| Moondance Leadership log (2003-06-19 -> 2003-07-09)
Leaders: Danielle Little & Tommy Gavigan
Students: Judy Weiss, Taylor Hucks, Candace Hutchins, Lizzie McDonald, David Fulton, Cornelius Thiels, Adam Finn, Wilson Robinson
Beach Backpacking, Olympic National Park, 6/20 - 6/24
Tommy called to give us a great report of their 1st section. It was a great way to start off their trip. The group camped on the beach and threw the Frisbee while dinner was prepared. Veteren Moondancers Taylor and Cornelius led a fabulous first day and prepared a delicious Chicken stir-fry. Adam had no problem keeping the group laughing as he devoured his portion of the delicious meal.
Wilson and Elizabeth led the 1st full day of backpacking. The group explored the beautiful Olympic coastline. Candace and Taylor started a new fashion trend by sporting their Leave No Trace cards around their necks. Wilson and Cornelius took a refreshing dip in the ocean swimming only 20 yards from Harbor seals that were spotted earlier! Judy showed an outstanding display of acting skills in a game on the beach. David set off on a good foot by teaching about foot care and blister maintenance. The first night on the coastline the group decided to sleep underneath the stars. A brief rainfall that unfortunately sent them back to the tents waked them.
Day 4 featured David and Judy as the Leaders of the Day. David used this leadership opportunity to fine-tune his skills. His scouting and route finding skills were out of this world!!! Judy, excited to throw herself into the culinary arena, was "craving to chop something!" Good thing because the quesadillas rocked their worlds! As a recent graduate of the Wilderness First Responder course, Cornelius has become the blister man helping those in need of a little T.L.C. Although it was her first backpacking expedition, Candace was not afraid to be at the front of the pack. As a backpacking veteran Adam has certainly brought his skills to the table to help first timers feel comfortable in the outdoors. Lizzie's quiet leadership style was appreciated by this group of many talkers. She did however, not hesitate to bring some Montgomery charm to everyone in his or her quest for backcountry nirvana.
In the 1st annual Moondance Olympics held on Olympic Beach, the Antarctic Antelopes narrowly defeated the Polynesian Polar Bears. The games featured outstanding performances in the Dizzy Bat by Wilson and Wheelbarrow Racing by Judy. Candace crushed the cartwheel portion while Adam dominated the Crab Walk.
Taylor celebrated her 17th birthday with a long, majestic hike down the sunny Olympic coastline. The group came together as they conquered a few unexpected obstacles and the festive evening featured Tommy's Bountiful Backcountry Brownies, balloons and many laughs!!!!
Olympic National Park, Backpacking 6/6/24 - 7/1
Danielle called to give an outstanding report on Moondance Leadership 2. She said the scenery was beautiful for the second backpacking trip and the students did unbelievably well! Everyone is getting along perfectly and they helped each other immensely during the days on the trail. Danille commented on all of the new friendships she is watching develop right in front of her. The group just hiked out of the internal portion of Olympic National Park after spending 7 days traversing its entire length. After crossing many rivers and waterfalls, the group passed through successfully to other side and to their van waiting for them at the end of the long line. Danielle said David is the group water retriever and river scouting master. She said that David will periodically go out and get the rest of the group water without saying anything or being asked. He also is really good at scouting for river crossing spots. Taylor has been a hiking leader during some really tough terrain. She is comfortable with her pace and her decisions in the field making her an excellent leader. Judy has been an outstanding group member in the fact that she has worked through whatever is thrown at her showing great maturity, patience and most of all never complains about anything. Candace's outgoing and fun personality really helped the group grow closer together. Lizzie, aside from being an excellent cook, really has a way of making the group laugh and forget their worries. Cornelius is the resident blister care giver and his outdoor experience brings so much to the group dynamic. He is truly a great leader. When Adam was LOD, he gave the group a very memorable day. He cooked hash browns for them in the morning and then led them to their campsite in time to take a nice cool swim and rest in the sun, then made a great dinner of homemade calzones. Delicious! Wilson is such a charismatic member of the group. He always is enthusiastic no matter what is going on and he finally serenaded the crew after much pleading the last night in the backcountry. As you can see, this group is not lacking any good times. The group was eating when I talked to them, on their way to Leavenworth to spend the next few days rock climbing. The Rainier climb is moving closer!
Rock Climbing, Leavenworth, 7/2 - 7/3
Tommy called to give the update for Leadership 2 and their rock climbing portion of their trip. They climbed outside of Leavenworth in the Cascade Mountains up Icicle Creek Canyon. Tommy said it was a beautiful location. The first day the group climbed on Barney's Rubble and Bruce's Boulder. The second day, they moved on to Clamshell. Everyone got plenty of time on the rocks and they all had a ton of fun. Wilson exhibited some really creative and difficult moves on the wall. Judy managed to complete ALL climbs. Taylor was a huge motivator and offered a ton of encouragement. She is quite a climber as well! Lizzie really excelled at the difficult slab climbing. She really found her niche on the slabs. David and Adam are both experienced indoor climbers. They put their skills to the test on the real rocks and did outstanding. Candace is an avid indoor climber as well and she was really impressive with her speed. Very fast! Cornelius is a n experienced climber and he had no trouble maneuvering all over the rock walls. I spoke to Tommy as the group was pulling into their campsite at the base of Mt. Rainier. The group is doing great and the word is that they are ready for Rainier! "Bring it on!" they say. Tomorrow the crew will head up for snow school on Mount Rainier.
Rainier Climb, 7/5 - 7/7
Snow School
The entire group met up in Ashford, WA and met RMI for Snow School on July 5. Everyone hiked up to snow and learned how to operate all of their new gear like crampons and plastic boots. The group learned all of the techniques for snow travel like rope teams and self arresting. Everyone is eager to get up on the trail up to Camp Muir and attempt to hit the Summit.
Rainier Climb, 7/6 - 7/7
Hayes called and said the entire group is off and heading up to camp Muir. I called the RMI office today and they said the group did summit! I have not heard from the trip leaders as of yet. It is a long hike down and they are 3 hours behind the east coast. I will post the update as soon as I hear from the groups.
Rainier Summit, 7/8
Tommy called to say that the Rainier climb was a challenging but wonderful experience. The summit was bitter sweet since the weather permitted them to make it while, unfortunately due to minor health and altitude issues, the entire group did not make it all the way to the top. 7 of 10 made the summit. Tommy said he could not be more impressed with his crew. He was so proud of their effort and determination during the climb! The weather was beautiful during the hike to Camp Muir. The group Got to camp at around 10000' and went to bed. They were up at midnight and on the Cowlitz Glacier by 2AM. The crew pushed on to the summit and made it by 8:30 am. Everyone enjoyed the view and reflected on their accomplishment briefly before descending 9000' to Paradise camp.
Tommy said they had an awesome meal with their guides and Hayes. He said that everyone was feeling great and ready for a good night's sleep. Hayes really enjoyed the opportunity to climb with this group. Today the Leadership 2 is breaking down their trip and heading towards Seattle for their final night and Banquet Dinner. Everyone is happy to be done with their challenge yet sad to be splitting up. Its been a great three weeks!!!
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