History

Western North Carolina has always been a place of beauty, with its small-town communities, pleasant climate, and rolling Blue Ridge Mountains. By the 1920s, this area had become a genuine center of the youth camping movement, quickly becoming home to the largest concentration of summer camps in the southeastern United States. With so many camps, there’s an interesting story to be told, and now a new digital exhibit tells us that story, and a great deal more.

The Cashiers Historical Society has just published a wonderful, carefully curated online exhibit called “Campfires & the Embers of Youth.” It sets out to explain how summer camps in western North Carolina shaped young people in America, educational trends, and regional NC culture for more than a hundred years.

Gathering an incredible collection of documents, photographs, audio and video clips, and artifacts, it paints a detailed picture of why the mountains here became central to the growing summer camp movement in America. The exhibit traces the origin of organized youth camping to 19th-century social changes: urbanization, evolving ideas about childhood and development, a growing distrust of formal schooling, the rise of child psychology, and generally as a response to the anxieties of modern life.

Where Rockbrook Fits In

The exhibit moves from origins through evolutions, culture, and daily life. It’s very informative and fun to see how Rockbrook appears throughout all of it. For example, Rockbrook’s archive of original song recordings is one of the exhibit’s richest resources. On the Camp Culture and Camp Life pages, you’ll hear “Way Down in Brevard,” the “Rockbrook Pep Song,” “Hiking Song,” “Canoeing Song,” “Are You a Camel,” and others. There is also a 1960 camper’s quote about the Spirit Fire, photographs from the 1930s and 1950s, and a 1920s camping magazine describing horseback rides through Toxaway and Sapphire.

Rockbrook’s founder, Nancy Carrier, is featured. In the women’s movement section, a photograph shows her proudly gathered with a sign reading “Votes for Women,” and another from the 1930 edition of Camps and Camping Magazine shows her listed as Vice President of the national Camp Directors Association. In the WWII section, the exhibit notes that Nancy closed Rockbrook during the war to support the war effort, and opened her home to a Brevard community group sewing bandages for troops.

The exhibit is honest about camping’s complexities, too. It acknowledges that early camps mainly served middle- and upper-class white Protestant boys, and traces the long, uneven expansion toward girls, immigrants, religious and ethnic minorities. It describes camps as insular “small worlds” with their own rules and traditions, with both positive and challenging consequences.

The exhibit received a 2025 GDUSA American Inhouse Design Award, and the care in its production shows. It’s organized around five main sections: Camp Origins, Camp Evolutions, Camp Culture, Camp Life, and a Museum Gallery. It’s beautifully rich, and you can spend a few minutes or easily an hour following threads or just listening to the songs.

I hope you’ll take some time and visit “Campfires & the Embers of Youth.” What you’ll find is the broader history of Rockbrook, and how it and other camps in western NC have made a difference in so many lives.

We closed our first session as all Rockbrook Camp sessions have over the years: with a campfire we call our “Spirit Fire.” With the whole camp gathered around a blazing campfire, everyone dressed in their red and white uniforms, we paused to recognize our time together and consider what this means to us. This was a chance to sit shoulder to shoulder, even arm in arm, sing a few traditional songs and listen to campers and staff members alike speak about their camp experience this session. The warm glow of the campfire, the sounds of spring peepers and crickets all around, and the emotions of the moment combined to make a beautiful setting.

Camper and Staff Reflections

As campers and staff members stood to speak, we heard about camp being a “place like home.” One small Junior said it was so easy to make friends at camp, even with older girls. A new staff member said she’d never felt so loved by so many people at once. Every speaker provided a beautiful reminder of what we all cherish about Rockbrook.

This is camp with our very best friends, genuine support from a caring community, joyful silliness, singing and dancing, and more Nature than you can name. Just being here, together with each other, is what makes it special.

The Magic of Community

In a world that’s too often divided, racked by forces that isolate us from each other, this kind of community really is precious. Where else can we relax and be our true selves, fully knowing that we still belong no matter what? Where else can we celebrate each day, laugh with abandon, and feel this kind of positivity so deeply? Where else is there a carefree enthusiasm for just about everything? It’s true; camp is magical, and these campers have proven it.

Thank you everyone for being a part of this special place. Thank you parents for trusting us with your daughters, and for understanding the value of camp. Fortunately, even though we’re sad this session has come to an end, we’ll carry with us the Spirit of Rockbrook. Until we gather again next summer, may that spirit continue to warm us all.

