Adventure and Ceramics

July 7, 2010

Early this morning, Clyde, Mallory and Lexie took a rock climbing trip over to the south side of Looking Glass Rock. This is probably the most famous rock climbing area in the southeast, a beautiful dome of gray and white granite popping out of the forest. There are several hundred climbing routes to choose from, including face climbs, crack climbs and even overhangs of varying difficulty. Some of the routes were first climbed back in the early 1970s, and now are considered “classic” by most climbers. Having all this variety is fortunate given the popularity of this area. Still, if there is a particular climb you have in mind, it pays to get out to the rock early. Our group pulled out of camp around 7:30am and since Clyde has more than 20 years experience climbing on Looking Glass, he was able to set up six different climbs. Some were a little more difficult than others, but all the girls were able to try all six. What a day of climbing!

Ah, lunch was another great surprise. This time it was shrimp Po-Boy sandwiches, homemade coleslaw, kettle chips and cut melon. With the regular salad bar stocked, we could add a little green to the plates as well. Rick’s homemade meals make it so easy to eat well at camp.

Over in the ceramics studios, we’re starting to see lots of colorful creations coming out of the kilns. This is exciting for the girls because there are so many steps leading up to their projects being completed… building the piece (hand or wheel-thrown), drying, bisque firing, glazing and then the high-temperature final kiln firing. Plus, it’s only at this last step that the glaze colors shine through. As you can see from this photo, the girls have been working on sculpting things— flowers, trees, bugs and so forth. I’ve also seen plenty of soap dishes, vases and bowls coming out of the kiln. Really cool stuff, for sure.

Overnight Rafting Trips

July 6, 2010

By Jeff Carter

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Tuesday began with a surprise announcement that it was “Talk with an Accent” day at Rockbrook. Of course Mandy and a couple of counselors had fun making the announcement in the thickest, sweetest, overly southern accent they could muster… “Naow, Y’aaaaall….” All day long this was really funny. Campers would arrive at their activity and be welcomed by an English lady, or a New York City cab driver! It was so easy to switch accents, you would never know what you might hear.

Rockbrook camper girl ready for whitewater rafting

Today was also a huge whitewater rafting day for us over at the Nantahala river. These rafting trips are very popular with the Middler and Senior girls (almost everyone chooses to go), so we’ve scheduled several trips throughout the session. The first group left camp Monday afternoon and drove straight to our Nantahala outpost in Macon County to spend the night. With pasta, bread and salad for dinner, we enjoyed a campfire (and s’mores!) afterwords. The outpost is really remote and tends to be an excellent place to see and hear wildlife. For example, we easily heard an owl when sitting around the campfire.

The next morning the overnight group met another busload of campers arriving for a day rafting trip. Together, they suited up with helmets and life jackets, ready to brave the chilly water. Much of the Nantahala river is controlled by Duke Energy and is released to generate hydroelectric power from the bottom of the Nantahala lake. Cold, cold water comes out of the bottom of that lake! Fortunately, the weather was nice and hot, so the water felt great. Some of the girls even jumped in the river to cool off during some of the calmer sections of the river.

When this first group finished rafting, a second group arrived from camp. They brought us an awesome lunch of sandwiches, wraps, fruit and chips, and we all enjoyed a picnic by the river together. Soon it was time for the second group to raft, so as the first group headed back to camp, everyone else drove back to the put in to start the afternoon trip. Here too, the weather was excellent and the girls had a great time splashing each other in between the main rapids on the river. This second group, too, decided to spend the night at the outpost. More s’mores, stories round the campfire, and talking into the night.

Altogether, 56 people (not counting our guides) were able to raft today. Rockbrook girls love some rafting!

Staying Cool, Focused and Relaxed

July 5, 2010

By Jeff Carter

Celebrating the 4th

July 4, 2010

By Jeff Carter

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Waking up at camp on the 4th of July is unlike any other day. It begins with someone riding a horse down the line outside your cabin and yelling “The British and coming! Wake up! Wake up!” (a reference to Paul Revere’s ride in 1775). The equestrian staff dress up the horses with red white and blue stable wraps, ribbons and shiny stars, and get everyone going with their shouts and sounds of hoof beats. Some of the younger girls hop right out of bed to catch a glimpse of the horses as they ride by. Such a unique way to wake up!

