Camp Outdoor Living

The weather has been just great these last few days of camp. It’s been warm and sunny during the day with highs in the mid 80s, but still nice and cool, around 60 degrees, when we wake up in the morning. Hearing thunder off in the distance, we’ve realized an afternoon thunderstorm or two have been nearby, but at least so far they have all missed us directly. Being so close to the weather, living outside while at camp, is one of the best parts of the experience at Rockbrook. We spend so much of our ordinary lives inside climate controlled spaces, it’s great for children to be able to feel the natural world a little more, to reconnect to the power of their senses. Cool, sweet watermelon by the lake on a hot summer day… Yum!

Down in Curosty, one of the craft cabins at camp (and one of the oldest, predating 1900), the girls have been learning to weave on the looms. Our fantastic weaving instructor Alison has many projects set up: belts, headbands, and wider place mats. Here’s Velvet working on a tabletop loom and making a narrow strap that will probably become a belt. It takes real concentration to operate the harnesses that move the heddles up and down, making the different patterns, but on these top looms there are usually a simple set of levers to press.

Late this afternoon we loaded up all the seniors to take them on a surprise trip into the Pisgah National Forest. They all came prepared dressed in bathing suits. The first stop was Sliding Rock, the natural water slide well-known in this area. Looking Glass creek rolls about 60 feet over a big smooth rock and then plunges into a deep pool at the bottom, so what used to be just a pull-off of the road is now a major attraction in this area. The girls absolutely love it! Over the roar of the waterfall, it’s a series of piercing screams as the girls take turns sliding down in pairs or triplets. Did I mention the cold water? You can imagine how that amplifies everything!

After sliding (some of the girls went down 6 or 7 times!), we drove down to another spot in the forest for a picnic supper. Rick set us up with homemade hummus and veggies, fruit, sandwiches, chips and chocolate brownies. This was a nice time for everyone to eat and talk about their experiences sliding down the rock. But perhaps the highlight for everyone was our last stop of the evening: Dolly’s Dairy Bar. There’s nothing like a yummy ice cream cone of your favorite flavor to top off the day. Singing songs out front, laughing and eating a super sweet treat— what nice trip!