The Spirit Fire is a tradition that has been practiced at Rockbrook Camp since it’s founding more than 100 years ago. Every camper and counselor who has spent time here has closed their session by gathering around a campfire for a program of songs and spoken reflections on time spent together at camp.

Gathering at Vesper Rock

The Spirit Fire is held under a huge oak tree that overlooks the lake, in a campfire area known as “vesper rock.” Everyone dresses in their camp uniforms— white with red ties for the campers and red polo shirts for the counselors. Low benches form rows around the campfire ring, and we all squeeze in, shoulder to shoulder. As it slowly gets dark and we begin to hear the chorus of chirping spring peeper frogs around us, the glow of the campfire and the smell of wood smoke sets a calm and beautiful mood.

The program features many of the most beloved “classic” camp songs, the ones that are perhaps a little more serious and meaningful. We sing “The Streams and the Mountains” (‘bring Rockbrook to mind. The sunrise reminds us of friendships we find…’) and “How Did We Come to Meet Pal” (‘What caused our paths to blend? ‘Twas fate we came to Rockbrook and you became my friend…’), for example. Friendship, Community and Nature are themes.

Between songs, we invite campers and counselors to come forward and read something they would like to share with the group. These are mostly reflections on how much camp has meant to them and are always heartfelt and sweet. Hearing these speeches, it ordinarily doesn’t take long for campers to begin crying a bit as they realize their time at camp is ending this summer.

Ariya’s Reflection

Here’s an absolutely lovely example written by 12-year-old Ariya.

I know it’s only my first year here, but I want to share some things I’ve noticed since I came to camp. First of all, ever since I’ve gotten away from screens, I’ve started to notice the world around me and how beautiful and amazing it is. How the lakes, the streams and the rivers are all connected like we are to each other. And how it forms a strong sense of community that we can always rely on each other. I think in these past few weeks I’ve formed more new connections than I’ve ever made in a year!

Secondly, all the people here are amazing and care so much! From the counselors and activity teachers, all the way to Jeff and Sarah. It’s not just the beautiful campus and the amazing wildlife that make Rockbrook what it is. It is the people, and the community as a whole that make Rockbrook Rockbrook.

I’m excited to hopefully return next year and be with you again. Thank you.

Wow! Don’t you just love that!? Rockbrook means so much, and yes it’s the people that make it. It’s the people at camp who are kind and welcoming, caring and enthusiastic. It’s astonishing that this young camper realized so much in her first year.

We finish the Spirit Fire with a short candle ceremony where each person receives a small white candle lit from the campfire itself. Singing quietly, we all circle the lake with the oldest girls leading the procession. As candlelight reflects off faces (some that are tearstained) and the surface of the water, we sing the final song of the night. It’s a quietly beautiful, and equally emotional moment.

Closing the session, many of us feel a little sad that we have to leave camp, but also a genuine joy knowing that Rockbrook is a place where we can feel so good, be so happy, and live so free. This was a session where this was deeply and meaningfully true. Yes, it definitely was the people that made it great, wonderful, memorable. Thank you for your support and for sending your girls.

If you look into the history of Rockbrook, you might be surprised. You probably know that it was founded in 1921 by Nancy Carrier on the property where she grew up. But did you know, for example, that she was the great-granddaughter of P.T. Barnum, the famous circus showman? Did you know that she was just 34 years old when she founded the camp, that she was a suffragette, and that she owned the camp until retiring in 1961? Nancy Barnum Clarke Carrier (her full name) was a true trailblazer. She helped found the southern section of the American Camping Association in 1923, serving as its President for the first 2 years. Later in life she was instrumental in starting the first public hospital in Brevard, and the Brevard Music Center. Inspirational and loved by so many, she lived until 1977.

Nancy Carrier's Legacy

Nancy Carrier established Rockbrook to create a special place for girls to gain independence, grow more confident and socially adept. She new that girls would learn and grow by doing things for themselves. Being someone who loved such things herself, she wanted girls to enjoy trying sports, exploring new outdoor adventures, riding horses, and working with arts and crafts. Nancy established many of the camp’s traditions and values that still define Rockbrook’s culture today. Her warm spirit set the tone for Rockbrook. Her kindness, caring and generosity formed the basis for the thriving camp community she created.

