| Blue Ridge Expedition log (2004-06-18 -> 2004-07-01)
Leaders: Mark Keim, Ashley Hunt and Courtney Parks
Students: Preston Haas, Wiley Lavigne, Kelsey McInerney, Jack McPherrin, McCrea O'Haire, Michael Otteni, Andrew Paschal, Marek Rebandel, Will Riser, Jonathan Squire, Mac Stormont, David White.
Looking forward to a great summer adventure! We will post new messages as this trip begins.
Well, we know a couple of parents are excited to see an update on the BRE. It has been an action filled last couple of days. All seems to be going well as we have recently completed our rock climbing section at Looking Glass in Pisgah National Forest of Brevard. Everyone seems to be getting along great and the group has meshed over the last few days to a cohesive unit. It is amazing how quickly a group of kids can gel. Following our first day of climbing, we went up to Sliding Rock for a fun time. Needless to say, that water is cold!! Everyone had a blast. We have really seen everyone come together and have a couple of real comedians in Wiley and Andrew. Wiley could be the next to audition for Saturday Night Live. They have both been keeping the group in stitches. We love how Andrew is so inquisitive and wants to learn a great deal about the outdoors. Mac, Jack and Will have exemplified great EB (expedition behavior – ie. Looking after the whole group and being a caring team member) and cooked a great meal this weekend. Everyone enjoyed sleeping outside and this was the first time for several. Everyone set up “bomber” (that means good!) tents though they would prefer to sleep beneath the stars. Kelsey and McCrea seem to be the glue with keeping the entire crew together. As the only girls, we could not have two better superstars! We knew they were going to be exceptional. David and Preston both really have taken to the climbing and challenged themselves on some pretty difficult routes. There is not climbing like this in Wisconsin! Jonathon was the LOD (Leader of the Day) and a tremendous help to his entire group. Not sure how Michael can manage his backpack because it is nearly as big as he is, but what a trooper. He really is a strong climber. Marek has taken an interest in all the activities and we think he is really going to enjoy the upcoming river trips. We have had great moonups every night and everyone is excited for the next leg of their adventure. More news after our backpacking trip.
Let the backpacking begin! Well…after our successful rock-climbing portion of the trip it is finally time to head deep into the beautiful North Carolina backcountry. We took the first morning to pack our packs. We packed individual gear and equally divided the group gear and food to last us 3 days. Ashley, Mark and Courtney were taken back by how the entire group packed up like old pros! No complaints from this group! Instead there were sounds of enthusiasm and eagerness from everyone to help the “group”! Smiles and laughter drowned out the sounds of rain we were having as we headed down Cat Gap Loop, our Blur Ridge trailhead. Our first nights campsite was beautiful and with Wiley, McCrea, Michael and Will on cook crew, our cheese Quesadillas and tomato soup was delicious and devoured in minutes!
Day two of our backpacking section was led by our two Leaders of the Day McCrea and Jack. They each led efficiently and were always making sure everyone had plenty of water and time to stop and rest. After a long day trailblazing through the mountains we reached camp. Once again, Ash, Mark and Courtney felt like proud parents as we watched every tent group working together to set up their tents without a bit of trouble! With clear skies and a cool breeze coming off the nearby Davidson River, we feasted on chicken stir fry and veggies with “homemade” Oreos for dessert. Before our moonup the crew learned how to bear bag. With Michael front row and center, all the kids bagged up our remaining food and rigged it up high in the Blue Ridge canopy!
This amazing, dedicated and enthusiastic group decided amongst themselves on the next day’s agenda. They proposed a 5 AM wake up to do a sunrise hike to the top of John’s Rock! So, after a good nights sleep we all hopped out of our warm sleeping bags, grabbed a layer, water and headlamps and started the trek…or what we call “Beat the Sun!!!” After about 30 minutes we reached the glorious top of Johns Rock---overlooking all of the Blue Ridge Mountains including Looking Glass Rock where we did our Rock Climbing! The first words out of Jack’s mouth were “ My mom is never going to believe this!” Above the clouds and all of society, the 15 of us sat together and watched Mother Nature wake up. ( Don’t worry…we have tons of pics!) We left John’s Rock and went back to camp for breakfast and a hike to our last campsite. Then, to change things up, we set up camp once again along the Davidson River and since we were not too far from our trusty van we walked there and took a ride to Looking Glass Falls…one of North Carolina’s most beautiful waterfalls! Although it was a little chilly everyone jumped in with both feet. Wiley and David were the only 2 to actually stay in the falls the entire time! Wiley’s great sense of humor and love of the outdoors shines through everything he does. His goal for the trip is to “have as much fun as I possibly can!” After an ice cream stop we went back to camp and played a rigorous game of “Birdie on a Perch” where Marek and Mac remained champions.
