Happy Tuesday from Camp Timberlake! Camp’s fun-filled day began with Stomper’s Knob waking up to a beautiful North Carolina morning after camping out at the shelter last night, and Little Piney waking up to a beautiful mountain view at the Mark. After a camp favorite breakfast of baked oatmeal, the men of Timberlake were led in a Morning Yell before going to chapel, where worship was led by counselors Josiah B. and Davis B. Following a message from Michael D. the boys headed off into a day filled with activities and fun.

Today activities began with safety talks, but quickly jumped into learning and fun once those were completed. In Fencing, classes learned basic footwork, and Owen S. showed great enthusiasm, even when a game of footwork “Simon Says”. In Wrestling, Jack B. and Hunter S. excelled in sumo wrestling and hand-fighting drills, preparing them for more advanced lessons in later classes. In Rocketry, Mason B. successfully launched a rocket that he built, and several others made progress towards achieving the same goal. Team Sports focused on football today, and practiced running wide receiver routes. Josh H. and Nate V. were naturals, and showed off their quick movement and skills while running Post and Hitch routes.

Lunch and Free Time were exciting ones today. At lunch, which was another camp favorite, chicken patty sandwiches, Michael D. announced a cabin cleanup victory for Big Slaty, with an astounding score of 9.9 out of 10. Director Dan S. then caused an eruption of cheers from the Iroquois tribe, when he announced them as the winners of last night’s ever-legendary evening activity of Sock War. Free Time was full of fun times involving tetherball, thunderball, free swims, and kayaking. During this time, Henry M. and Trey F. showed incredible perseverance in kayaking and managed to successfully roll their kayak, a feat envied by all who attempt it. Tennis showed off their skills today playing Jailbreak, with Britt F. dominating his competition in fourth activity. Backpacking went to the Low Ropes Course and learned the value of teamwork through trust fall exercises, as well as group obstacle courses. Finally, Tommy B., William B., Ben M., and Percy B. all played Paintball for the first time today, showing exceptional courage on the field of battle.

There were also several amazing trips that went out today. Climbing took a trip to Devil’s Cellar, located near the Linville Gorge, with Alex S., Jack W., Gabe V., Caio D., Zach S., and Hugh B. The campers excelled on the difficult climbs, with Alex S. overcoming adversity and completing a route that gave him an incredible amount of difficulty. A Water Skiing trip also went out today, and was successful for beginners and seasoned veterans alike. In particular, Kyle K. was able to get up out of the water for the first time while water skiing, and Doug D. amazed all with his impressive wakeboarding skills.

Greybeard cabin also took a trip today, a special treat for the oldest guys at camp. They started their day at the Upper Lower Falls, where they enjoyed a swimming hole and rock slides. After their return to camp, they were surprised with news that they would be having dinner at Cici’s, followed by time to hang out at the nearby Lake Tomahawk, and making their trip the envy of the entire camp.

Back at camp, after a delicious ravioli dinner, counselor Charlie R. announced the evening activity to be Battle Ball, Camp Timberlake’s tribal take on a classic game of dodge ball. The campers stormed out of the dining hall in excitement for an evening of tribal activity, followed by cabin activities that included a giant Slip n’ Slide, tetherball, spike ball, and Ultimate Frisbee.

It has been yet another fantastic day at Camp Timberlake, and we know that today is only one of many more to come! We can’t wait to see what fun is in store for us for the rest of this summer and are excited to share our experience with the rest of you!

Until next time!

Counselor Drew J.

Proud Iroquois, Stomper’s Knob Counselor, and Fencing Instructor