It’s the third full day here at Camp Timberlake, and that means Jersey Thursday! The Tuck was bursting with color as campers showed off their favorite baseball and basketball and soccer jerseys from teams near and far. But jerseys weren’t the only thing filled up this morning – so were the campers! Biscuits and gravy with a side of eggs gave them the fuel they needed for a day packed with accomplishments and action.

After breakfast, the camp gathered at Chapel, where John Menendez, also known as El Niño, shared a true story from one of his past hikes. Thinking he was on the right trail, he powered on for over three and a half hours, only to meet fellow hikers who told him he had taken a wrong turn. He used Romans 3:20 to reflect on how we can sometimes think we’re right, even when we’re not—reminding campers that real righteousness comes not from our own judgment, but from God.

Then it was time for cabin clean-up, and the competition is heating up! Campers are stepping up their game—every cabin improved today, with Greybeard and Turtleback tying for the win. While cabins were being tidied, some lucky adventurers were out on the trail.

Charlie T., Hugh W., Myer S., Sanders H., Owen M., Jayse B., and Andrew T. set off on a mud-filled mountain biking trip in Old Fort, returning with stories, smiles, and some seriously dirty socks.

Meanwhile, Henry O., Ryker R., Mason S., Banks P., and Kenny C. took to the water on a scenic kayaking trip to Tuckasegee, paddling through calm waters and soaking in the mountain air—an awesome way to experience the outdoors from a new perspective.

At lunchtime, there were cheers galore when it was discovered that the menu featured pizza, grapes and ceasar salad. After the meal concluded, ‘Ricky and Kiki’ the famous fitness instructors showed up to try and turn camp timberlake into an aerobics and zumba camp instead of an adventure and friendship camp. Winston and the campers were simply not having it, and after attempting to wow the crowd with a (failed) ultimate pushup demonstration, the very enthusiastic and very neon fitness instructors dashed out of the dining hall promising to return with more fitness routines. As John took the microphone from winston a few minutes later to make some closing announcements, it dawned on me that I’ve never seen John and Catherine and Ricky and Kiki in the same room….Hmmmm. Not sure what to make of that, but either way, the whole dining hall held their breath for the final annoucement of lunchtime, the winner of last night’s epic game of mission impossible. Drumroll please….the Black bears!

This afternoon the rocketry range was buzzing with excitement.
Harrison B made an awesome launch—so awesome, in fact, that he almost lost his rocket in the woods!
Tucker C was the first to launch his rocket today and was met with a big round of applause for a successful flight.
And a huge congratulations to Andrew K., who not only launched his rocket incredibly high, but also earned his gold bar in Rocketry! But that’s not all for Andrew—he also teamed up with Whit R. to earn bronze in Riflery today. Well done, guys!

Cade D earned bronze in Archery, proving that Timberlake’s got serious aim across the board.

And the action didn’t stop there—campers took on sports and activities all afternoon. One highlight: Ryan H. gave it his all in a spirited pickleball match against a counselor, but came up just short. It was a great game full of hustle, heart, and some good-natured laughs.

As the sun started to dip, the energy only rose for one of our most thrilling evening activities—Age of Empires. This massive game of campus domination features counselors stationed around property patrolling nine different ‘kingdoms’. Be sure to check out our evening photos to see some of the creative lands these guys came up with. Campers worked together to try and conquer as many kingdoms as possible for their tribe. Who emerged victorious? We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see.

From soaring rockets to stealthy missions, muddy trails to peaceful paddles, today was another unforgettable day at Camp Timberlake.

Stay tuned—there’s still so much more to come!