| Pacific Northwest Exposure log (2004-06-20 -> 2004-07-10)
Leaders: Caroline Slaughter and Jeremy Wold
Students: Caroline Colpoys, Sara Gutt, Katherine Hanes, Jackson Hill, Mary Scott Kennedy, Kally Revels, Ginny Spilman, Brian Stockton, Caroline Williams,
The Seattle airport is bustling with anxious excitement as the Pacific Northwest Exposure is about to begin an epic journey throughout Washington and Oregon.
Well, we have completed our first two sections of the PNW. Sorry for not getting back right away, but we have had too much fun! We started off at Smith Rock and the climbing was out of sight. The traverse sure made us leave our comfort zones, but was loads of fun. Next we headed to the Deschutes River and we had a blast. What can we say, but we love our group! Here is an update about everyone.
Jackson is an amazing climber and really has taken to Smith Rock and the challenges of each climb. He has excelled in not only his climbing, but as a valued member of our group. His strong character has been another aspect which has bonded us all together. His humorous personality helped the group keep their minds off the high winds when we were on the Deschutes. He really is a strong paddler and has been a huge addition to our group. Ginny¡¦s laugh is infectious. She is always keeping us humored with her laughing and reaction to most anything. She too is a great climber who scrambles up the rock face with ease. She showed great leadership, especially when getting the chance to guide the raft down class III rapids. Mary Scott is an entertainer and keeps us all amused with her stories, ambitions and her loving spirit. Her organizational skills have helped her co-leaders immensely. She is currently leading an organization of our U-Haul!! Kally, what a wonderful free spirit who is mature beyond her years. We could only have hoped to be as mature and willing to explore life as she is at her age. Kally was so much fun on the rafting and we continue to love seeing how much she loves being out here. Caroline C. is a social butterfly! She has unquestionably brought the group closer together with her undying spirit. She has quickly become connected to the outdoors. Who would have thought this young lady from Newnan, Georgia would adapt so well!! She seems more and more comfortable with her new skills while living in the backcountry. Brian is a willing and responsible leader whose experience with Moondance last summer has certainly been noticed by all in our group. He continues to jump in to help at all times and really is a team player. He is always looking out for everyone in our group. We are so lucky to have him. He was our protector during the huge water fight on the Deschutes River. Sara G. is an adventurer. She has no fear and faced every challenging rock face with a beautiful smile and really excelled on our climbing section. What a wonderful spirit and her enthusiasm is contagious. She is always able to keep everyone¡¦s spirits up and make the best of every situation. Katherine is taking this entire experience in. Her intellect and peaceful spirit are a necessary bonus to our free spirited group. But, the moment we got to the river, she was thrilled. Our guide let her man the oars on the raft, and was a natural maneuvering the boats through the rapids. Caroline W. has said that she requires motivation to get going. This is not true, for she is always willing to go first on a climb or lead the group hiking. We love seeing this in her. She is always willing to help out and volunteer for any tasks that arise. She has great leadership qualities that have made her a vital member of our team.
We¡¦re off to the North Cascades and will check in after our backpacking trip.
Backpacking in the North Cascades:
Well, our crew just got back from an amazing and adventurous backpacking section in the North Cascades. Each of us has something to share so we hope you can get a good picture in your minds of the incredible experience we are having¡K
Katherine: Katherine fought through some troublesome bug bites, actually, A TON of bug bites. She was a trooper and made it through the entire backpacking section with surprising ease. We all enjoyed her delicious cinnamon/brown sugar dessert that we devoured our last night in the woods¡Kmmm¡K
Ginny: Ginny constantly surprises us. You look at this tiny blond and do not expect the hardcore leadership style that has made her an integral part of our backcountry experience. She has helped everyone a great deal with the backcountry cooking which is not equipped with any of the luxuries of home!
Kally: Kally willingly took on an influential leadership position when Jeremy had to leave from the backcountry with an eye irritation. Her calm demeanor balanced with an authoritative attitude makes her an excellent leader. I appreciate her help in the backcountry more than she will ever know. (Caroline)
Jackson: Jackson was stuck with seven girls in the backcountry for a night. I do not know how he did it, but he did because he is Jacksonƒº I have learned to expect only the most positive from Jackson. He always wants to lift the group¡¦s spirits and this has become extremely evident the past few days!
Mary Scott: Mary Scott fought through the pain of her intense blisters everyday. In the beginning of the trip her blisters were keeping her from enjoying the backcountry, but by the end of the section her enthusiasm was in full swing and no blisters could hold her back from enjoying the bonding of her group and the beauty of her surroundings!
Caroline C.: Caroline also fought through some tough blisters, but we didn¡¦t hear her complain once, only barrels of laughter out of this girl as we hiked along the trail. Her humor is always keeping us happy.
Sara: Sara is a ray of sunshine. We can always look forward to smiling when we are around Sara. She is so good at smoothing out situations that could be uncomfortable. Even though sometimes she looked like a bird building a nest, with her stuff coming out of her pack, and hanging off hooks everywhere, we think she got the most out of the backcountryļ
Caroline W.: Caroline has turned out to be quite the superstar. While having to carry a heavy pack that was too big, she also kept her worries to herself. She is a genuine trail-trooper. She did not hesitate to volunteer for Jeremy¡¦s evacuation team, and proved to be a very helpful member of this crew.
Brain: Once again Brian contributed to the leader position with his direction and skill. He was one of the members of the evac team, helping call shots when the going got a little tougher than expected.
Everyone is feeling great and Jeremy¡¦s eye is doing a lot better. We are so excited for climbing, and will give you a full update soon
NEW LOG
PNW 1
7/10/4 Kayaking Section
Brian: Brain paddles very hard. He was the strength in every boat that he was in. Brian has also become more confident and vocal as a leader.
Jackson: Jackson continues to make the group laugh including all of our guides. His vocal skills are impeccable and he is willing to help whenever help is needed. P.S. He wants Jeremy to move in with him
Mary Scott: Mary Scott has stepped it up 100% as a leader. She has also had a fascination with kelp and made sure that her kayak was thoroughly covered. We have changed her name to Mary Kelp.
Ginny: Ginny has shown strong enthusiasm as a leader in the group. She completes tasks self sufficiently and excelled in steering the “S.S. Cheeto” safely back to Cope Island.
Caroline C.: CC has courage! The first day she was deathly afraid of the frigid temperatures of the Puget Sound while the next day she was leading an entourage of people into the cold water after paddling six miles tightly bundled up in her many fleeces!
Katherine: Katherine is a hardcore girl! Unlike the other Southern Belles of the group Katherine can put it away when it comes to food. Her witty remarks also keep the group on their toes!
Caroline W.: She is awesome! She does anything and everything for the group. Her presence on this trip has made our jobs as leaders less stressful. Caroline’s favorite activity was kayaking which was apparent in her skills.
Kally: Kally has been the chef of our group. She is always willing to help in the kitchen and put her skills to use…be it baking cornbread or scrambling brownies. She should star in her own outdoor cooking show.
Sara: Sara is our explorer. She was excited about all the sea life that we saw on our kayaking trip. She was constantly climbing rocks and searching for interesting looking sea urchins, star fish, etc. to observe. She was very hands on with every creature. Sara even saw a seal!
Our trip has been magical! We all had a blast and are sad to leave. We can’t wait to share our adventures with our friends and family.
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