Celebrating 100 Years

To help celebrate Rockbrook’s centennial, current Director Sarah Carter and several alumnae wrote and published a book focused on the history of the camp: “In the Heart of a Wooded Mountain: Rockbrook Camp for Girls 1921-2021.” This is a wonderful summary of the spirit of the camp, the life and vision of Nancy Carrier, and the many people who have made Rockbrook a part of their lives. It is full of fascinating photos and personal testaments to why Rockbrook means so much to so many people. It’s a window into life at camp and the inspired power of Rockbrook girls through the years.

Now a new photo essay has just been published about the rich tradition of summer camps in western North Carolina, and Rockbrook is prominently featured. After reading a bit about Rockbrook’s history on our website, the magazine reached out for us to provide historic photos and other archival materials. In this collage from the article (below), you can see our big felt “R,” a photo of Rockbrook girls posing in front of the Carrier house, and at the bottom, a bit of the very first Rockbrook Camp application. The article includes short profiles of a few other western NC camps as well, including Camp Carolina.

I recommend you pick up a physical copy of the magazine if you can. It’s available at several stores here in western NC. The article is very nicely designed. If you can’t find a copy, head over to the WNC Magazine website, and you can read “Happy Campers.”

After the excitement and intense celebration of the banquet last night, the mood shifted for our closing campfire. This “Spirit Fire” has been a tradition at Rockbrook for its more than 100 year long history. It is a special time to celebrate each session by gathering around a campfire to reflect a little about camp, to sing a few special songs, and to mark our time together with a shared candlelight ceremony. With everyone dressed in their red and white uniforms, complete with red ties for campers, we fan out across the low wooden benches around the campfire area near the lake. All of the campers, counselors and directors fit snuggly in that space, shoulder to shoulder, all focused on the great fire lit up front.

Traditional Songs at Spirit Fire

The program features several traditional songs that are perhaps a little less silly or raucous and a little more serious or significant. We sing “In the Heart of a Wooded Mountain,” for example, which we call the “camp song.” It describes Rockbrook as a “fairyland of beauty where friendships so true are born.” We sing “How Did We Come to Meet Pal,” a song that reminds us that camp teaches “the meaning of the real worth of friendship born to last.” Another favorite song we sing at Spirit Fire is called “The Streams and the Mountains.” It has a nice waltz beat and cheerful melody as it evokes the feeling of camp, “a special place for which we yearn.”

Camper Reflections and Surprises

The most interesting part of the event is the speeches given by campers of all ages and a few staff members. These short reflections about camp weave between songs, and are interesting because they reveal how the speakers feel about camp, funny details of their experience and what Rockbrook means to them.

Tonight I noticed a theme of sorts running through several of the Spirit Fire speeches. One camper described how she was at first very nervous coming to camp, especially not knowing anyone already attending. After a few days, though, she was surprised how quickly she began to make friends and feel comfortable. Another camper said she was surprised to find Rockbrook people so “friendly and nice.” A first-time counselor found herself surprised how much fun she was having at her summer job. Several campers described how their camp friends were surprisingly closer than their friends at home. One 4-week camper said she was surprised how quickly her session went by.

All of these speakers, you see, talked about being surprised by some aspect of their camp experience. They were pleasantly surprised by Rockbrook. Their worries turned out to be unfounded. They actually made friends easily, were comfortable at camp, found nice people, and had plenty of fun. They found that initial jitters didn’t last, and hiccups were only temporary. It’s hard to believe that camp can be this different, this much better than their non-camp lives, but it is. Surprise!

Again, many of us found ourselves sniffling and choking up a bit during the speeches, especially when the speakers themselves became emotional. Each reminder that this was our last night together this session made those emotions even more powerful. Each time someone said Rockbrook felt like home, we would hear echoes of soft whimpers.

Candlelight Around the Lake

The Spirit Fire program ends with everyone sharing part of the campfire by lighting a small white candle. Sarah and the other directors first light their candle from the fire, and then pass it along to each camper’s and staff member’s candle. Everyone then forms a circle around the lake facing the water. It’s a beautiful moment to see how strong the spirit of Rockbrook is among everyone there.

Now we have to say goodbye until next summer. We leave a little stronger and more confident, more comfortable at camp, and knowing that this haven in the “heart of a wooded mountain” will always be our home. It’s been an amazing session, one that we will all remember fondly.

