Closing days are always bittersweet here at camp, and today was no different as we waved goodbye to all our 1A campers this morning. It has been a fantastic start to the summer and we were really sad to see so many great guys go, but happily we know that it is just a temporary goodbye and the countdown to summer 2024 is already on!

 

Family reunions on closing day are always special, but I think my favorite part as a director is hearing the boys talk about what they are most proud of from their session of camp. These Timberlakers grew a ton over the past two weeks and it is something we here on staff are grateful to be a part of. 

 

For our full session campers, however, the adventure is ongoing! Today we sent two trips out that some of our four week campers got to enjoy and they were both huge successes. First, Banks P, Henry O, Ryker R, Case M and Wilson B went kayaking on section 9 of the French Broad. If you’ve been following along the blog you may recognize this as the river we usually send our whitewater rafters to. It boasts some big and fun water and it is a significant challenge to navigate in a solo whitewater kayak. I’m happy to report all of the guys crushed it, or “styled it” as the paddler lingo goes. It’s been really awesome to watch these guys hone their skills on the river this summer. 

 

We also had a group of guys go hiking to a swimming hole in Linville Gorge. Upper Creek falls features a rock slide, swimming hole and a rope swing. Fun Fact: Did you know that that rope swing at Upper Creek Falls was the original inspiration for our very own rope swing here at camp? It’s true, and today William F, David F, Allen W, Alex F, HP, Richard B, William B, Sam C, Barrett C, Wes D, and Noah P all got to enjoy it and have a blast out in the gorge. 

 

For dinner we tucked into a delicious meal of ribs, corn on the cob, baked potatoes and rolls. We topped it off with some chocolate chip cookies and then we announced the winner of yesterday’s game of Bandit’s Rancheros…The Golden Eagles!  The race for the banner is neck and neck as we hit the halfway point of the session. After dinner we all headed up to the field for some ultimate frisbee, to be followed by a campfire and some s’mores.

 

The sun is setting on another great day here at Timberlake. Thanks for tuning in and thanks for sharing your sons with us this summer. 


John

Director, Camp Timberlake

Former Head of Swimming

Rope Swing Enthusiast

Proud Golden Eagle.