For Parents: What if my camper is homesick?
Coming to summer camp is a wonderful adventure! A good camp, with a little time, can become a beautiful home away from home and a supportive force for parents as they raise their children. Sometimes, there is an understandable adjustment period when a camper arrives at camp for the first time. Due to a diversity…
Exciting New Things: CKC Cotillion, Fortnight, and More!
One of the most beautiful things about CKC is the continuity of fun and enriching activities, games, and special programs cultivated here throughout the years. While many classic games and evening activities remain stable in our lives at camp, we are always excited to innovate, improve, and unveil fun and exciting new things with our…
Sundays at Camp: The Sweetness of Sundays at CKC
There’s nothing like a Sunday at camp! Our weeks fly by with bustling activity and often far-off adventures, but Sundays are for fun, play, rest, and community worship. SLEEP-IN and DONUTS The chimes of our valley bells direct the lives of campers and staff constantly throughout the week… except early Sunday mornings 🙂 Things start…
Cheerfulness: Born to Live Forever
I remember hearing my father repeat a powerful phrase as he looked out over the staff, “You are doing eternal work.” This reminder would usually come in the depths of the summer, when staff were tempted by fatigue and distracted by thoughts of the upcoming fall. In the midst of these misgivings, Dave would snap…
Seek Challenge - Grow Grit: It is the [Camper] in the Arena that Counts
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who…
Adventure: Choosing Challenge Over Comfort
In the picture above, two Kahdalea campers are being drilled in a tandem canoe. Their goal? Master their turning strokes in both sides and both positions, bow and stern. In actuality, this will take days of hard work. After they achieve paddling staff approval on the Kahdalea lake, they will then depart on a 3…
For Parents: 7/16/2025: Life and Photos from the Mountains
Here’s a little update from our mini session opening day yesterday! Our campers are currently exploring the beautiful high country of the Balsam Range near the Shining Rock Wilderness, paddling the Tuckaseegee and French Broad rivers, climbing in Pisgah National Forest at Cove Creek and Cedar Rock, and biking in the beautiful 8000 acre wonderland…
For Parents: 7/15/25: Farewell Junior 2! Welcome Mini Session!
It has been a busy couple of days at Kahdalea and Chosatonga! Yesterday we said farewell to our Junior 2 campers (2-weekers). What a great group of kids we had. One parent texted us on her way home to share a story: she asked her daughter if she ever missed home or her mom and…
Music and Art: 7/12/2025: A Celebration of Artists!
We have had a wonderful week at CKC! After all of our trips returned, the energy was incredibly high in our meals at Kahdalea. Our chosboys returned from their cabin overnights this morning to a delicious lunch of tacos (arguably Chosatonga’s favorite meal of the week!) and eager to engage in a battle for the…
For Parents: Growing Gratitude and Wonder
I have been bouncing with my laptop and books in and out of the sunshine as I get my work done this morning. It is another gorgeous day. Currently I am sitting on a porch above our homesteading area; An exuberant group of girls just passed by me heading that way. They were joyfully talking…