Director Jud's Blog

SMA Session 3 White Water Rafting Photos! (2 Week Summer Camp)

Posted by Jud Millar

Thu, Aug 4, 2016

We had a fantastic day White Water Rafting during 3rd Session!

 

On Tuesday, August 2nd we all piled into our vans and began the long drive to Ohiopyle, PA for an amazing trip down the Lower Yough River. Since the very first day of the session, campers and counselors were waiting for this day. The weather was perfect, our guiders were prepared and we were all So Excited! We spent about 4 hours on the water, going down rapids, eating a yummy lunch prepared by our guides and trying to pull each other out of the rafts when the "pool was open" in the the slow sections of the river.

 

Continue Reading

SMA Session 3 is a Blast! (Teen Riding Camp)

Posted by Jud Millar

Wed, Aug 3, 2016

We are having SO MUCH FUN in third session of 2016 at Stone Mountain Adventures!

 

So far this session we have been hiking to Hunters Rock, we have completed the 1000 step hike, played soccer, volleyball, touch rugby, tennis, softball, ultimate Frisbee and Frisbee Golf both at the SMA course and at the Juniata College course. The beautiful weather this summer has meant that all water activities have been very popular with the campers. SUP (Stand up Paddle boarding) and Sail at Raystown Lake is a favorite on a hot day. We have been mountain biking on the Allegrippis Trails and along an old rail road. Canoeing down the little Juniata is always fun. Lots of campers have been working on their collage, and pointillism skills in Art Studio.

 

Continue Reading

3rd Session Crew Photos: SMA Horseback Riding Summer Camp

Posted by Jud Millar

Wed, Jul 27, 2016


3rd Session 2016 is Off and Running!!

 

We are all So Excited that Third Session of SMA 2016 is finally here!  We are happy to report that all campers are settling into life at SMA quite well.

 

Here are some photos of all our campers in their "Morning Crew" what is morning crew you ask?  Each morning after breakfast and before morning activities campers gather in the "Crew" groups to do chores around camp including:

  • Dishes
  • Dining Room Clean-up
  • Grounds + Micro-Trash Pick-up
  • Trash and Recycling
  • Van Tidy
  • And one crew has "OFF" each day 

This particular morning we were laying some "Get-to-know-you" Name Games before starting our morning jobs.

Continue Reading

SMA2 White Water Rafting Photos! - Horseback Riding Teen Camp

Posted by Jud Millar

Thu, Jul 21, 2016


We had in incredible day White Water Rafting!

On Monday the 18th, we all piled into our vans and began the long drive to Ohiopyle, PA for an amazing trip down the Lower Yough River. Since the very first day of the session, campers and counselors were waiting for this day. It rained a little bit during the safety talk, but the sun came out once we got out on the river. We spent about 4 hours on the water, going down rapids and trying to pull each other out of the rafts when the "pool" was open in the the slow sections of the river.

Continue Reading

Session 2 Update! Rock Climbing Teen Summer Camp

Posted by Jud Millar

Sun, Jul 17, 2016

Stone Mountain Adventures’ second session of 2016 is well underway and the atmosphere here is incredible! From the opening day of camp, all those who were here from first session made all the new campers feel really welcome in their new home for coming weeks. The energy levels that were created from the go were amazing!

Continue Reading

1st Session White Water Rafting - SMA Two Week Summer Camp

Posted by Jud Millar

Mon, Jul 11, 2016

First Session White Water Rafting was Amazing!!

Continue Reading

An update of activities from 2016 SMA Summer Camp for Teen 1st Session

Posted by Jud Millar

Sat, Jul 2, 2016

Stone Mountain Adventures’ first session of 2016 has kicked off the summer with a bang! Beautiful weather on open day and even though we are a small group this session we are as loud and as excited as ever!

Continue Reading

Topics: 2016 Session Update

Introducing the 2016 SMA Teen Summer Camp Staff Team!

Posted by Jud Millar

Tue, Jun 28, 2016

Here at Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp, we feel that an important start of having the best summer ever is an awesome staff…and the 2016 team does not disappoint! ‘Funny-talkers’ galore have made this staff the most diverse in the new millennium and (possibly) the most diverse ever!

