| Northern Lights log (2004-07-15 -> 2004-08-04)
Leaders: Abby Bullock, Ashley Knight
Students: Nash Addicks, Kristina Bonner, Grace Cline, Peter Galle, Simone Kastner, Molly Lester, Martha Burton "Natha" Nalley, Caroline Reed, Margaret Reynolds
Join us as we explore the Talkeetna Mountains and paddle the Pudget Sound. This adventure is off!
NEW LOG
Well, we are all having bittersweet thoughts as we make the transition from the backcountry to the front country. The students expressed their concern about the change last night at moonup. They all came to a personal realization about living simply and traveling with only what you really need. Caroline expressed wonder if she would notice a change in herself having been away from civilization for 11 days. I can guarantee you that all of these young adults have changed in some shape or form. They have been amazing to get to know. Each one has pushed their limits and learned about themselves, the environment, and hard skills needed to have a successful backpacking and rafting expedition. Our trip began as they arrived in Anchorage around 7:00pm, with it still looking as if it was noon outside. The second day was our day to prepare for backpacking, dividing food, designating jobs and sorting gear. It was about 85 degrees in the Alaska sun so we interrupted the work with a dip in the 34 degree Matanuska River. Ashley and Natha led the group across to an island and the rest of us had to follow. By that night we were all prepared for an amazing trip. The next morning we were dropped off at Hicks Creek Trailhead and were off. The first day on the trail was a trying one. With our packs weighing up to 60 pounds we trudged up an old ATV trail ascending about 400 vertical feet in to the Talkeetna Mountains. Molly and Peter were right there cheering everyone on as they walked up the hill. Each day we traveled an average of 6 miles through varying terrain and weather. We even woke up to snow on day seven. We couldn’t believe it! Mother Nature was kind to us as she kept a nice breeze blowing that kept the mosquitoes to a minimum. Both Simone and Natha fell victim to the treacherous mud pits. After a few minutes of digging, the pit gave Simone back her shoe! Each day that followed had its trials and triumphs. There was Margaret’s great strength dealing with her blisters and the daily dose of rain, which spawned the girls to play cards and braid their hair and Peter and Nash to make up an incredible rap about Alaska called “It’s getting cold in here.” We have crossed rivers; bush whacked up mountains, and trekked up and down valleys. We have seen amazing waterfalls, caribou, and an amazing double rainbow. Both Kristina and Grace have been great leaders with positive attitudes and smiles. This was especially welcomed on our last travel day to the Chickaloon. We covered only 4 miles, but with trying terrain it took us 8 hours to descend 400 vertical feet. Kristina’s hugs and Grace’s laughter got us all through the day. As a leader and guide, you are always checking up with each student to see how things are going and every once in a while you might have to pick up some extra weight if someone is having a hard time. On the last two days down the Chickaloon I (Abby) found myself in the opposite position. Somehow I had hurt my knee and couldn’t carry all my weight. The students were amazing! They jumped right in, grabbed my things, and were there with me the whole way down. I couldn’t have made the descent with out them. I want to say a special thanks to Peter and Molly who kept me laughing and standing. After we reached our destination at the Chickaloon we all enjoyed a day of rest as we waited for our river guides to be helicoptered in. They arrived on time the next morning. Before we knew it we were floating down the river. It was amazing to think that we hiked for nine days, only to raft out for two, and it only took a helicopter twenty minutes to fly in. The Chickaloon was awesome as was the food that the raft guides prepared for us. On day two the paddle boat got rapped on a rock dumping Grace, Natha, Nash, and Peter. Everyone was rescued fairly quickly and hopped right back into the boats. Our U-Haul and van, “Indi” was waiting for us at the take out. All in all it has been an amazing trip so far. We are all sad to see the backpacking and rafting in the past, but are very excited for Sea Kayaking. So, peace out from the great sate of Alaska! We will be in touch soon.
“Hey mom and dad. I’m having an unbelievable time in Alaska. This place is breathtaking and I can’t wait to tell you about it! Thanks so much for sending me here. See you in a week. I love you. P.S. Do some yoga for me!”
-Peter
“Hey mama and daddy! I miss you so much and can’t wait to see you…but I'm having an amazing time with all these new friends! Tell everyone hi.”
-Natha
“Hey mom and dad and Gavin! The Chickaloon was fierce but I held my athletic stance which made the Chickaloon taste oh so sweet. I love you all and miss you!
