| Moondance Leadership log (2006-07-14 -> 2006-08-03)
Leaders: Laura Musser and Adam Baxter
Students: Kat Braswell, Grace Cline, Rebecca Livezey, Spencer MacGriff, Holly O'Donnell, Matt Rosenberg, Anne Lyle Shugart, Paul Stone, Caroline Tanner, Walker Wood
All are well and currently on their beach backpacking section. Check back in a few days for the latest update.
Hello all!! And greetings from the coast of Olympic National Park. team leadership met up at SeaTac only to set off immediately for the coast. With a few past Moondancers on board leading the way, Adam and I chose Spencer and Grace to be the first LOD's of team leadership taking us into the backcountry. Our journey began at Third Beach - the very northernmost point of untouched coastline. Upon arriving at our campsite for our first backcountry night we were greeted by the wonderful bald eagles - or baldies. While Matt, Holly, Grace, and Caroline cooked us a bomber first meal of stir fry the group threw the frisbee and hung out in the waves. Our next few days took us up and down crazy rope ladders from the beaches to the rocks to the forest. Kat and Walker were amazed by the forest and the awesome cliffs we looked out from - each day taking us through new terrain. Holly and Rebecca led us out of the backcountry making sure we hit the low tides at the perfect times. laughing the whole way and cooking awesome meals - highlighted by Paul, Anne Lyle, and Walker’s, quesadillas and no bake cake - we have had an amazing first few days. Our leadership skills are improving and we are ready for the next trip!!!!!
The group has become one unit and all friends - we have just come out of the backcountry but are ready to get back in there - tomorrow heading for the Hoh rainforest.
July 24, 2006
Well, we made it out of the backcountry smelly, bug bitten, safe, sound and ready for more. Our journey into the Hoh Rain Forest was like none any of our crew had ever experienced. Imagine the lush greenery of a South American jungle crossed with the awe inspiring, dramatic nature of the Swiss Alps and you can begin to get an idea of where we have been and what the things we saw. I am more and more impressed every day by our students on this Leadership trip. They have become the “well-oiled machine” (that L-Kam and I set as a group goal from the beginning) much faster than we anticipated. Furthermore, they are also becoming the responsible individuals capable of finding success in any walk of life.
This backpacking section was unique in that we basically handed the trip over to the students and bestowed upon them the responsibility of running a tight,
smooth operation. It was their voices rather than ours that called the shots. They were given a map and campsite locations to guide them in taking control
of their experience. They made it through the good and the bad, the happy and sad, the heat and bug bites as a team, leaning on each other for support
during the hard times and celebrating each other in times of triumph (these often occurred one after the other).
Our first day started out at Sequim State Park where we woke at 7:00 am to get the day rolling. With much to do we had a quick breakfast and started sorting
out the group food. The Leaders of the Day (LOD) were Spencer and Caroline. One the most impressive things I have seen out of these two are their ability
to get the job done. We made our 10:30 am deadline to be heading out of camp because of Spencer and Caroline’s group management skills. After a two hour
drive to the trailhead at the Hoh rainforest visitor center we were off into the mountains. The first days hike was a fairly quick five miles on relatively flat ground to an amazing campsite on an island in the middle of the Hoh River. The sand bar was perfect for our group of twelve. L-Kam and I arrived about 15 minutes after our students and were psyched to see that they
were already getting camp set up and getting a kitchen site prepared. Caroline, Rebecca, Paul and Holly cooked up a delicious cheesy pasta dish as the sun set on Mt. Tom off in the distance. We fell asleep that night
listening to the river run around us and dreamt of the mountain adventure ahead of us.
Day 2 on the trail was by far the hardest we have experienced thus far, giving us a taste of our final goal; Mt. Rainier. We hiked ten miles, gaining over
1000 feet of elevation in the last two miles. We encountered sweltering heat, blisters, and more relentless bugs. As L-Kam and I rounded the last turn into camp we saw everyone trading high fives with ear to ear grins. Anne Lyle and Holly had led the Crew through the hardest day of our trip together and they were now closer to each other for having shared the hardship and final victory of pulling into camp together. I must give Anne Lyle and Holly the respect they deserve for having kept everyone motivated, happy and healthy today. Holly’s mellow, yet focused leadership approach was a perfect complement to Anne Lyle’s spirited attitude. We were soon presented with a well deserved feast of chicken, corn, onion and rice fajitas (which were probably the best I’ve ever had in the backcountry).
