Tonight we have another guest blogger: Our very own Lee Timmons. Lee was a camper at Illahee and now runs our adventure program alongside her husband Jono. Apologies for getting the blog up the morning after rather than last night. We had an awesome time dancing with Falling Creek and it was a late night, … Continued
I remember last summer one of my favorite emails I got was from a dad from Atlanta writing in to “please remind my daughter to look up at the starry night sky while she is at camp”. Growing up in the bustling metropolis Atlanta, there aren’t always opportunities to see the night sky. Not only … Continued
We started today with one of my favorite camp traditions started by Laurie and Gordon: Counselor Bible Study in Pinecrest. Nearly 40 counselors piled into our living room at 6:45 am for fresh coffee, hot cinnamon rolls, and fellowship. We pride ourselves at Illahee in having the best counselors. I know we have the best … Continued
I sat at the Final Night campfire tonight under the canopy of a centuries-old white pine (Dohivi Noche) astonished. I am astonished at the strangeness of camp, and I don’t know if our campers and counselors realize fully just how strange it is. I say the word “strange” not in a bad way which has … Continued
Last week I taught the Sparks during their “Campfire 101” class the seven principles of Leave No Trace. We discussed the importance of leaving places in which we go with as little impact as possible. These places could be the pristine wilderness of Linville Gorge, a far-off national park like Zion or Glacier, or even … Continued
Can you remember when you learned how to operate a drill press safely? How about cornering a berm on a mountain bike? Or when you first learned how to belay or even hammer in a nail? I can’t recall the exact day when I developed these skills, but I know that I wasn’t as young … Continued
Opening day is LONGGGG day. It begins before most of us are awake with last minute leaf blowing, sweeping, and cabin decorating in the wee hours of the morning. It concludes, in what seems like many days later, with a closing campfire full of songs, silly skits, and camaraderie as we watch the sun set … Continued
This time of year, I admire the resiliency of trees. I respect and hope to emulate how they emerge from a dark winter, bigger and brighter than ever. Stepping out of Curtis (the camp office) you can’t help but stand in awe as you’re surrounded by these decades, even centuries-old behemoths. One of my favorites … Continued
There was a short-lived time when I thought I wanted to be a physicist. I sat in IB Physics during my Junior year of high school completely enthralled with all the talk of energy, gravity, force, and more. If I were to try and describe camp in one word (impossible I know), I might use … Continued
Camper forms, activity sign-ups, and store orders have been submitted! THANK YOU to everyone who completed them on time. It makes planning for camp much easier. After reading through responses and talking with families over the last few weeks, we thought we would address some of our top-asked questions and offer some “tips” for our … Continued
