Smiling contagiously, the campers excitedly surrounded me, eagerly recounting scenes from their journey through an ancient river gorge as I stood in the Triangle area in front of the Kahdalea office. Indeed, their trip sounded like a lot of fun 🙂 Jungled pathways, crystal clear water, rock hopping, honest and happy exploration, and one camper who conquered her fear of jumping from a classic camp rock jump into a deep, cool pool after nearly 40 minutes of deliberation. Sounds like a day full of solid practice in having a discovery mindset, perseverance and courage.
In addition to our wilderness trips trekking through various trails of the Blue Ridge, the pristine waters of high mountain lakes are currently being graced by the presence of our campers as they work out the fundamentals of boat control and strength conditioning. Our first wave of climbers as well ventured to the storied sandstone fortresses of Big Rock as they begin to set the tone for future climbing journeys across the southern states this session. As you can see featured here, our bikers were also busy today!
And our barn was also busy! Learning the basics of horse care and the foundations of the English seat, our campers are diving in and having a blast. Trail rides into the National Forest will begin soon! Once campers establish their initial levels of training, our wonderful horseback riding team will accompany them on rides in, around, and outside of camp.
In camp, our activities were bustling and our boys and girls were busy pursuing their various goals and enjoying some much needed respite from the warmth of the midday sun with our free swims before meals at the lake. Tomorrow, more adventures ensue!
Today, I spoke with my leadership team about inviting our younger staff members to consider returning to camp next summer, particularly into leadership roles. The Tribal Leaders at Kahdalea had difficulty narrowing down who WOUDN’T be a strong fit for leadership. I have to say, I agree. We have so many wonderful young men and women serving your campers here. Gifted and mission driven, our staff are eager to share the love of God with our campers through adventure, friendship, and fun.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve in this beautiful camp family!
