Director Jud's Blog

It is hard to believe that our first week of summer camp fun has already ended. Time really does fly when you’re having fun! All the campers have settled nicely into their perspective cabins, and have spent some quality time with their bunkmates establishing a mutual understanding and living arrangement. When it’s time for lights out, we always hear a fair share of laughter coming from all the cabins and stories of late night talks in the morning at breakfast.

            Our first week was packed with thrilling summer camp activities! The Wakemasters have hit up Raystown Lake and have already set their personal goals for the session. “I’m going to clear the wake” or “I’m going to land that jump” are only a few examples of how motivated and determined our kids really are. Windsurf and sail has been a very popular activity so far. Who wouldn’t love relaxing and getting a tan on top of a windsurf board. The rock climbing extravaganzas have also begun and the campers are having an absolute blast conquering each rock placed in front of them. On another note, rumors from the barn have spread and all of the Horsemasters have picked their perspective horses to care for. Riding lessons have begun and all the horse chicks are looking forward to their first trail ride in the upcoming week. Basketball knockout games, arts and craft, tennis, softball and of course ultimate frisbee have all been a huge success thus far this session. And of course the campers are always ready for a cool dip in the lake after a hot sweaty intense game. The only way to describe the first week at SMA summer camp is action packed!

At Stone Mountain Adventures we ride the Allegrippis Trails everyday.  Here are a few new sweet videos on YouTube about the Allegrippis Trails that are worth checking out!

Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp will have a booth at the Appalachian Outdoors Spring Outdoor Expo which will take place on Saturday, April 13 from 10 to 5pm.  We are excited to see our State College friends, former campers and former camp counselors at the Expo.  Former camper and camp counselor this summer Ali Sanzo will be covering the booth for part of the day and Jud Millar will be there as we.  

Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp was recently featured in the "Good Life" section of the Centre Daily Times under the "Living Local" heading. Jud and Anne were interviewed a few weeks ago by reporter Chris Rosenblum with Nabil K. Mark coming to camp to take photos.

Teen Summer Camps are often referenced in the media and compared to other things such as a concert tour or professioanl training camp.  In the following article that was originally posted by the Summer Camp Culture Blog we take a look many of these comparisons.

Spending  46 hours of my life with no sitting or sleeping has to be the most unique experience I have ever  had the opportunity to be a part of. Getting  the honor to dance in THON 2013 was an amazing time full of moments that I will never forget. Inside the Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State University from 4:00pm on Friday February 15th 2013 until 4:00pm on Sunday February 17th 2013 there was always something going on and more than enough people to pass the time with.  My journey started early Friday morning, I woke up around 8:00 am, had breakfast, went to class at 11:00 am, packed my things, and then headed to the BJC at 2:30 pm. Technically, over the weekend I was probably awake for a total of 58 hours without sleeping.

An upcoming episode of The Mindy Project will feature Seth Rogen as the latest in a long line of famous guest stars to play the love interest of Dr. Mindy Lahiri. Other famous guest stars who have appeared on the show include Ed Helms, B.J. Novak, and Seth Meyers. Rogen will be playing Mindy Kaling’s summer camp crush on an upcoming episode of her Fox comedy The Mindy Project, according to media reports.

Rogen, who attended summer camp as a kid at Camp Miriam in British Columbia (he’s featured in the camp’s 2009 promo video), will be playing Sam, the kid Mindy Lahiri shared her first kiss with at Jewish teen summer camp, in an episode titled “The One That Got Away.”  

   Happy Holidays to Horsemasters and Non-Horsemasters alike!  Chilly weather is in the air at the farm, and all of the horses are bundled up in their blankets in preparation for the colder weather. While the snow hasn't started falling quite yet, there has been plenty of ice in the water buckets in the mornings, and the horses are feeling frisky with the cold wind blowing!

Session Slideshows -On the last night of each session we gather in the barn and watch the session slideshow. All Session we take pictures of campers and staff on activities (rock climbing, wakeboarding, art studio, etc.), doing community service, evening activities (Jud Games, yea!) and hanging around camp with friends. We gather the best of these photos, add a summer soundtrack and put together a slideshow that really captures the crazy, silly, amazing, magical moments of each session.

As many of you know, at the end of each session at Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp we ask campers & staff to take some time to “reflect” in writing on their experiences, accomplishments, challenges, friendships & memories. We then collect all these writings and type them up into one giant document and include cabin photos. We call these the “Reflection Packets”.

This years Camper & Staff Reflection packets for 1st, 2nd & 3rd Session are done!  They were sent in the mail last week and many of you should have received them already.  International campers, yours should be arriving soon.

We are excited to announce the dates for summer 2013 for Stone Mountain Adventures:

A few weeks after the last of our 2012 campers & staff departed for the summer (see sad face) we had the honor of hosting a wedding between 2 former camp counselors Jen Watts Mattise and Patrick Arndt.  Jen & Patrick met at SMA Teen Summer Camp in the summer of 2004.  Jen worked with us at summer camp for a mind blowing 7 summers from 2000 to 2006.  She worked as in the art studio when it was in the red shed and not in the barn.  She also spent many summers on the boat teaching wakeboarding as well as instructing windsurfing & sailing.  Her final 2 summers Jen was a member of our management team & spent time in the office & out on activities. 

Hello, Families! 

Greetings Camp Families!