| Pacific Northwest Exposure log (2006-07-14 -> 2006-08-03)
Leaders: James Catts and Courtney Allen
Students: Marci Engle, Brit Eberts, Elana Congress, John Andrews, Amanda Holland, Debbie Bitran, Elizabeth Merritt, Andrew Miller, Brent Perper, Georgia Beasley
Hey from the Pacific Northwest!
We are enjoying some beautiful fogginess out here in Washington (luckily, our first day of it!) We started our morning on the Deschutes River in Oregon, and have found ourselves at the base of the beautiful Cascade Mountains just hours later. It has been an amazing trip so far, and we are just 5 days into it.
We began our trip in Seattle, as most of you know. We were only able to venture as far as the parking lot at the airport of this amazing city as we made our way to our first campsite outside of Portland, but within the first few minutes of the van ride, we began to feel like a group. Elizabeth pulled out some mad cooking skills at our first campsite, making fried rice by headlamp light. We were all impressed, and happy to have a big meal our first night sleeping under the stars.
We then traveled on to the deserts of Smith Rock. Anxiety was high for those with fears of heights like Debbie, but she soon learned to trust her own feet and the rope, and as always, smiled and laughed the whole way up. Marci also showed some climbing skills that first day, which is ultra-impressive considering that she is just recovering from ACL surgery. She is a solid trooper and her determination is inspirational to the rest of the group. Elana showed some true climbing talent and passion for the outdoors as she scrambled up rock walls, and was always willing to jump into more activity. They were all riled on by Andrew, who has shown himself to be a natural-born leader, and was our first "leader of the day". He is always looking out for what’s best for the group and is always there with a positive spirit. Amanda also jumped on the climbing wagon, scaling 3 walls on the 2nd day, and showing that her soccer talents can be transferred elsewhere, also. She keeps us on our toes and laughing with her sense of humor and always seems to have a moment to listen as well.
We left Smith Rock after conquering the infamous Monkey Face....a daunting adventure consisting of a traverse, climb, then 140 foot repel. However, John jumped into it full force, being one of the first to go after we all were under the impression he was scared of heights. Our jaws dropped as he comfortable rappelled the wall and landed at the bottom with a huge smile on his face. We are seeing new sides of John's adventurous personality every day!
We preceded from Smith Rock to the Deschutes River, where we spent 2 days on the river's class 3 rapids. Brent awed us with his athleticism by "riding the bull" on the raft. He is always running around, swinging from trees, or jumping from rock to rock. Brit is always close behind, which is convenient because you can barely tell their names apart! So Brit has been coined "Limey" on this trip, and showed some real tenacity last night when he defeated Brent in a no-handed Jell-O pie eating contest. Good times seem to magnetize to those two, as well as Georgia. She is the witty, genuine sense of humor that always keeps the conversation going and loves to jump into anything adventurous and new. There is no challenge that she cannot face, and no person that she would not be able to hold a conversation with. Her interest in other people and their lives is so refreshing, and she is definitely a dynamic, core personality in this group.
We rest tomorrow, and then venture into the Cascade Mountains the following day. We are looking forward to wild times, amazing views, plenty of wildlife, and, of course, many pictures for all y'all out there reading this (being one of the only non-southerners on the trip, I am trying to get used to this "y'all" thing that is so contagious!)
Until then! Courtney and James
7/29/06
Oooooh Oh! We're over halfway there!
Oooooh Oh! Livin' on a prayer!
These are the words, borrowed with immense enthusiasm from Jon Bon Jovi, that echoed off the canyon walls in the North Cascades National Park for the past week. Whether we were 5 miles into a 6 mile all-uphill hike, or just ten steps out of the previous night's campsite, our entire group, usually lead by Brit, belted out the week's anthem in unison, like the loyalist of Jovi fans, and charged on single file up the trail. The lyrics ring true still as we have completed three of the four sections on our trip and have only one week remaining together. Coming out of the woods we all feel like we just left an arena rock show, and we can't wait to harness that energy into our shoulders as we paddle around the Puget and the San Juan islands for the next five days. We are resting a day here in Chelan first, and at the request of Brent and Amanda, we will be playing another futbol match at the Chelan High Mountain Goat's field this afternoon.
