| Pacific Northwest Exposure log (2003-07-14 -> 2003-08-03)
Leaders: Danielle Little & Tommy Gavigan
Students: Barrett Freibert, Blay Schoenherr, Madeline Sturm, Mary Anna Lynch, Ellie Hinken, Nicole Bernier, Law Chambers, Maxi Thiels, Colin Harris, Anna Heald
Update, 7/15
From the ferry dock in Anacortes, Danielle called with a cheerful message reporting that all was well and they were off to the good life on the islands. The group will be touring in their boats for the next few days and then off to the Cascades for their backpacking section. We look forward to the next report before they leave for the backcountry.
Sea kayaking Update, 7/19/03
Tommy called last night to say the trip was doing just fine. He said the group had a great time sea kayaking and they were headed out to their next section. Their first night's camp was on Lopez Island at Spencer's Spit. The next day the group paddled to Jones Island. They had a pretty intense water fight with the other PNW group. Day 2 was spent exploring the island and playing games, as the weather kept them out of their kayaks. On day 3, they paddled back to Spencer's Spit, stopping at Indian Cove for lunch. They arrived to their destination that day for a cookout of hotdogs and hamburgers in the evening. The group paddled for a total of 25 miles and included a complete circumnavigation of Shaw Island. Maxi and Mary Anna were chased by a seal while paddling next to Yellow Island. They were great paddlers despite their steering difficulties in the wind. Barrett was the groups first Leader of the Day (LOD) and is a very helpful and encouraging team member. Colin was an excellent navigator and loved getting wet. Anna was LOD on day 2 and keeps things positive with her laughter. Ellie is a motivator of the group and has a great attitude always. Madeline, LOD on day 3, helped bring the group close together with her friendly personality. Blay, who was LOD on the 4th day loved playing Danielle's didgeridoo, and keeps everyone laughing. Nicole was an excellent paddler and a steering success in the boat. Law is always there with a helping hand, loved backcountry cooking and really enjoyed this section.
Backpacking Section Update, 7/25/03
Tommy called in today to report the group successfully made it out of the backcountry and had an amazing time. The weather has been cooperative and he sounded great. They completed 31 miles on the East Bank Trail of Ross Lake in the Marblemount wilderness. Great times had by all! Anna is the team cheerleader and also received the most improved backpacking award from the group. Barrett always has a positive attitude and loved swimming in the water whenever they had the chance in the backcountry. Blay has constantly beem keeping the group laughing with his pretend character impersonations. Colin was the best hiker of the group always up for a new challenge. Tommy also said that Colin has been buffing up with tons of pushups. Ellie is very helpful and full of positive energy. She pushes her fellow teammates to go above and beyond. Law is always the first to jump in the water and is the most helpful of the group. Tommy really appreciated his kind attitude. Madeline is very funny and works hard to keep "bomber" campsites. Mary Anna is constantly looking for a challenge and was the only Moondancer to be blister free in the backcountry. Maxi is a super strong backpacker and leader. Nicole persevered through backcountry setbacks and had a great time during this section. Tommy and Danielle seem to be having a great time themselves and were really proud of how well the group is doing. He said they would be calling back soon with more updates!
White Water Rafting Update, 7/30/03
Danielle just called the office to report that the group had an awesome time white water rafting. She also said that they are all wearing bandana friendship necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and rings. It really sounds like this is a great bunch and everyone is having an incredible time making new friends and participating in new adventures.
Madeline has taken the role of the mother of the group. She is always making sure that everyone is wearing sunscreen and is hydrated. She loved the white water rafting. Nicole did an awesome job during this section. She participated in all the rapids and had a great time. Anna is one of the top leaders of the bunch. She has excellent expedition behavior and is constantly helping out others. Barrett loves all the meals that the group has prepared. He also took every opportunity these past two days to jump in the water whenever he could. Maxi did a great job in pulling her teammates back in the boat when they fell out. She is a great motivator and really seemed to love this section. Blay was always the first one in the water and a very active participant in the water wars! Law took advantage of the lazy time on the water. He encourages his team to do better at all times. Ellie is a standard of encouragement and a great motivator also. She claims that this section has been her favorite of the trip so far. Anna held great self defense tactics against her enemies during the water wars. She kept the group laughing and really loved the rapids. Colin was the guilty starter of most of the wars. He also enjoyed sitting in the front of the raft observing the fish because he is an avid fisherman.
The team is off for the climbing section of the trip and everyone is good spirits. We can't wait to hear from them soon!
Climbing Update 8/1/2003
Tommy called in to give the group report from their time spent at Smith Rock. He said the climbing was fantastic as well as the swinging. On the first day they climbed at the North point of Smith Rocks. They climbed "meat grinder" and "odub" which was a 5.9! On day two the group did some crack climbing on the Superman buttress. They did "In Harms Way" and finished up with "King Swing" and on this particular day Hayes joined them. On day three they did the Tyrolean Traverse of the Monkeys Face and finished with a 180 ft free rappel. Anna is an awesome climber who completed all routes. She is a rock star and completed the 5.9 "odub"! Maxi truly excelled in her climbing skills and is quite speedy on the crag. She has developed into a true leader of the group. Madeline was excited to see her uncle Hayes and she was very encouraging to the group. She dominated "meat grinder" in five minutes! Nicole is good at finding small holes and she holds the speed record on Monkeys Face. Ellie is the most spirited member and a master belayer. This was her first experience climbing and she says that Monkey's Face was the coolest thing she has ever done! Barrett was the most fearless and eager climber and she absolutely loved the challenge of climbing. Blay was an excellent helper who pushed himself and enjoyed learning about the safety systems of rock climbing. Law is a focused belayer who was encouraged to overcome his fear on Monkeys Face. Mary Anna learned to mantle on the "meat grinder" and made the Monkeys Face look easy! She did a great job! Colin did the "King Swing" first and was the fastest climber of the group.
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