 

 

Chase Cloward

Age: 25

Although he may not be from out of the country, Chase has made a very long journey from Southern California to join the 2016 staff for his 3rd summer at Stone Mountain. Chase is well known for his epic climbing skills as he bring the cliffs down to him. Chase’s down-to-earth personality and genuine respect for nature sets a great example for us all here. Not only is Chase showing off on the rocks, but he is putting his biking skills to the test with our new bike master.

 

 

 

 

 

Greta Kissman

Age: 21

Greta has come to us from Philadelphia PA. She is super excited to be back at SMA as she was a Camper in 2011 and 2012 where she was a wake master. This year she is back as a counselor with great enthusiasm and cant wait to be apart of the boat crew and leading a variety of activities. Welcome back Greta.

 

 

 

 

 

Continue Reading

We had a Wet & Wild Dirt Fest Teen Ride: Mountain Biking Teen Camp

Posted by Jud Millar

Thu, May 26, 2016

Dirt Fest Turns Into Mud Fest - DW Swiss Sponsored Teen Ride!

Weather forecasters and meteorologists tend to get a bad rap as it feels like they are wrong about 50% of the time... that was not the case this weekend at Dirt Fest 2016.  Their forecasts came to fruition as the weather at Raystown lake was glorious, warm, and sunny on Thursday and Friday.  As predicted, the precipitation arrived in the early morning hours of Saturday and rained hard for the rest of the weekend. By the time the Dirt Fest Expo closed on Sunday, afternoon total rainfall hovered somewhere between 2 and 2.5 inches for the weekend!

 

 

The great news about the Allegrippis Trails is that they were built and are maintained with drainage in mind and even with all that rain the trails remained open throughout the weekend and help up remarkable well.  At the Dirt Fest Expo on Saturday and Sunday it was easy to spot the hearty souls who ventured out on muddy trails compared with those who spent most of the weekend under cover trying to stay dry and warm. Brave riders returning from the trails smiling from ear to ear were wet, happy, covered in mud from head to toe, and looked like they had just won a mud wrestling match.  A stark difference from those who chose not to ride who were for the most part still happy, wet but didn't have that special sparkle in their eye that only a true adventure can bring.


Continue Reading

There's Still Time to Register for the SMA Teen Camp Ride at Dirtfest!

Posted by Jud Millar

Thu, May 19, 2016

There is still time to register for the Dirtfest Kids and Teen ride Hosted by SMA Teen Camp Sunday morning of Dirtfest! SMA Teen Summer Camp along with Dirtrag and the awesome folks at Rothrock Outfitters continue to work to make Dirtfest a kid and teen friendly event.  

 

At SMA wee are thrilled to be able to share the magic of mountain biking AND the incredible Allegrippis trails with the kids and teens who attend Dirtfest. Stone Mountain Adventures is a co-ed, overnight teen summer camp located in central PA offering Adventure Activities (Including Mountain Biking), Water Sports, Traditional Sports, Creative Arts and Community Service. We also have a specialized Mountain Biking program for kids who want to ride the Alligrippis Trails everyday that they are at SMA called Mountain Bike Masters.

What: Kids and Teen Mountain Bike Ride at Dirtfest 2016 ending on a houseboat!

When: Sunday, May 22nd from 10am to 12.30

Where: Meet at the Bakers Hollow Parking Lot at 10am

Continue Reading

Former SMA 2 Week Teen Camp Staff - A Winter Ascent of Mt Washington

Posted by Jud Millar

Mon, May 16, 2016

Part 1:

Back in late February 2 former SMA 2 Week Teen Camp Staff members Brenton Mitchel and Drew Funk teamed up with a few other friends to attempted a winter summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire.  Called Agiocochook by some Native American tribes, is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 ft (1,917 m) and the second highest peak east of the Mississippi River next to Mount Mitchell in the mountains of western North Carolina.  Mount Washington once held the world record and still holds the Northern Hemisphere and Western Hemisphere record for directly measured surface wind speed, at 231 mph (372 km/h), recorded on the afternoon of April 12, 1934.

