| Rocky Mountain Way log (2003-07-14 -> 2003-07-27)
Leaders: Matt Bowman & Anna Conrad
Students: Anne Campbell, Barton Parker, Salem Gregory, Kate Rodriguez, John Mrkonic, Millie Ward, Betsy Parkinson, Chris Williamson
Update, 7/16
Anna called to check in and say that the rafting went well and the group had a great time out on the water. The weather has been great so far. The group is coming together and they are looking forward to the next few days of ropes course activities and climbing. We should be hearing back from them in a few days with a detailed run down on the group's adventures.
Update, 7/17
Matt called today to give us a report on the climbing section. Things are going very well for the group and they have had a great climbing and ropes section based out of Faraway Ranch. The weather has been great, complete with the typical southern Colorado afternoon showers. It doesn't sound like they have slowed this group down a bit. The ropes course was awesome for everybody and it sounds like they especially enjoyed the big swing.
Betsy and Chris took on all 3 routes and both had a very challenging and successful day out there. Being experienced, they helped the group quite a bit. Millie, Kate and Anne all really enjoyed the ropes course. All three conquered their fear of heights and managed the 60 foot rope swing, with an incredible free fall. John skillfully took on the tower and made it to the top for the excellent view. Barton has a knack for rock climbing and is learning all the new skills. He looks like a future climber for sure. Salem and Chris impressed the group with an excellent skit on Leave No Trace ethics, a very important lesson for the upcoming backpacking section. Things are going great for this group. They have decided to head in to the backcountry early tomorrow instead of taking a prep day in Telluride. This group is fired up to hit the trail. We look forward to hearing from them when they get out.
Backpacking update, 7/24/2003
Matt called to report about the groups backpacking section, which they just completed. On the first day the group started at Bear Creek trailhead and hiked in about 3 miles getting used to packs. They enjoyed a delicious chicken stir-fry prepared by Millie, Barton, John and Ann. One highlight of the day was when Barton spotted a mule deer! The second day was really hard but very rewarding. The group celebrated Barton's 16th Birthday, which was fun for everyone. Chris caught some cutthroat trout and Betsy made an Oreo cheesecake for Barton's Birthday. The next day they did a tough climb and gained 2000 feet of elevation. The Leaders of the Day, John and Betsy pushed the group to a beautiful lake area where they set up camp. The night ended with a really scary ghost story from Barton. Day four started out with Millie and Salem as the LOD's. They got everyone up to Indian Ridge, which never dropped below 10,000 feet. They had a few afternoon thunderstorms but that did not slow them down. Using their newly acquired map and compass skills the group did some excellent off trail navigation. The fifth day consisted of a day hike to look for animals. Unfortunately they did not see any animals but enjoyed a great hike. Ann and Katie entertained with some nice 80's songs. At the end of the day John spotted a bear, which was awesome. On the last day the group did a nice hike to Bear Creek, which was a great conclusion to an awesome backpacking section. The group is currently enjoying some downtime in the beautiful town of Telluride, Colorado.
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