| Rocky Mountain Way log (2006-06-17 -> 2006-06-30)
Leaders: Krista Nelson and Walker Cobb
Students: Banks Anderson, Luke Barden, Morgan Boniface, James Bradicich, Lauren Cash, Adair Dickerson, Tori Grace, Dylan Knight, Kate Lewkowicz
June 18,2006
Krista and I are so excited about how well the eleven of us have bonded. It happened quickly and as the saying goes, time really does fly when you're having fun!!!!! Rocky Mountain Way got off to a very positive start on the Arkansas River!!! We spent much of yesterday rafting down the Arkansas and occasionally jumping in to cool off a bit!!! Around mid-day we pulled over to do a little cliff jumping!!!! Everyone in the group was psyched to make huge splashes in the chilly water. James and Tori were in the front of the boat for the first half of the day. They were guiding the rest of us in paddling strokes and soaking up much of the water coming in the boat. Later on Adair and Luke went up front to guide us to our take out. That night we all made our own calzones, pizza balls, pizza sandwiches and pretty much anything else that could be made out of dough!!!!!! Kate, Adair, and Banks did a great job of being creative chefs!!!
At Moon up last night, Krista and I stressed goals and the question; Why are we here? Kate said, "I am at Moondance because it is a once in a lifetime opportunity that can not be duplicated." Everyone agreed!!! Lauren shared that, "Moondance is the chance to be in cool places with amazing people". Morgan said, "My goal is to grow as a person by pushing myself and having such an awesome community of friends to do it with”.
Things are going great here on ROCKY MOUNTAIN WAY!!!!!!!!!!! The group has come together in amazing ways!!!! The kids are AMAZING!!!!!!! the respect they give to each other and the friendships they have already formed is awesome!!!!!
We’ll check back in with you in 5 or 6 days after our backpacking trip in the San Juans!!!!
Greetings from Gunnison, Colorado, where the group just arrived after spending an amazing five days in the San Juan National Forest! For most, it was their first backpacking trip, and I have to say, Walker and I are honored to have been able to share the experience with everyone.
We began our journey with a 5 am wakeup call so we could be at the trailhead early and make it to our first campsite. The first night, we camped in a meadow beside a mountain stream and feasted on Mexican rice and beans. That day, we saw one group of horse packers and from that point on, it was just us and the wilderness.
We averaged about five miles a day during the course of our trip. It was hard to get used to the weight on our backs, but the group rose to the challenge quickly. James seemed to have very little trouble, and led us for much of the way. Dylan was always there to take on some extra weight, and the smile never left Luke's face as we continued on towards the Bear Creek Basin.
The second day, used to a little more weight, we were able to cover more ground. Morgan set an excellent pace and we covered ground together as a group, something that's not always an easy task.
We found a perfect location to base camp for two days and the site proved to be an ideal place for practicing our Leave No Trace skills.
The following day, we hiked to tree line and learned how to read the landscape using a topographic map. Adair shared some of his previous knowledge, and kept our spirits high and laughs loud with his comic relief. Tori proved to be an excellent leader of the day (LOD), who was critical in making our route decisions based on the possibility of afternoon thunderstorms. That afternoon, we performed our Leave No Trace skits for the group. Banks' "dispose of waste properly" act had us rolling on the ground with laughter once again! We had an amazing moonup that night, when we shared some of our most challenging experiences with each other after our mac and cheese dinner.
The fourth day out proved to be the most difficult, as we covered ten miles! Kate was the motivator of the group, always checking in to make sure people's feet were feeling good, and we were staying well hydrated. We ended our night with a great discussion on what the wilderness means to us. I think we were all amazed at how far we had come, not only as a group, but as individuals as well.
The fifth day, we woke early to head back to the "shaggin wagon" as we've now come to call our van and uhaul. As Leader of the Day, Lauren was as solid as they come, always stepping up and carrying the extra weight and lending people a hand when they needed help getting up from a break.
Now we're getting showers and gearing up for a day of mountain biking tomorrow. We're all excited to keep pushing our comfort zones in such a supportive environment, and we can't believe how close we've become in such a short amount of time.
We'll be back soon!!
~RMW !!!!!!!
Walker and Krista!!!
Hello from Crested Butte!!!! We hit the trail pretty early and headed into the mountains. We started off on some mountain dirt roads that faded into wide trails and eventually into single track mountain bike trails. We took some time to hang out along the trail and enjoy the our surroundings!!!! Crested Butte is amazing. We rode our bikes from downtown straight to the trails!!! At the end of the day Dylan, Luke, and James did some more technical trail riding with me and the rest of the crew took a more relaxed route down. Tori's biking pants were amazing!!! We all had a blast on the trail!!!! Kate, Morgan, and Lauren really enjoyed their time on the trail!!!! I hope that they will continue mountain biking in the future!!!! Banks and Adair are strong riders and i hope to see them continue to mountain bike!!! After we finished our trail ride we took a little time in the town of Crested Butte and got ice cream, which was well deserved after our day of Mountain Biking!!!!! Things are going great out here in the Rocky Mountains!!!!!! We are off to climbing camp for two days in Lake City, CO!!!!!
June 29th update
We've had quite the adventure packed in since our last trip update! After mountain biking, we headed to the mountain town of Lake City, CO. Up in the hills, we camped beside a raging creek for two days and had an excellent view of God's Crag, our rock climbing site. There we met with Casey and Eric from Crested Butte Mountain Guides and learned the basics of rock climbing. It wasn't long before the whole group seemed like pros, mastering our belaying, rappelling and climbing techniques.
Kate managed to set the record for one of the climbs, despite how hard the boys tried to beat her! Dylan seemed like a natural on the rock, and Luke couldn't wait to get in as much rappelling as possible. Casey, our guide, told us about a "killer" mountain goat. Lots of us didn't believe him, but Tori kept the faith and led the group to an outcropping, where we spotted a rather lazy looking goat napping in the trees. Morgan conquered her fear of heights and completed a traverse and rappel, though she had thoughts of turning around. The whole group is so proud of her and everyone else's accomplishments.
Hayes met up with us the second night, when we had tasty black bean burgers and homemade french fries. It was great to see him, though he could only stay a few hours. The next day, we headed back to the Arkansas River to test our abilities on a more difficult section of river. Rafting the Royal Gorge was absolutely amazing! James was tossed out of the boat at Wallbanger, but jumped back in the boat like a champ, as if the cold water didn't even phase him. Adair led the way in the front, setting our paddling pace. Banks was beside him, making us laugh during breaks from the class five rapids.
Iron Chef last night was impressive. It was a girls v. boys cook off, and the competition was fierce! The girls managed to win, not only because their pesto pasta and rice dishes were amazing, but because of their place settings and bomber LNT skills! Lauren's Moondance logo written in ketchup and mustard pushed them over the edge. Though, the boy's creative uses of chocolate were hard to beat.
We're gearing up for our final banquet in town tonight, and we're sad to be leaving such amazing friends. This trip went by way too fast and I hope that Walker and I will have the pleasure of working with at least some of the group next summer, where ever our new adventures take us!
That's it for Rocky Mountain Way!
|
|