Our first two days on the Rainbow Creek trail in the Cascades were tough - all uphill, and more mosquito-ridden than even the marshy Georgia coast where I grew up. We were definitely living on prayer for a miraculous Mosquito extinction for half a day - they were numerous and relentless. No such wish was granted, though we were blessed with the fast-lighting services of "firestarter" Andrew who smoked out the bugs for a few hours during supper. The next day Elana lead us to the lake to escape the morning hatch, and most of us didn't hesitate to dive into the freezing subalpine Lake McCalister and wade Mosquito-free for a few minutes; Elana stayed in for another half hour, which she continued to do at every single glacier melt 33 degree swimming hole throughout the rest of the hike, amazingly emerging with her ear-to-ear smile and not even shivering. Elizabeth too found a nice current in Bridge Creek where she could practice her butterfly stroke in place while the group coached her from the rocky shore.
The challenges of our first days backpacking did unfortunately cause the group to split. Though Marci gave a valiant push 6 miles up the mountain on the first day, her recently rebuilt knee just wasn't ready for the impact of heavy hiking. She, Courtney (the other leader), and Amanda (who also hadn't been feeling her best), retreated to Stehekin, the town back down in the valley, where they explored on bicycles and visited the bakery everyday. We reunited on our last night when they surprised us at our final campsite with a fresh Apple Pie, which we agreed, even without ice cream was the best thing we'd ever tasted.
On my last trip I wrote briefly of the two "bear sittings" we had while in the woods. My mom pointed out that to a student's parents reading the trip update, a "bear sitting" sounds like a frighteningly close encounter with a bear - where their son or daughter is actually smooshed underneath the animal. What I meant to describe of course were our two "bear sightings," though there wasn't really much to say since we had to look through binoculaurs both times to confirm that the black spot across the valley had fur. A few days ago, however, I would have preferred to be looking through the wrong end of the binoculaurs when we encountered another bear. As Andrew, Brent, John, Elana, and myself were moving quickly down the trail, all of us heavy in thought with our eyes focused on the path just in front of us so we wouldn't trip over a rock or root, we were halted by a large black bear sitting in the middle of the trail. Just as suprised as we were, the bear sort of galloped a few feet up the trail, the opposite direction from which we came, and then stopped and turned to see what it was that had disturbed it. We all raised our arms and spoke assertively, but politely, to the bear, letting it know we were just passing through. It didn't seem to understand though as it just sat there looking and smelling at us, until John asked "Habla Espanol, Bearo?" and began speaking more Spanglish, whereupon it immediately dropped down off the trail and out of view. It was definitely my most memorable sighting of a bear sitting.
Most of the other entertainment on the trail was provided by the dramatic trio: Elizabeth, Georgia, and Debbie. There was certainly no chance of us seeing any wildlife with all the pleas these three were making for someone's water or for someone else to carry their pack. Though they may not have expected backpacking to be so physically demanding, they all walked out of the woods after seven days with their heads held deservedly high and their packs fastened to their backs. And when we got back to town yesterday afternoon for the first group soccer match, they ran right through all the boys, and me - a very hairy 25 year old at this point - without hesitation (Elizabeth and Georgia did at least; Debbie and Marci were practicing pirouettes on the sidelines).
Everyone is having an incredible time out here, and we can't wait to report back about our kayaking expedition next week. We send our love home, and we look forward to seeing all of you and telling you all about our adventures in person, perhaps over a professionally prepared meal, very soon.