These last few days of camp are so relaxed and sweet.  The campers who are here now are ones who have really settled into the rhythm of camp life, feeling more and more at home everyday.  Homesickness has mostly been resolved, and friendships are deepening with each shared activity, surprise, and silly skit.  The campers know that their days here in the heart of a wooded mountain are coming to a close soon and they are clearly savoring these last moments. They are looking forward to seeing family again soon, but many are sad to say goodbye to each other.

The Carrier Pigeon Tradition

Last night, the campers got a chance to participate in one of Rockbrook’s oldest traditions: writing for the Carrier Pigeon.  This is the name for the yearbook that is compiled and mailed to campers in the winter, and which serves as a warm reminder of carefree summer camp days.  It is named for the founder of Rockbrook, Nancy Carrier, and it was started when Rockbrook was just one week old.  In doing research for the book that several alumnae and I wrote last year about the history of Rockbrook, I was able to locate nearly all of the Carrier Pigeons from camp’s 101 year history.  These Carrier Pigeons are a treasure trove of stories, poems, jokes, drawings, and photographs that are in turn touching tributes, impressive feats of adventure, and hilarious tales of Rockbrook life throughout the years.

Camper Stories

After dinner last night, we invited the campers to add their contributions to this summer’s Carrier Pigeon.  We thought you would enjoy a few samples of their work to get a sense of the fun and friendship that the campers are experiencing on a daily basis:

“This year at Rockbrook was my first year. I’ve had a great time and made so many friends and so many memories. But I think I will write about my rafting experience. My cabin, like all, was offered the opportunity to go whitewater rafting. Most of us went and had a great time. If you’ve been whitewater rafting before, you might know that you can sit on the front of the boat and “ride the bull.” I went to ride the bull but it was super slippery so I fell into the ice-cold water. My friends pulled me up by my life jacket. Determined ride the bull, I tried again. I also slipped again and fell into the water again. Our instructor pulled me out of the water with one hand and dropped me into the raft. I was completely numb but laughing. I didn’t try to do it again.”

“Do you remember zipping through the camp, or racing to the lake? Who wouldn’t, when the memories made at RBC will last forever. Do you remember your first day and it already feeling like you have been here for weeks? Do you remember tying your friendship knots or braiding you cabin mate’s hair? Do you remember feeling welcome the second you drove up the hill? Do you remember passing notes during rest hour or making flashlight languages? I bet you remember all these things forever, because at Rockbrook, some of the smallest things take up the most room in our hearts.”

Secret Banquet Preparations

Today, a special group of campers, the CAs (the rising 10th graders) are currently hard at work on setting up the Banquet for the rest of camp.  They have draped sheets all around the dining hall and the rest of camp is eating today’s breakfast and lunch picnic-style, on the hill.  As you probably know, the theme of Banquet is a well-kept secret, and these CA girls have been spending all of their free time working on elaborately-painted decorations, practicing creative skits, creating a clever menu, and generally giving of their own time to create a magical evening for the younger girls.  While we cannot yet share the theme for this session’s banquet, it is one that is sure to be a fun and memorable one!

Also, a few parents have asked us about the photo gallery and wondering about yesterday.  We had a photographer that had a scheduling conflict, but we have lots of photos of today on the way!  Thanks for your patience and keep an eye on the gallery to figure out tonight’s Banquet theme!

It might be everyone’s favorite bell at camp. It’s “THE bell,” the bell mounted high in a tree at the dining hall that we ring to announce times at camp. This old bell— It’s from 1895! —is 24 inches in diameter, and has an amazing clear tone that when rung can be heard all over the camp. A sturdy rope is attached to the bell so that when the rope is pulled, the bell rocks back and forth on its stand ringing loudly. I love the idea that every single Rockbrook camper over it’s 100-year history has heard this same bell ring. It’s called girls to meals, and woken them up in the morning for decades!

The Magic of Muffin Break

Of all the times the bell rings at camp, the ringing to announce muffin break has to be the campers’ favorite. Muffin break is simply wonderful. It’s a time between the first and second activity periods when we all gather for a homemade snack. Everyone converges on the dining hall to find out what the day’s surprise muffin flavor is, and then when enjoying the muffin, to meet friends and talk about the day so far for a little while. Friends taking different activities can trade stories about what they’re making (“a new tie-dye!”), what they’re doing (“riding a new horse!”), and what they just accomplished (“getting a bullseye in archery!”).