Day 3 was less strenuous but just as rewarding. Rebecca and Paul led a day hike up to the Blue glacier to have a look at Mt. Olympus. When faced with a mountain nearly covered from top to bottom in ice, one really gains an
appreciation for one’s place in the world. This was definitely a highlight for everyone. Our most experienced mountaineer, Matt, was absolutely elated at the sight of the glacier and the mountain, exclaiming that it was “by far the most awesome mountain [he] had ever seen”. No doubt, this mountain will penetrate the dreams of students like Holly whose ambitions enter the world of
climbing.
Day 4, we headed out of the Hoh Rainforest back to civilization. Matt and Grace led the way, making sure that the group covered the ten miles back to
our first nights campsite hydrated and happy. We decided to separate the group and give them some solo time on the trail. With five miles left in the day, we met back up and began separating again in increments of 10 minutes.
This left about two hours of hiking in solitude to think and reflect on the expedition and life in general. L-Kam and I posed the question “what have you done in life that has led you to this particular moment alone on a trail in
the only rainforest in North America?” I left first and therefore got to meet everyone as they pulled into camp at the end of the day. Everyone noticeably refreshed having found some precious alone time on our group expedition.
Today, day 5, we hiked out of the Hoh rainforest in one peace (not a typo). Anne Lyle was chosen as LOD for the 2nd time this backpack along with Walker, whose relaxed attitude keeps the day flowing stress free. We are definitely a group of individuals bound to each other by our experiences together. Our group would suffer a serious loss without the presence of any one person here
now. This crew of 10 students has become a well-oiled machine, a team that can make it through anything with each others support. Everyone agrees that the trip has been amazing so far and is grateful for the chance to be here regardless of how smelly we are.
Until next time,
Adam
July 28, 2006
Whoa, yeah, what, WOOOOOO! Smith Rock is AMAZING!!! We just finished up two
days of some awesome climbing, courtesy of First Ascent Climbing services. A
better guide company for the area, there is not. Smith Rock is situated in
the sub-alpine desert landscape of central Oregon. Juniper, tall grasses, and
the smell of sage brush permeates the air here, our camp situated at the edge
of the cliffs overlooking the routes we came here to climb.
Day one of climbing started with a 6:30 AM wake up call so that we could beat
the afternoon heat. Our guides for the next two days, Dean and Fitz, were
impressed to find that our LOD's for the day, Holly and Spencer, were running
a tight ship and that we were all ready to hit the rocks. Our first climbing
destination was North Point where we learned how to put on our harnesses,
helmets, and shoes and then started to climb. Route after route, we dominated
the rock. Our scale of difficulty ranged from mild to extra spicy on the
"salsa scale" - everyone gave everything a go!! Matt, Paul, and Spencer hit
the hardest routes first letting us see them struggle but succeed. Anne Lyle
impressed all - especially Dean - our guide - by shoving her entire body into
a crack and wedging her way up the rock. It was awesome! Walker, Kat, and Matt
were first time rock climbers - getting up those first few routes with the
help of their new found friends was just the beginning. Holly impressed
everyone with her natural ability. Even the spiciest of routes were made to
look easy when she tied in. Grace is the heart and soul of determination in
the group. True to her name, she showed grace and agility on all routes.
Caroline and Becca tasted the variety of salsa's making dramatic improvements
from beginning to end. We ended the day with a dip into the cool water at
Steelhead waterfalls. We also had a special guest appearance - L-Kam's Dad
dropped into check out the Smith Rock scene and check out our all-star cast.
Day two began with another 6:30 AM wake up call. I am ever impressed by the
students ability to wake up on the right side of the sleeping bag. Rock
climbing is definitely a good motivation to hop up and get psyched. Up and
ready to go, we hit the trail for about 30 minutes to our next climbing
destination - Spiderman's buttress - another awesome location. Everyone was
ready for some tougher climbs and a bit of repelling. Dean and Fitz had
everyone on their toes, literally, as this new set of routes required
incredible balance. Now, everyone is ready to go out and become awesome,
famous rock climbers after our time at Smith. We beat the heat of the
afternoon chilling out in the grass - playing music, painting, doing some
serious yoga, slack lining and basically hangin'. We went to bed satisfied
after Caroline, Grace, Kat, and Paul cooked us an amazing pasta dish with tons
of fresh veggies. Our "moon-up" location had us reflecting back on our day
under the stars watching the end of another great sunset.