Being Sunday, we held our flag raising ceremony after breakfast as we do each Sunday at camp. All of the girls, dressed in their white uniform and red tie, assemble in cabin groups forming a single line arching around the flagpole. The Hi-Ups present the colors and raise the flag. With the mountain view in the background, and today bright sunshine, we all then recite the Pledge of Allegiance and sing America the Beautiful. Immediately afterwords, everyone quietly walks down the lower line toward the chapel, along what’s called the “path of silence.” The Senior Line campers presented the chapel ceremony today focusing on the theme of “growing.” Gracie and Nani played their ukuleles for us, several campers read favorite quotes, and Jerry added a few words toward the end.

At lunch, it seemed like it was nonstop singing! All those 4th of July, patriotic songs, the girls know were sung (well, kind of shouted, actually). We heard Yankee Doodle, America the Beautiful, and Party in the USA, among other favorite Rockbrook Songs.

For the afternoon event, we divided the whole camp into three large teams (red, white and blue, of course) for the “Firecracker Relays” down on the landsports field. Each team had girls from all three age groups at camp, making this event another good way to bring the lines together. Everyone dressed in their team color and even added body paint to really show their team spirit. The first relay presented a crazy challenge for the teams— take a frozen wet t-shirt and thaw it enough to put it on. Starting with essentially a block of ice, the girls did everything they could think of to warm it up. They sat on it, squeezed it between two bare bellies, yanked and pulled it, until it finally came loose. Some of the other relays were the “Partner Carry,” the “Bucket and Sponge,” the “Spoon and Egg,” and “Over Under” (a race to pass a ball down a long line of people alternating overhead and through their legs). The final relay, “Greased Watermelon,” happened at the lake, a perfect place to cool and wash off after the field events. I’m not sure who really “won” in the end, since keeping score wasn’t the point of it all!

For dinner, Rick and his crew prepared an amazing picnic on the hill for us. He slow cooked pork barbecue with homemade sauce, made coleslaw, potato salad, corn salad, roasted sweet potato fries, rolls and had sliced watermelon for dessert. And following an old Rockbrook tradition, we served the girls cans of Cheerwine we had chilling in the creek. What a feast, and huge hit with the girls after running around all afternoon.

The girls took some time to sign up for next week’s activities, but then got settled in the gym to watch a movie together on the big screen. Sleeping bags, crazy creek chairs, and pillows are standard equipment for this weekly event. Tonight we saw the animated movie Spirit, which is a sweet story about a wild mustang and its first contact with human beings, both Native Americans and western settlers. The girls absolutely loved the movie, shouting and cheering all throughout it.

We ended our 4th of July with a fireworks display for the girls. Jerry, Jeff and Richie launched everything from the dock at the lake while everyone else sat on the hill for a perfect viewpoint. Ooohs and aaahs, bright sparkling colors the sky, and exciting booms filled the air. Celebrating together at camp was really special and a lot of good old fashioned fun.

A Square Dance Saturday Night

July 3, 2010

By Jeff Carter

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One of Rockbrook’s original camp songs, in fact our official “Camp Song,” begins with the line, “In the heart of a wooded mountain, circled by silvery streams.” It so nicely conveys the character of camp, Rockbrook’s woodsy feel, being tucked in a hillside valley between two rock mountains and waterfalls. Every session for generations, girls have sung this song. So much so, “In the heart of a wooded mountain” has become a shorthand phrase to refer to camp. Here’s the rest of the first verse.

In the heart of a wooded mountain,Circled by silvery streams,Is a dear old place calledRockbrook,The scene of our girlhood dreams.The rosy mist of the morning,Veil it anew at dawn,Like a fairyland of beauty,Where friendships so true are born.