The muffin flavors are delicious too! The surprise makes it fun. It could be “mint chocolate chip,” or the classic “pumpkin chocolate chip,” or the colorful “funfetti,” or the more traditional “lemon poppyseed.” There’s a huge variety that our bakers have introduced over the years. Today’s flavor was “white chocolate apricot.” Fresh from the oven this morning, it was a huge hit. Yum! It’s easy to understand why that mid-morning bell gets the girls excited.

Rainy Day Resilience

It was a little rainy this morning at camp. That’s unusual for a morning, but also something that barely slows us down around here. A light rain becomes simply part of the wonderful outdoor experience of our day. We simply grab our raincoat and carry on. So many of the activities can operate indoors (with a few exceptions), we can still find plenty to do. The girls are still climbing (in the gym), riding horses (under the covered arena), and playing tennis (now the tabletop kind in the dining hall). Of course, all the ordinary indoor craft activities still happen— weaving, pottery, woodworking, painting & drawings, tie-dying, needlecraft and folklore.

Even our zip line crews were able to operate in the light rain today. Sure everything gets a little wet, but the equipment and the participants can all be dried! The whole zip line course takes about an hour to complete, and consists of three different zips and 3 different challenge bridges. It weaves its way between the huge boulders and among the large trees of the forest up the hill toward Castle Rock. One zip passes right in front of a waterfall, “Stick Biscuit Falls.” One of the bridges is 40 feel in the air. The final zip is the highlight of the course. It’s a 450-foot screaming ride back into camp that’s both scary, because it’s really fast, and exhilarating, for the same reason. For the smallest Junior and the seasoned Senior camper, the zipline course is a blast. The most common reaction? “That was awesome!”

Building Resilience at Camp

It might be surprising to see everyone carrying on despite the rain, despite being a little uncomfortable or despite conditions being less the “perfect.” But to me it’s another example of the inherent resilience of the girls at Rockbrook. I’ve said it before; Rockbrook teaches resilience. All camps do by virtue of the experience being separate from a child’s usual sources of comfort— most importantly their parents, but also the core familiarities in their lives like food, unencumbered privacy (the ability to “check out” whenever), easy electronic entertainment, and so forth. (By the way, I would say that your child’s smartphone has become one of her major sources of comfort, perhaps without you recognizing it…. Hmmm.) At camp, girls learn to live without those regular sources of support, and to still land on their feet when things don’t go according to their expectations, or they find themselves dealing with something unpleasant. This is an incredibly important life skill, being able to bounce back and reapply yourself, and being able to find comfort internally, in your own abilities. The culture and community of camp helps girls do that because everyone is doing it. It’s just what we do; we keep on moving. It’s ordinary camp life, but truly impressive too.

It’s long been a theme of mine to point out how camp is different from life at home. It obviously is. After all, that’s why you send your girls. You want them to have the sort of unique experiences camp provides— opportunities to explore, worry-free time with friends, a break from technology, more fun, etc. There’s no doubt that what girls do at camp, what they get at camp, how they feel at camp, is different than their lives at home. We love that Rockbrook provides a strong sense of community, regular moments of adventure and creativity, genuine kindness practiced and received, constant face-to-face communication, and all in a beautiful setting and among really great people. It’s worth identifying these differences because I believe they are what make camp not only delightful and often surprising, but also inherently educational and formative. How a particular difference makes a difference is usually interesting to consider.

The History of the Biltmore Train

So I’m always on the look out for ways that camp life differs from the “real world.” A good example happened today after lunch when we surprised the girls with the “Biltmore Train.” This is a special event that’s become a tradition of sorts at Rockbrook, something that many of the returning campers look forward to each year. Its name is derived from the Biltmore Estate, the property near Asheville built by George Vanderbilt between 1889 and 1895. The estate originally included a working farm, and a commercial dairy that would deliver milk products to local businesses. On a regular basis, a truck from the Biltmore Dairy would come to Rockbrook to bring milk products, in particular, ice cream. These trucks were decorated with a train motif, probably as a nod to the Vanderbilt family’s ties to the railroad business in America. It soon became a tradition for Rockbrook girls to meet the truck/train as it pulled into camp, and enjoy a cone of Biltmore ice cream right there on the spot.