One thing that truly makes a trip are the students…and I know I could not have asked for anything better than what we have! With Will’s expertise in the kitchen and the fact that he is constantly helping everyone has truly set the tone for the kind of family we have here on the BRE. Michael’s spirit and determination during our Rock Climbing section was also something to be admired. By the way we think he might be a secret expert rock climber! Speaking of climbing, Jonathon overcame his fear of heights while he soared up Looking Glass Rock! With Marek’s stories and easy going attitude he adds a great dynamic to our group. Mac is a natural backpacker! He was first in line when he was the Leader of the Day and was always on top of making sure everyone purified their water just right. Last night during Moonup we were all just talking and sharing and he shared one of his favorite quotes which we loved. “Be the change you want to see in the world.” The brave two girls on the trip are the tent masters! They have their tent set up 1st each night and they are never afraid to get dirty or even take a dip in the NC water. McCrea’s sense of self is so special at such a young age. She jokes with the boys like she has known them for years. Her Expedition Behavior (EB) is more than we could ask for. David keeps us laughing with his great sense of humor and was an excellent LOD yesterday. He is VERY conscious about not leaving a trace and is NEVER afraid to sleep outside under the beautiful stars. Preston’s energy even keeps us on our toes! No matter how much he carries or how much it weighs he is always ready to be 1st in line and keeps the group’s moral high even on the steepest hills! Andrew is so enthusiastic! He was the 1st at Sliding Rock and was ahead of the pack racing into Looking Glass waterfall! He inspired Ash, Mark and Courtney last night with his favorite quote… “When the power of love overcomes the love of power---the world will know peace.” Jonathon is an awesome team player! He never stops smiling and is always right beside us asking if he can do anything to help. His compassion keeps us going. Kelsey was LOD on our 1st day of backpacking. It was hard at 1st getting everyone organized and she was such a sense of calm. She led the pack, set the pace and kept all the other kids smiling even though the rain was nonstop! She and McCrea almost have all of us speaking fluent gibberish which we learned is quite scientific. Jack was LOD with McCrea and was also ready for anything. That was our longest day of backpacking so far and I never saw him slow down once. He also might be over his dislike of chocolate as devoured an Oreo last night and said “I never remembered chocolate tasting soooo good!” It may just be because he was tired?! Well…that is all for now! We are happy, healthy and having a blast on the Blue Ridge!!!!
Backpacking Nantahala National Forest
As we continue along our journey of the Blue Ridge Mountains smiles illuminate across each of our faces. For the days of Pisgah are behind us and backpacking the Nantahala lay before. We traveled nearly 3 hours west toward Standing Indian Campground. We were able to get all our tents up and organized for the days to come with our menu planning and food organization for the following backpacking trip. We re-organized our packs and dried all our clothes before the rain began to come in. Upon completion of our duties we headed out for our only fast food trip of the BRE. Dinners were wonderful and well deserved. Wendy's was the van choice so the kids quickly ordered up frosty's, fries and burgers. Everyone was happy and full for a good nights rest. As the evening continued the kids put on a hilarious skit which had all of us laughing at ease. With belly’s full and smiles big we laid our heads to sleep under a southern storm above.
As the morning came around we departed from Standing Indian up into the Nantahala N.F. While the skies were dark and filled with rain our spirits were high and everyone hiked along in full rain gear battling the elements. For many this was one of the toughest days as we were faced with rainfall from day break to day end. We hiked nearly 2 1/2 miles till we reached a solid campground, flat and comfortable, with space around for all. The rain pounded on and the elements of putting up a tent soon turned into an art of trying to keep all dry. The kids held tarps over one another and worked amazing as a team in accomplishing this goal. It was a tough time for all and each of them impressed us immensely with their commitment to one another. As the rain continued we delivered hot cocoa drinks to all and stories were shared as laughter soon came about of the days events. We had a wonderful dinner of pasta and cream of mushroom sauce and all were content as the skies parted for the time being. As we all laid our heads to rest we were each grateful for our friends around, dried clothing covered by our trash bags during the day and a tent over our heads. We were each exhausted and slept the night away till the morning broke with sunshine and blue skies. It was a beautiful morning filled with sunshine, dryness, bagels and sausage. What better way to start a Moondance day in the backcountry? We packed our bags and headed down trail. Taking our time and enjoying one another’s company we traveled along the Appalachian Trail for a little while. A good feeling for all traveling along one of the most remarkable trails in North America. We found camp in mid-afternoon under a beautiful open meadow, with space to breath and sunshine all about. We set up our tents and laid our clothes out to dry for the afternoon. The sunshine soaked up the wetness from the days prior and allowed us a chance to reflect on the gracious experience. The afternoon was filled with an hour reflection\silent time, which the kids greatly enjoyed. Fun games, activities and lessons filled the afternoon under a beautiful skyline. Dinner highlighted the evening with pasta, chicken, tomato sauce, garlic bread and the works for the evening. We had a wonderful moon up with shared memories of our favorite moments of the trips thus far; things we took for granted back home and shout outs for all of our new friends. As the days move from backpacking the Nantahala, we greatly anticipate the days to come with white water rafting, ropes course and duckies to supplement our smiles.
The leaders of the day have done a wonderful job keeping spirits high. Marek and Preston helped hike the group through the rainstorm and made sure everyone was in smiles by evening. Mac stepped up by helping various tent groups make a solid tent sight in the driving rain, putting others before himself was great Expedition Behavior. Jonathon has added incredible insight as he always shares great EB and his great knowledge of life with the all involved in this adventure. The guys agreed and shared with us how impressed they were with McCrea and Kelsey’s ongoing hard work and determination. The girls have done a wonderful job and have become one with the entire group, quite a feat considering having 10 boys and only 2 girls. As we shared in moon up tonight each individual was very surprised at just how close they have gotten to everyone and how comfortable they are with all those on this trip, a great attribute to each of them for going out on a limb. Will and David have been spending quality time together and have helped the group accomplish amazing things with their positive attitude. Jack has been keeping busy not only with conquering natures elements, yet has completed his 1,000 page novel just the other day. Michael has been so happy and has been making so many new friends. He is very content with his ideas to stay along on the trip and hasn't been missing home nearly as much. He has truly realized the amazing things that occur out in these lands. Andrew has been busy creating hilarious cartoon skits of our group and drawing figures of each of us, while always keeping us entertained by his wit and charm. Wiley is always keeping the group in laughter with his movie quote knowledge and great humor to balance out the rainy days, which we all appreciate.
We all miss you all and anticipate greatly the days to come. Smiles till we talk again, Blue Ridge Group
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