Happy December, Illahee Explorers! This summer, hundreds of campers set off on out-of-camp trips. No river was left unpaddled, no rock unclimbed, no trail untrodden. It. was. epic. Then, before we could blink, everyone headed back to their respective corners of the world. We packed away all the PFDs, harnesses, and packs. The leaves turned, … Continued
Gardner and Lucas welcomed Jasper into the world on October 13th, a week ago, in Columbia, SC. At 7lb 11oz and 20″ long, he was the same size as his brother Brooks on his December 25th, 2013 birthday. And both boys were born on a great-grandmother’s birthday- Brooks on Gordon’s mother as well as Laurie’s … Continued
For those of you like me, living in a state where you have endless summer and a couple of “fake-out falls”, it may be hard to believe we are almost a week into the start of this leaf-changing season. Here in Columbia, SC we are still cranking the AC and singing praise when the high … Continued
I am usually the one to wrap up the updates on the final night of the session. It’s particularly nostalgic on the last night of the summer. Tomorrow, we close a great session for a really fun group of GREAT girls, and camp also gets really quiet until we all meet again in 2023 in … Continued
Junior Camp is a grand finale to a great summer! After 30 years of camp directing, I feel a little like Peter Pan with the lost boys…I won’t grow up. Living life surrounded by childhood is a gift filled with optimism and wonder. Our college aged counselors are anticipating their careers and a life that … Continued
Diana Ross’s voice serenaded us bright and early across the hills at Hannah Ford Farm this morning- nothing like waking up to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough!” Last night Pineview had their hill-wide overnight four miles down the road from camp, at our farm outpost. If I’m being honest, there is usually some hesitation surrounding … Continued
Our mail has been coming late the last couple of days, and amidst the chaos of a spirited game of Rainbow Tag, Claire and I sorted a full tub of your letters into the mailboxes by the dining hall. As I was sorting (which I have to concentrate really hard to do), I felt my … Continued
Hello Illahee Family! My name is Coleman Evans and this summer marks my 14th summer at Illahee. I have spent more summers in the Heavenly World than I have not. As a camper, I attended nearly every camp session. My love for camp began in 2003 at the Junior Session. Then, I spent many consecutive … Continued
Greetings camp family! Gordon, Gardner or I write a nightly blog post during the summer that we post on My Illahee. You can share your user name and password if grandparents or other family members are interested and you would like for them to have access. It has been a great first day of activities- … Continued
Rightfully named “hump day”, this point in the session usually begins the downhill stretch for a lot of of our girls experiencing the “homesick hump”. Campers have had two full days under their belts and are starting to figure out their activities, their cabin mates, the camp lingo, and they are gaining a little more … Continued