"We just had an amazing 2 days climbing at Smith Rock. The climbing, the
views, the weather, - everything was awesome and we are looking forward to our
last week together." Becca
"Climbing at Smith Rock was amazing and we had two great guides plus my
amazing leaders L-kam and Mr. Baxter" Kat
"Smith Rock was unbelievable. I love rock climbing it is sooooooooooo much
fun! We can't wait for Rainier. Love and miss everyone!!" Anne Lyle
"Smith Rock has been so amazing. Rock climbing has been crazy. I am going to
miss this place so much" Walker
"Still Alive" Spencer
"I am having a blast up here. It feels so good to be climbing again. The
scenery is breathtaking and the group is amazing. Can't wait to see y’all
again." Paul
"Climbing was so much fun. I really love Smith Rock it is so beautiful. Thanks
for letting me come." Caroline
"The routes we climbed were the coolest and most fun climbs I have ever been
on. It was awesome." Holly
We are all super excited to move North up to the base of Rainier to hit the
snow and ice.
love,
L-Kam and Mr. Baxter
August 2nd update
I just left the Leadership group early this morning (they were all still sound asleep!) as they had a successful climb of Rainier. All were healthy and happy to be back down to the RMI basecamp, tired, sore, but proud of their accomplishment. This is a mighty tough mountain and each student made to their own personal summit. They were all glowing with pride. I am so proud of each one of them. You should have another update later today.
Hayes
Aug. 2, 2006
Mt. Rainier. Nuff' said right there, really. We assaulted one of the most enduring mountains in North America early on the morning of August 1st. After getting into bed at 6:00 pm on the 31st of July, we awoke at midnight to a Rainier Mountain Institute guide’s command that it was time get up and get dressed. We left Camp Muir, a climbers bunk situated at 10,000 feet on the Mountain (5,000 feet higher than any drivable road), at 2:00 am.
We started out traversing the Cowlitz Glacier before ascending to the Cathedral gap. We then crossed Ingraham Glacier, which approaches the most technically difficult section of the climb; Disappointment Cleaver. As we
ascended the Cleaver, we began to really feel the altitude. Everything we learned at snow school was
now being put to the test. Following a short break at the top of the Cleaver (situated at 12,300
feet), we set off towards Emmons Glacier, which we followed all the way to the top of the hill. We peaked out at 14,410 feet at about 8:30 am on August 1st of 2006. This was the most enduring experience
of our 21 days in the Pacific Northwest and while not everyone reached the summit and many
tears were shed, whether they were of pain or joy, everyone was quite satisfied with their own
personal summit for the day. Those of us that turned around at the top of Disappointment Cleaver
effectively climbed every other mountain in Washington State, as this was higher than Mt. Adams, Mt.
Hood, or Mt. Saint Helens. All in all, we walked the 9,000 vertical feet down to the parking lot
and agreed that one of the best parts of the day was taking off our heavy plastic boots. It has been
an emotional ride from beginning to end, and L-Kam and I are proud of what this group has
accomplished. Thanks to all.
A few quotes from the amazing crew of bamf's
"The sunrise from the top of the cleaver was UNBELIEVEAVBLE and I am soo happy
that L-kam, Adam, and my team were behind me. L-kam and Adam have been awesome role models
this whole time, especially during our time on that big hill" -Kat
"Climbing Mt. Rainier was by far one of the hardest things I have ever done,
mentally and physically, however, it has been a definite life changing experience!" -Grace
"Climbing Rainier is the most challenging thing I have done in my life..... I
was completely exhausted at the top, but the view and sense of accomplishment made the climb
well worthwhile" -Holly
"Well, I made it to the top and it was definitely one of the hardest things I
have ever done. It was real hard physically but it was near impossible mentally. It took all of my
energy to not throw in the towel and go down. I made it though and it was a great experience." -Paul
"Still still alive, see you tomorrow!" -Guess who???
"Rainier was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo gooooooooooooood. My favorite part was boooooot skiing down the mountain." -Walker
"My favorite part was watching Walker and Kat fall all the way down (not literally)." -Becca
"I loved every minute of the climb. Getting to the top was better than any other feeling. L-kam and Adam have been such an inspiration this whole trip I couldn't have asked for better leaders" -Caroline
"Nothing will seem hard at home after making it to the top. It was the most rewarding experience ever!!!!!!"
-Anne Lyle
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