Oh what a time to be at Camp Timberlake! So many good things are happening over here, and I can’t wait to tell you about it.

As the sun rose over the misty mountains of Marion, NC, the young men of Timberlake awoke sore from last night’s tribal soccer game eager to face the coming adventures of the day. Despite the Seminole loss in soccer, all spirits were high as campers flooded into the Tuck ready to devour healthy hash browns, extraordinary eggs, sizzling sausage, and the best biscuits in the land.

Following this break of fast, two trips went out, kayaking and a waterfall repel. The kayaking trip ventured to the mighty Tuckaseegee. The group of young shredders included Nathan G, Daniel V, Andrew F, James S, Matthew R, Adam V, and Miles S. We worked on river maneuvers such as fairying, eddying out, and river safety, and we were able to spend the whole day enjoying a beautiful and unique section of water. The waterfall repel trip including Connor G, Davis M, Matthew R, William L, Gresham C, Jeb S, Reid F, Drew J, and Seth B was at the majestic Upper Creek Falls. (What do you call a bottle of water that trips? – a Waterfall!) Despite my clever joke, all water bottles were full at the beginning of the trip and empty at the end because “hydration never takes a vacation!”

Back at camp hydration was still hard at work. With the sun shining bright, water bottles were being filled and refilled and the waterfront was a popular option. During free time the lake was opened for a free swim so that everyone could enjoy it! In addition to free swim some counselors opened their activities such as Riflery, Climbing, Basketball, and Fencing during free time for campers to achieve bronze, silver, and gold bars, and achieve they did. Preston C finished his bronze requirements for riflery and Logan B, Jeb S, and Davis M, each cleaned firearms for their gold. Ben C earned his bronze in backpacking, Seth W locked down his role in kayaking, and Nick P got his gold in swimming! Climbing saw some action today as well. Quincy G, Aiden R, Mac P, and Will M got their bronze today, and Seth W, Connor G, and Davis M took one step closer to achieving their gold in climbing. This is not an easy feat, so we’ll keep you posted with updates on that tomorrow. 

The day ended with some afternoon showers and water shoes, as the young men of Timberlake splashed in puddles and welcomed hydration droplets to the parched earth. What’s a better way to spend a rainy afternoon than with a giant water balloon fight! That’s right, the Powerful Seminoles and the Mighty Iroquois lined up on either side of Spencer’s Green and a battle for the books. Updates on who won to come tomorrow! We may have some damp clothes, but you can’t dampen our spirits here at camp. As the day winds down and the night gets cool, (and of course after we brush our teeth and shower) campers and counselors crawl into bed tired from the day, but excited for what adventures may await them tomorrow.

Hank Boyd

Greybeard

Furman University ’21

Kayaking