Continue Reading

Horsepower to host riding show at SMA Overnight Teenage Summer Camp!

Posted by Jud Millar

Thu, May 12, 2016

Stone Mountain Adventures Overnight Teenage Summer Camp located at Horsepower Farm is set to host a  trick riding event.  The annual trick riding event will be held Friday, May 13. Ashley Pletcher, equestrian exhibitor and trick riding expert, will be performing for six classrooms from different schools in the area, including Standing Stone Ele- mentary, Juniata Valley Elementary and High schools, Mount Union Area High School and Shade Gap Elementary.

These schools are involved in the Equine Assisted Activity and Therapy program (EAAT) at Horsepower Farm, which is funded by Huntingdon County PRIDE, an organization that has many programs for those with special needs.

Continue Reading

Teen Summer Camp Director Jud Volunteers @ Bike to School Day

Posted by Jud Millar

Sun, May 1, 2016

JV Schools Celebrate National Bike to School Day May 4

Drivers traveling on Route 305 between Petersburg and Alexandria on Wednesday, May 4, may encounter possible traffic delays between 7:45 – 8:30 a.m. Students from Juniata Valley School District will be participating in the 5th Annual National Bike to School Day and will be biking to school during these times.  You may even see Teen Summer Camp Director Jud Millar riding his "Fat Front" Bike as he is volunteering to ride with students again this year.  

Continue Reading

SMA Teen Mountain Biking Camp to Host Kids and Teen Ride at Dirtfest!

Posted by Jud Millar

Fri, Apr 22, 2016

SMA Teen Summer Camp is excited to announce we will host a kids and teen ride on Sunday morning New Call-to-actionof Dirtfest! We are thrilled to be able to share the magic of mountain biking AND the incredible Allegrippis trails with the kids and teens who attend Dirtfest. Stone Mountain Adventures is a co-ed, overnight teen summer camp located in central PA offering Adventure Activities (Including Mountain Biking), Water Sports, Traditional Sports, Creative Arts and Community Service. We also have a specialized Mountain Biking program for kids who want to ride the Alligrippis Trails everyday that they are at SMA called Mountain Bike Masters.

What: Kids and Teen Mountain Bike Ride at Dirtfest 2016 ending on a houseboat!

When: Sunday, May 22nd from 10am to 12.30

Where: Meet at the Bakers Hollow Parking Lot at 10am

Continue Reading

Millar Vietnam Adventure Part 1: SMA Overnight Teen Summer Camp

Posted by Jud Millar

Thu, Apr 14, 2016

Millar Vietnam Adventure: Part I, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and The Mekong Delta

 

Monday, March 21, 2016: New York City to Tokyo

The seat belt sign was on and our captain announced that “we are preparing for take-off.”  Moments later, the Bowing 747 was airborne and the Millar Family Adventure to Vietnam had officially begun. This leg of the trip took Molly (7), Wyatt (9), Anne. and I approximately 6700 miles from New York City to Tokyo, Japan.

 

Tuesday, March 22, 2016: Tokyo to Ho Chi Minh City

Fourteen hours after taking off in NYC we arrived into Tokyo, Japan’s Narita Airport. It felt good to stretch our legs and have more space to move. After a two hour layover we boarded a flight from Tokyo to Ho Chi Minh City.  Six hours and 2,600 miles later we were on the ground. In a blur we traversed baggage claim, visa confirmation, immigration, customs, money exchange, and, finally, a taxi to the Historic Rex Hotel in city central Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City at midnight.

 

Continue Reading

SMA Teen Summer Camp Featured in Huntingdon Daily News Front Page!

Posted by Jud Millar

Mon, Apr 11, 2016

Huntingdon County has a wide array of scenic beauty and natural wonders, but it also has some hidden treasures that fly under the radar.  Stone Mountain Adventures in Oneida Township is a private summer teen camp where teens ages 12-17 from across the U.S. and world are able to explore and take advantage of what the area has to offer.