How Unlimited Ice Cream Works

The Biltmore dairy has since closed (It has a become a winery and tourist destination.), but we still celebrate the memory by holding an all-camp ice cream party once per session. But there’s a twist. The girls are allowed to have “unlimited” scoops of ice cream, but they only get one cone. Their strategy is to carefully (and quickly!) eat the ice cream out of the cone, and get back in line for a refill. Eat ice cream, not cone, and repeat… making a train! With each trip though, the cone begins to disintegrate, ultimately becoming a soggy blob incapable of holding any more ice cream. For the determined, it’s possible to end up with four or even five scoops. There’s a rumor that someone once ate 15 scoops, but I think that’s impossible.

Today’s Biltmore Train after lunch was exciting and fun. We had three stations set up, each with three different tubs of different flavors. This shortened the lines, and spread out the significant work our counselors did hand scooping all those cones. In the sunny and warm afternoon, the girls had a blast refilling their cones, chatting and laughing. As the cones softened, they also got a little messy, hands and faces becoming stained and sticky. But that too was part of the fun.

Lessons in “How Much”

I asked a couple of campers if they were enjoying the event, and one said, “Oh yeah, I love ice cream!” Another, older camper said, “yes, but I’m only getting 2 scoops. That’s enough for me. You might wish for unlimited ice cream, but when you get it, it’s too much.”

How insightful! A big part of the fun of the Biltmore Train is the chance to eat multiple scoops of ice cream. Different from home where parents wisely put a limit on such a sugary treat, the campers can have their wishes for more come true at camp. But with those wishes come the consequences of getting messy and perhaps having a stomach ache. Too much of a good thing, and it can easily become bad. Or at least uncomfortable!

The Biltmore Train event is another opportunity at camp for the girls to make their own decisions, in this case how much ice cream to eat. It’s strange and exciting in its excess, but at the same time a little serious because it can end up making you feel bad if you go too far. It’s a decision of degree, of “how much” rather than “yes or no.”

It’s great to see the girls play with this decision, and to gain some experience that will help them down the road, both in knowing how much ice cream is too much, and in knowing that some decisions are matters of degree. I suspect most of the campers don’t appreciate this aspect of the Biltmore Train at camp, but it appears that some do… sticky faces and all.

At the end of August this year, Rockbrook continued to celebrate its 100th year by holding a weekend alumnae reunion. Women from all over the country who had attended camp as children, and some who had worked as staff members, made plans to return to Rockbrook, reuniting with camp friends and reviving their camp spirit.

The reunion was a smashing success! Altogether 340 alumnae attended, bringing together women who were campers in the 1950s up to the 2000s. Most stayed overnight in Rockbrook’s historic cabins. Several mother-daughter pairs, both of whom attended camp, enjoyed their time together. Perfect late-summer, mountain weather added to everyone’s joy of spending time back at camp.

Reunion Activities

The weekend was full of laughter, conversation and reminiscing, but also filled with fun. The alumnae went on hikes around the camp property, swam in the lake, shot archery and riflery, climbed the alpine tower, flew through the trees on the zipline course, made pottery, tie-dye t-shirts, and friendship bracelets for each other. They enjoyed delicious meals, including fresh-baked muffins (of course!), a costumed dance party in the gym and a Spirit Fire.

Other highlights included tributes to former directors Teed Poe and Jerry Stone, and long-serving caretakers, Gladys and J.D. Owen. There was an afternoon wine reception at the Clarke-Carrier Rockbrook house where alumnae could view historic artifacts, photographs, and documents from the camp’s 100-year history.

Here we’ve got a short video of highlights from the reunion. Filmed on Saturday, it’s a wonderful tribute to the power of Rockbrook to make a difference in the lives of so many women.

Take a look and let us know what you think!

The History Book Unveiled

Also during the reunion, Sarah Carter unveiled, In the Heart of a Wooded Mountain: Rockbrook Camp for Girls 1921-2021, the hardcover book recounting the history of Rockbrook. All of the alumnae attending received a copy of the book and were thrilled to page through its detailed accounts and rare photographs. Copies are still available for sale in the Rockbrook online shop.

As memories of camp bubbled back to the surface— inspired by sleeping in the same cabins, walking along the same trails, taking a dip in the same lake —the women attending the reunion relaxed outside and enjoyed each other’s company. They were so grateful to feel again the comfort of this special place, and the true friendship that it fosters. Following the struggles and isolation inflamed by the pandemic, the whole weekend was a rejuvenating testament to the power of camp and how much it means to everyone. Like for our campers this summer, being together at Rockbrook felt just right, proving once again that, now for 100 years, camp is indelibly fulfilling.