-Simone
“Mom and dad I miss you but I’m having a great time. Rafting was a lot of fun. I hope everything in Richmond is going well. I love you so much!”
-Margaret
“Hey mom and dad! Alaska is great! The mountains are beautiful. Backpacking was hard, but I survived. Rafting was so much fun! I miss you all! Say hi to Chelsea and Snowy. Give a visit to Paddy and Dixie for me!”
-Kristina
“Mom and Dad, Mimi, John, and Bumpa! Alaska is beautiful and I’m having the time of my life! I can’t wait to see you all. I miss you guys so much but ill see you in a week. Love you all!”
-Grace
“Hey mom and dad and Dixie! Alaska has been awesome! My group is great. I’ll see you in a week!”
-Molly
“Hey mom and dad! I’m having a blast in Alaska. It’s so beautiful. I miss you so much and ill see you in a week!”
-Caroline
LAST LOG
DAY 1: We started out from the port town Whittier, on a cloudy, rainy day. We paddled a difficult 12 miles to Entry Cove, where we set up camp. Abby started having a difficult time, coming down with a fever and having pains in her bum knee. We set up our tents, ate pasta and kielbasa, and fell asleep with dreams of glaciers following us through the night.
DAY 2: Today Abby was feeling worse so she decided the best thing for her to do was get out of the cold and back to Whittier. So unfortunately she left our crew for a couple of days and couldn’t go kayaking with us, but she was surely with us in spirit! Today we rested and enjoyed the warmth of the sun, playing games and having fun. Nash and Peter took a hike to the other side of the island, picking berries, while the rest of the group took pictures and hung out on a natural land bridge. A great day had by all.
DAY 3: When we woke up this morning it was gorgeous! Not a cloud in the sky, so we paddled out around 10am. We encountered a 2 mile channel that normally would have been a tough paddle, but we laughed and sang the entire way, and didn’t even think about how difficult the paddle was. Once we reached our campsite at Hobo Bay, we made an awesome dinner of sausage and rice. Everything was perfect except the mosquitoes!
DAY 4: We woke up on the fourth morning and as we were packing our kayaks we were approached by 5 men from the army who had gotten lost in the fog and were running out of fuel. We showed them a map and they were very appreciative. We were all interested in talking to the soldiers who were very friendly and thankful. As we paddled we could see the amazing glacier where we would be camping tonight. The wind was against us but we paddled all 12 miles to Blacksand Beach. We went to bed early in preparation to wake up at 4:00 am.
DAY 5: We woke up at 4am in order to paddle 7 miles to Kelly’s cove and catch our charter at 11:00am. Everyone got up quickly and we were out paddling so early that we were able to paddle through the unmelted chunks of ice that had fallen from the glaciers the night before! It was really pretty and managed to reach Kelly’s Cove with time to spare. Once our charter arrived we loaded our stuff on the boat and headed back to Whittier. It was amazing to see how far we actually paddled from land. When we got to Whittier, Abby was there waiting for us and we all got lunch and ice cream to celebrate our reunion. After that we drove to Girdwood and Abby and Ashley surprised us with a game of iron chef (cooking contest between cook crews). It was a great way to end the exhausting day!
*While we were cleaning up from dinner Natha spotted a Black Bear! (Very Exciting!)
DAY 6: We woke up at 8am this morning and put up signs for Nash’s 17th birthday. After packing up the tents and our duffels we headed off to another campsite where we filled out evaluation forms about our trip and had a cereal and cheesecake breakfast! Around 10:30 we went into Girdwood so Abby could see the doctor about her knee and some of us could shower. We spent some time in town and felt clean as a whistle! After town we loaded up the van and left Girdwood feeling sad for the last time. On our way to Anchorage, Caroline, Molly, Grace, Kristina, Simone, and Margaret continued their ongoing game of spades, playing to 5000! We vacuumed the van and cleaned our gear, van and U-haul. It’s starting to sink in that this is our last day here in Alaska and everyone is starting to feel a little saddened by our creeping departure. Alaska is one of the most beautiful places on earth and we feel great about all out hard work, but we are feeling sad that our time has come to say goodbye. We feel that we have made the best of our time in Alaska…thank you Abby, Ashley, and Moondance for an amazing summer!
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