The camp, located on Old Hawn Road at the same site as the Horsepower Farm therapeutic riding program,was started by Biff and Pam Hayes-Houldin in 1983. The founders continued operations until son Judson Millar and his wife, Anne, and his wife, Anne, assumed operations in 2007.  One of the most important things Millar hopes to impress upon the campers and counselors is family, which isn’t simply a concept that’s touted in brochures, but executed daily. “The kids see me and my wife, and Biff and Pam, who no longer run it, but they still help out, and they see my kids, Wyatt and Molly, they see a three-generation family,” said Millar. “We want to be a positive role model for the teens.”

For Stone Mountain Adventures camper turned counselor Ali Sanzo, the area and the camp is “literally the best place” she’s ever known.  “It’s small and everyone feels like family,” said Sanzo. “Jud and his family make it a point to make it feel like family.”

Continue Reading

Some 2015 Wakemasters Moments was captured on Camera. Watch the Video!

Posted by Jud Millar

Mon, Apr 4, 2016

 

SMA Wakeboarding  Summer Camp is excited to present a new 2015 wakeboarding video.  The video was filmed by our awesome camp counselors Sarah "Fisher" and Ellie "Babs" Phillips otherwise known as "Fish and Chicks Productions." The video features our fabulous campers and wakeboarding staff.  As you can see, we had a lot of fun making this video and we hope you have as much fun watching it!

Enjoy!

 

Continue Reading

Topics: Teen Wakeboarding Summer Camp, Wakeboarding Summer Camp, Video

SMA Teen Summer Camp to Install Espresso Machines in Camper Cabins!

Posted by Jud Millar

Fri, Apr 1, 2016

Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp is excited to announce that it is installing new espresso machines in each of the camper cabins for summer 2016! SMA is committed to improving its camp each year and feels this will greatly improve the quality of programming offered to campers. While SMA is generally a "high energy camp," over the past few years campers have started to drag a little and look tired at times during the day. SMA feels that by providing its campers with the opportunity to "self-caffeinate" when needed the teens will have more energy and thus more fun. And fun is what SMA is all about.

Returning camper Mathilde Van Doosselaere feels this is a great fit for SMA: "I'm really excited that there will be an espresso machine in the Mattawanna cabin! Just when I thought that SMA couldn't get any better it does!"

Continue Reading

10 Tips on How to Prepare Your Child for SMA Tween Summer Camp

Posted by Jud Millar

Fri, Mar 25, 2016

10 Tips on How to Prepare (You and) Your Child for SMA Tween Summer Camp – My Kid is Signed Up for Stone Mountain Adventures, Now What? 

  1. opefully committing to SMA Sleep Away Summer Camp wasn’t traumatic for your tween or you. Have your child look over the camp’s website and/or catalogue. Does your child know what to expect? Which activities is your child excited about experiencing? Are there any activities that concern you or your child? Be sure to talk about this at home and, if necessary, with the camp’s personnel.
  2. Read the camp’s packing list. Read it again. SMA Overnight Teen Summer Camp is place to get dirty. Don’t bring your favorite jeans or new clothes/equipment unless absolutely necessary. Follow the camp’s packing list. Don’t over pack. Layers are important especially if your child’s camp is susceptible to colder days and/or nights.
Continue Reading

Donation Rocks Clean Up Day: Read about When and Where it is happening

Posted by Jud Millar

Mon, Mar 21, 2016

The snow has finally melted away and it's time to go rock climbing! Though we've had a relatively mild winter, our beloved Donation Rocks Climbing Area is messy with leaves, sticks and branches. With that in mind, a Donation Rocks Spring Clean Up day hosted by Ken Hull is being held Saturday, April 2nd from 9am to noon. We plan to remove debris and do some trail work as well. And did I mention climbing... the plan is to do some spring clean up work in the morning and climb in the afternoon!  

New Call-to-action
Continue Reading

Topics: Donation Rocks, Teen Rock Climbing Camp

About Director Jud's Blog

This blog will give you the "411" about everything that is Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp!  Everything from "Summer Updates" to useful family and camp resources.  Check it out! 

Subscribe to Email Updates

Recent Posts

Posts by Topic

see all