| Pacific Northwest Exposure log (2003-06-19 -> 2003-07-09)
Leaders: Meagan Moran & Taylor Replane
Students: Becca Caldwell, Libba Link, Rachel Flesher, Peter Galle, Clay Maxwell, Andy Head, Collins Elmore, Sally Testori, Nick Malone
Sea Kayaking, San Juan Islands, 6/21 - 6/24
Group 3 has been island hoping in the beautiful San Juan Islands located off the coast of Washington in the Pacific Northwest. The weather has not been perfect, but the trip definitely was. Megan called to report that everything is going fantastic! They had a GREAT time sea kayaking.loads of fun!! One of the highlights of the sea kayaking was the endless birthday celebration for Andy. Yes, he turned 15.now the only 15 year old on the trip. Very exciting! They celebrated for 2 whole days, had 2 cakes and must have had at least 6 rounds of singing Happy Birthday. Andy said it was his best birthday ever.
Becca did a great job as Leader of the Day. She has a positive attitude, never complains, she is a strong paddler and never gives up! Peter is the jokester of the group and keeps everyone laughing always. He is an experienced Moondancer who helps out with everyone as much as he can.
Clay is extremely energetic and upbeat. He keeps the whole group going even when they may be a bit tired! Libba is always providing a laugh for anything and everything. She is a lot of fun to be around! Sally is an incredible paddler. She is definitely one of the strongest of the group. She is also a strong participant in the games as well as extremely helpful and cheerful. Collins is extremely nice. She is one of the strong motivators who is always happy and keeping the group going. Rachel is always upbeat. She is a hard worker and always asking what she can do to help. She is really sweet and has some great stories to share! Andy is also an experienced Moondancer. He very easily makes people laugh, great to be around and still really excited about his birthday!!!!! Nick is so optimistic. He never has anything negative to say. He is a hard worker with a positive attitude.
Megan says that all of the Moondancers of this group are team players and incredible. "They all rock!" Everyone is having an awesome time and they look forward to hopefully heading to desolation peak. For now, they will talk to us when they get out of the backcountry.
Backpacking, North Cascades, 6/24 -6/30
We spoke to Taylor today and the group is doing great after an awesome backpacking section up in the Cascades. Nick has become a fine backcountry chef and remains very positive every day. Becca is an excellent hiker. She kept movin' every day on the trail, without complaint, despite some blister problems. The group says Libba is also a very strong hiker and exceptional at all that she tries. Rachel led the group on their toughest trail day and is also enjoying becoming a backcountry chef. Clay, aka "Grover," continues to keep the group laughing and is a big group motivator. Andy has become a great group leader and remains positive always. The group made it to the summit of Desolation Peak for sunrise after a 1 AM alpine start. It was a 16 mile day- HUGE. This was a highlight of the trip for the entire group. They have enjoyed sunny weather every day on the trail. The food has been excellent, with backcountry pizzas being the crowd favorite. We in the office look forward to talking to the PNW crew again soon because it sounds like this group is having a blast.
Rafting, Deschutes River, Oregon, 7/1 - 7/4
We just heard from Taylor after their rafting trip in Oregon. They loved the scenery. The Deschutes River originates high in the Cascade Mountains from Little Lava Lake. The river carves its path through 250 miles of eastern Oregon before flowing into the Columbia. The lower river offers a beautiful desert canyon filled with sage brush, osprey, incredible basalt rock formations and plenty of exciting rapids. Consider all of the elements that were involved in their trip: a setting that is very scenic, exciting, and away from the normal! Small teams of rafts whose successful journey is based on the basic principles of teamwork, cooperation and dependence on each person under the leadership of a professional guide! The Deschutes Whitewater rafting experience combined many essential elements together that were required for team building. They are very excited about climbing at Smith Rock, and especially the Tyrolean traverse of the Monkey's Face!
Climbing at Smith Rock, 7/4 - 7/8
The group spent the last 3 days of their trip climbing at the legendary Smith Rock in the desert in Oregon. Everyone got involved with the many different climbs and activities available at the landmark. The final days were super fun and productive. Megan said she could not believe how good her PNW 3 group was at climbing!
Taylor and Megan called on their way to the group's final banquet dinner. They had just left the arid high desert of Smith Rock, Oregon. They described their time at this rock climbing Mecca as "mind blowing". The climbing guides were funny, safe and helpful to the students. In fact, they were so confident in the group they brought a new challenge to the table. This high functioning group would be the first Moondance team to experience the King Swing. This added adventure to the already exhilarating experience of traversing and rappelling the Monkey's Face, created an incredible climbing section for everyone. Peter and Nick were able to use their former climbing experiences to help upgrade the group's performance. Clay was crowned the"King of Swing" with his heroic movements on the rock. Libba conquered each climb, even though she had her doubts. It took the encouragement of Becca and Rachael to coach everyone along. Colin, the natural, made every climb look easy. The group caught on to Sally's drive to seize each day, as they broke new ground for future trips. Everyone will say goodbye tomorrow, but they'll never forget their exposure to the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest.
The group will banquet tonight and hit the airport bright and early in the morning. The trip has been perfect and everyone cannot believe it is coming to an end. Needless to say that the kids have had a blast and their leaders are constantly boasting about them. Megan said she is sad to see them depart. She hopes all return for another Moondance Adventure next summer!
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