| Rocky Mountain Way log (2003-06-18 -> 2003-07-01)
Leaders: Molly Tyler, Taylor Moody, Lindsay Nohl
Students: Emily May, Johnie Jones, David Izlar, Brian Stockton, James Lee Ford, William Estes, Becca McAdams, Sarah Harris, Christian Anderson, Meg Smyth, Jason Gilliland, Mary Rachel Dorsett, James Lee Ford
Rafting the Arkansas River, 6/18
The group all arrived safely into Denver and loaded into the van. Off they went south of Denver, cutting west over the Front Range into the Arkansas valley surrounded by the towering Collegiate peaks. The group stayed their first night with group 1 at the rafting base camp on the bank of the Arkansas River. After a few lessons and a traditional meal of quesadillas, the group went to sleep ready for an early wake up.
The group paddled like veterans down the Royal Gorge. Early season conditions afforded each boat a wild and wet ride through every rapid. After the trip was over, RMW 2 left the Arkansas thinking about their return in 2 weeks for the bigger and better Brown's Canyon!
6/20
After the Royal Gorge was completed, the group left the Arkansas and moved on to a scenic campsite outside of Telluride in Southwest Colorado to prepare for their backpacking section. Today they are learning how to properly pack a backpack and are dividing up their food cache getting ready for 6 days in Colorado's beautiful San Juan range. Everyone is getting along great and spirits are high! Becca and Mary Rachel have been a great help with everyone as the group begins to gel. Sarah's positive spirit is contagious and she is a great addition to her group. Jason has been extremely helpful as well. Christian, James Lee and Johnie are all highly motivated to get the most out of the first couple of days of their trip. Good feedback on Meg, Brian, Emily, David and William after their rafting section and how well they all worked together. Looks like it is going to be a great trip!
Backpacking in San Juan National Forest, 6/21 - 6/26
Meg has started to really break out of her shell! She is emotionally strong and did not become discouraged by her bad blisters. She never complained! Meg has learned to fish and enjoys getting to know her group members. She loves hot chocolate and backcountry desserts. (She is always willing to lick the pan) She definitely carries her share of weight with her small size. Meg is a joy to be around and is friendly to everyone.
Brian is the Big Bootie champion of the group! He is an active participant in bear bagging every night. He is great in the kitchen and makes especially delicious pasta. Brian has a positive attitude and he is eager to learn backcountry skills. He is an enthusiastic, caring leader who is willing to do more than his share.
Mary Rachel also loves hot chocolate and backcountry desserts. She is extremely caring to all members and easy to get along with. She also overcame really bad blisters like a pro. She is very independent and makes a strong effort to form new friendships with everyone.
David, otherwise known as "Big Red" is awesome! He is an active leader and enthusiastic participant. He absolutely loves the peacefulness and surroundings of the backcountry. He is one of the most hilarious kids and keeps everyone's spirit up. The group comedian won outdoor Jeopardy and simply has a great presence.
Johnie is an expert bear bagger! His number one goal was to regain an interest in the backcountry and he has certainly outdone himself. During Moon Ups he praises others in a positive way. He loves group games and he is an awesome Leader of the Day. Johnie shared his expertise in fishing with Meg and Mary Rachel! He is very patient, has a lot of respect for others and gained a great deal of responsibility.
William is eager to volunteer to help in anything. He enjoys bear bagging and is very responsible. He is most definitely enjoying his time in the outdoors!!!
Becca overcame her fear of spiders! She is a team player and always offering to carry more weight in her pack. Becca is a great hiker and always willing to be Leader of the Day. She always volunteers to cook and is super funny!
Emily also is a constant volunteer to do dishes and cook. She is a really good hiker and great at the group games.
Christian is just super! He is a great leader, a strong hiker and always willing to help out. He has an enormous amount of positive energy and he leads by example. Christian loves Moon Up! He also gives a lot of compliments and is very sincere. He is eager to peruse his outdoor experience and is an excellent role model for the whole group. He and James Lee share a friendly competition to see who can carry the heaviest pack!
James Lee is very energetic. He is eager to improve his camping skills and really enjoys the classes. He is quick to volunteer and help anyone in the group. Another true comedian, James Lee caught a trout in Bear Lake and keeps the energy up!
Jason is witty, really mature and independent. He is another great leader who leads by example. He loves to fish and has on his trip he has learned to Fly Fish! Jason is very laid back, easy to get along with and talented at spotting wild life. Finally, according to Molly one member of the group, Sarah Harris, acted as the emotional backbone for the entuire RMW 2. Sarah kept the spirits high for everyone throughout the first week and during the first few days on the trail. Unfortunately, due to injury Sarah had to be removed from the trip. Molly said it was so tough for the group to part with her since she was such a major factor within the group's entire dynamic. Everyone misses Sarah and said they wish she could be back for the final days of the trip.
Faraway Ranch, 6/27 - 6/30
Molly checked in again to update us on their great ropes course where Hayes met up with them. The group hiked to the top of a ridge at Faraway and played a great game of ultimate Frisbee. The next big event was rock climbing. It went really well. After climbing they went in to Telluride and had a cookout with burgers and watermelon for dessert. The kids loved it! To end a super day, the group hiked to another ridge to watch an amazing sunset!
An update on everyone.
Mary Rachel excelled on the ropes course! She surprised herself by reaching the top of the wooden tower!
Becca kept everyone laughing during the iron chef competition with her waitressing skills.
Meg is now 2 for 2 falling out of her boat on the rafting sections!
Emily tried for 45 minutes on a particular climb the group named the Bermuda Triangle. She did not give up and her persistence paid off as she made it to the top.
James Lee excelled during iron chef. He invented the delicious pineapple delights.
Brian stepped up for leadership roles during all the group problem-solving activities at the ropes course.
David displayed much effort on the rocks and the climbing tower. He continues to be positive and keep everyone smiling.
Jason did an incredible job climbing. He was the only student to climb all three of the routes.
Christian is a really strong climber as well and takes great leadership roles at the campsite.
Johnie has rejuvenated his passion for climbing. He also did a super job during iron chef.
William excelled on the climbing wall and also did a great job on the giant swing on the ropes course.
Raftin Brown's Canyon and Final Update, 7/1
Molly called to say that the group was off and everyone was on a plane heading home. She explained how the last 2 days were bitter sweet. Everyone was so excited about going home and all of their new friends, yet everyone knew the trip was ending and the group was breaking apart. She said everyone had a blast rafting through the beautiful Brown's Canyon. A wet spring offered the crew a wild ride! Brown's Canyon is pretty but exciting. She was surprised at how different the last day of rafting was in comparison to the group's first day together on the river. Everyone was so open and worked together so well on the final day. Molly said the group all wished Sarah could have been with them for the final moon-up. She was gone but definitely not forgotten! All in all, the trip was a huge success!
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