Today the girls woke up to a big breakfast of eggs, grits, sausage and OJ, along with the usual fruit, cereal and yogurt options. It’s been a little cooler than usual these past few days, so it’s nice to start the day with a good warm breakfast. After a few energetic songs in each line’s Lodge, our “Morning Assembly,” everyone launched into their morning activities. Down in Curosty, Kimberly has been teaching the girls how to weave on flat looms, a simple traditional hand weaving technique. With so many colors of yarn and strips of cloth, there are really cool things being made… hand-woven fabrics soon to become place mats, or sewn into pouches or bags. We’ve also seen really complex friendship bracelets being made in Curosty. That place is buzzin’!

The rest of the day was filled with more regular camp activities… painting and drawing, practicing for the play, riding horses, learning to kayak, learning to do a flip in gymnastics, or to throw a clay pot on the wheel. There’s also a nice amount of free time for the girls to just hang out, play in the creek, or head down to the lake for a swim or for some sunbathing.

The big surprise for the day, though, was our dance with Camp High Rocks, the boys camp just up the mountain from Rockbrook. We announced the dance right before dinner, giving the girls only about a hour (!) to get “ready.” After dinner (baked ziti, garlic bread, salad, and a shortbread with fruit for dessert), with hair brushed and dressed in clean clothes, we loaded up the buses and drove the whole camp up to High Rocks.

Child enjoying a square dance with neighboring camp

The dance was held outside on three tennis courts. This allowed us to spread out and divide everyone into three general age groups for the dancing. It took a while for a few jitters to subside, but soon just about everyone was smiling and having fun. Of course, part of the fun is making mistakes and laughing when you turn the wrong way or grab the wrong arm. The whole event is lighthearted, a little silly, and surprisingly enjoyable for the girls, even though most of them have never tried square dancing before. The counselors are right in their too, so this also encourages everyone to relax and enjoy themselves. We all took a short break for lemonade and cookies, only to recharge and dance for another hour or so. As it began to get dark, we said goodbye and thank you, gathered all the girls back into the buses, and made our way back to RBC for the night. It was a wonderful evening.

Rock Climbing Grannies

July 2, 2010

By Jeff Carter

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Mallory, our head climbing instructor, is doing a fabulous job inspiring the girls to sign up for the rock climbing trips she’s planned all week long. Everyday girls are climbing at Rockbrook. They’re on the climbing wall in the gym, all over the Alpine Tower (something super popular, even with the littlest Juniors), and up on Castle Rock. If you’ve studied the map of Rockbrook, you’d have spotted the two huge outcroppings of granite on the camp property, Castle Rock and Dunn’s Rock. While Dunn’s is larger and a known Peregrine Falcon nesting area, Castle Rock is perfectly suited for rock climbing. We’ve developed six excellent climbing routes ranging from a beginning grade through a cool, more challenging (and really high!) route up the face of the rock. The shortest route is about 25 feet, but the longest is over 100 feet long! Rockbrook is very fortunate to have this caliber of rock climbing right in camp, literally in our own backyard. It makes it very easy for us to go rock climbing a lot.

Another activity that remains one of the most popular at camp is horseback riding. That’s probably not too surprising, but it seems like we’re seeing lots of excitement down at the barn these days. The equestrian instructors are teaching between 8 and 12 mounted lessons a day, and the stable club is meeting twice daily. The stable club is an extra activity time when girls can stay and help take care of the horses—bathing, brushing and even trimming them. With all that attention and so many girls working closely with the horses, petting them and talking to them, it’s no surprise that we have very attractive horses at Rockbrook, sometimes with braids in their manes or tails, but always clean and shiny. Certain favorite horses are so pampered!

What’s more fun the playing bingo with your friends? Playing bingo for fabulous prizes? Yes. But even more so, playing bingo dressed up as a granny or a grandpa! That was our evening program tonight: a classic event we call “Granny Bingo.” Dressing up for this event involves wigs, glasses, strategically placed pillows in clothes, bathrobes, walking sticks and powder in your hair. Add to that a scratchy, thin voice and you can have a pretty convincing character. The counselors dress up as well and perform while calling the numbers. “B29… oh deary, how I’d like to be 29 again!” “Turn up your hearing aid girlies, and let’s play bingo!” It’s really funny stuff to look around and see the dining hall filled with old ladies and men carefully matching their numbers. It didn’t take long to hear “BINGO” and excited cheers when someone from a cabin filled a row.