Last week, I went to a camp in Etowah, Tennessee. Camp Living Stones was started in 1998 by the Smeltzer family. It is a Christian camp for junior high, high school, and college students. Today, most of what you see at camp was actually built by campers. Located on Starr Mountain, Camp Living Stones has a breathtaking location. Usual camp activities include caving, whitewater rafting, ropes course, jumping off a waterfall, working on projects around camp, rock climbing, going down a zip line, and spending one evening on top of Buck Bald Mountain (which has an amazing view!). I asked my whitewater rafting guide if the drought had effected the rapids in the river. He said no because they kept the water at the regular season level. However, the rafting company this season is charging $5 more per person so they can repay the power company for the power they could have been producing from the river.
When the workers at camp found out I was a weather intern, they insisted on me giving them a weather report every morning. I usually just said, “My guess is it will be hot today” but it never was…and it rained two whole days while I was there!
Sometimes we get too accustomed to our surroundings here in Alabama and lose our appreciation for the beauty found in nature. Here are some pictures that might help you remember how beautiful nature can be.
BALD FALLS
VIEW FROM ATOP BUCK BALD MOUNTAIN
SUNSET AS SEEN FROM CAMP
JUMPING OFF THE WATER FALL (me on the right…I look nervous!)
AFTER CAVING (I’m on the far left, back row)
ZIP LINING (UPSIDE DOWN!!!)
RAPPELLING
I had an AMAZING time at camp just taking it all in. This was my fourth time to go to Camp Living Stones and you better believe I’ll be going next year!!
Stephanie Frost
ABC 33/40 Weather Intern