From Washington,
James, Courtney, Andrew, John, Brit, Brent, Debbie, Marci, Amanda, Elana, Elizabeth, and Georgia
8-3-06
We have done it...we have closed out the last section of amazing adventure here in the great Pacific Northwest. There is no doubt that this trip has been memorable, as the group lays in a grassy park, picnicking on sandyman-wiches and making lists of the "highs" of the past three weeks. Among these memories are inside jokes, goofy moments, accounts of individuals facing enormous challenges, and some of the most awe-inspiring sights we have ever seen. I think I am in good company when I say that some of the most beautiful and breath-taking wilderness this country has to offer is right here in the Pacific Northwest.
Just to give you all a taste of what we've experienced, imagine a day in the sun, a cool breeze right overhead, hanging out on a small, lush island inhabited only by yourself and your closest friends. You see silhouettes of islands in the distance; you hear seagulls flocking over the ocean; you smell the salt of the mighty Pacific. Well, that’s exactly where we were 2 days ago. We set off by kayak out of St. Lopez Island, rejuvenated by a day of rest and travel after backpacking, and ready to test out our sea legs. It was not long into the trip that Brit discovered that choppy currents did not mix well with the strength of his stomach, but as usual he persevered and always seemed to be out in front cracking jokes or imitating voices to keep the rest of the group entertained and to keep energy levels high. It seems that you can always count on Brit to keep you going.
This first morning on the water was quite an introduction to the power of the Pacific; we left shore at about 7AM (after a 5AM wake up!), and paddled straight into the misty, windy waters. The water temperature sent chills through your spine, but that did not seem to faze the group as they rallied to get out on the ocean. I spent the morning paddling in a double kayak with Elana, who always had something interesting to talk about and had her handy binoculars out every 5 minutes or so to spot a baby seal on a rock or a bald eagle perched on a tree top. When we arrived at our first stop of the day, Blakey Island, she even tried to convince the group into going swimming! Needless to say, she was unsuccessful on this chilly morning, but it just goes to prove that nothing...not wind, water, or cold....can stop that girl.
Marci, Debbie, and Georgia worked their magic on Blakely Island, scoring some tea and donuts for the group at a little convenient store on the island. These three girls, who can strike up conversation with anyone, had been spotted by a kind stranger who thought they looked wet and cold after a long morning on the ocean. The girls, all their friends and their leaders were offered tea from the convenient store. It warmed us all up inside and was a good introduction to the people of the San Juan Islands. We left Blakely Island feeling much warmer and re-energized, and soon enough the sun peeked out from behind the clouds. This lifted spirits, and made our last leg of the trip to Doe Island seem much faster.
When we arrived at the island we were camping on, the group set up camp and sat down for a big, hearty, well-deserved lunch. Elizabeth, our camp cook extraordinaire, set to work helping out the kayak guides with meals and drinks. She always seemed to be the head of the kitchen workforce, slicing bread and chopping apples while keeping up conversation.
John and Brent set off to explore the island upon arrival. They climbed over the rocky shoreline and hiked through the green, rain-foresty interior of the island. They set up fishing lines, made rock stacks, and sharpened sticks for spearing fish. Unfortunately, the closest we got to eating fish on this trip was turkey roll-ups, but their efforts were valiant nonetheless.
We all loved exploring this little island that was "ours" for a day so much that we decided to stay the following afternoon. We spent the day making "gifts" for each other from what we had on the island. Andrew, the duct tape expert, stayed true to form making a duct tape wallet for Brent. He has been the handyman on this trip, showing his skills fixing sunglasses, rain covers, and anything that can be fixed by duct tape! We enjoyed good food, a hilarious game of charades, plenty of rest, and amazing stars that night.
The next day, we woke up bright and early again, packing camp, loading kayaks, and heading back out to sea. Amanda spent this whole morning working silently and quickly to get more than her share packed up, carry kayaks out to the water, and was a driving force in getting us all out on the water on time. She paddled like a madwoman that morning, steering her and John's kayak all over the ocean, but always working harder than anyone else.
This trip has been amazing, to say the least, and I feel grateful to have encountered the people I have spend the past 3 weeks of my life with.
|
|
