lot of excitement in the air.  They typically wake up early. As in WAY before the wake-up bell.  The first cabin clean-up takes a little longer as they try to work throughRead More »

It was so incredible to see so many old and new friends today. After months (and even years) on the phone, Zoom sessions, informational videos, tons of correspondence, and then that final 1.3 miles up the camp road!  It was pure magic, and it was certainly about time to get to High Rocks.  The new drive-thru process sure is efficient andRead More »

To the final minute, we were still sucking every possible adventure out of the time we had left in camp today.  None of this sitting around and not doing anything for two days.  Our final match of the camper-counselor tennis tournament was a big show today.  It takes a full four weeks to get all these games in to completeRead More »

What a full day of fun!  We still had boys out on trips in several activities including paddling, climbing, and hiking. Some of the boys today just made it into kayaking, and several boys just reached their highest rank, the High Rocks Archer, in archery.  In camp, it was a celebration of the sort all over the place.  There has beenRead More »

Wednesday was another excellent day at Camp High Rocks.  Occasionally, I get to take some kids out of camp. Today was one of them.  I had the opportunity to lead a small group of Mini Men down our first river trip of the whitewater progression.  These boys did such a great job.  I was super impressed with this being mostRead More »

While the rain was in and out throughout the day, it didn’t stop any of our fun.  We just played in the rain for some of it, but really it was mostly just a few showers here and there.  Most of the activities went on as usual while some just had a few modifications. The weather has been incredible this session! The low tonightRead More »

For years down at the paddling docks, there has been a constant theme of what was most important.  It was looking good, of course.  It was the sort of banter you might find when you gather a bunch of guys around each other as they all try to be cool. The jokes would go around, and everyone would laugh.  ItRead More »

Sunday’s are special here at High Rocks.  We want to be sure the boys have some time for reflection and to change it up a little bit.  Rest is important.  We give the boys an extra thirty minutes to sleep in on Sundays and we also share some important lessons down by the lake. Today was a perfect Sunday morning! Our firstRead More »

Wow! What a beautiful day!  Blue skies with just enough clouds to make it pretty.  I love Saturday mornings because it is one of the few mornings we do not have an executive team meeting.  It allows me to enjoy the morning a little bit more. Our mini men were crushing it today in their activities.  Flattop and Foxhollow wereRead More »

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 asRead More »

It was another busy day out of the blocks this morning.  Our climbers helped us out with the wake-up bell since they were looking for an early start. There was a group of boys headed out for a two-day climbing trip.  We will not see them until after dinner tomorrow night.  Our paddlers also headed out today for a tripRead More »

It sure was fun to see so many Hawaiian-themed shirts today.  Waikiki Wednesday is so much fun! I so like how those shirts really look great in the pictures. The Mini Men continued through their activity journey today as they learn new skills and begin to work on a progression that will, hopefully, bring them back for many more summers. Read More »

As you can imagine, most of these mini men were likely up well before the bell as they ambitiously waited for the sun to come up and the day to begin. Once they settle into the expedition of camp, the long eventful days create less of the early wake-up. Starting with morning wake-up at 7:45 am, the boys worked hard onRead More »

I want to welcome all our Mini II families to our nightly gathering and give you some information about what to expect ahead. Some nights will have more than others, but my hope is to give you a sense of what we did today and maybe (probably) some lessons along the way.  It is so great to have you withRead More »