| Blue Ridge Expedition log (2005-06-23 -> 2005-07-06)
Leaders: Andy Bradbury, Molly Weaver, and Rachel Moody
Students: Bo Anderson, Miller Bowron, Byron Farrah, Wilson Fish, Jessie Frederick, Ethan Grossman, Jack Laub, Jack McKay, Max Mortimer, Hannah Narcross, Charlie Powell, and Henry Weatherly.
Greetings from the Blue Ridge Mountains! Our group has returned from our first backpacking trip, and everyone is happy and healthy! It’s been a very full four days- everyone arrived safely on Thursday and we had a great time getting to know one another and learning about tent setup, Leave No Trace, and expedition behavior. Andy and Molly fixed some delicious chicken fajitas and we had our first Moonup! We found a great field to sit in and look at the stars while we talked about our hopes and fears for the trip and why each one of us chose to come. It was great to hear everyone’s different reasons for coming, and everyone sounded really excited to get started. We slept out underneath the stars as a group and woke up to a yummy breakfast of strawberries and bananas and cereal, prepared by our first set of LOD’s, (leaders of the day) Miller and Bo. After making sure that everyone’s pack was ready to go, we headed for the trailhead in our van, or “base camp,” as the kids have affectionately named it. :) Everyone was ready to be out in the woods and active, so it felt great to hit the trail! Miller led us for our first day of hiking, and everyone did a great job, despite the difficulties of carrying a backpack for the very first time! We saw some great EB (expedition behavior) from Bo and Wilson when they offered to carry some extra weight. It was a good hike for the first day, and everyone was excited to see the Butter Gap shelter when we arrived to our home for the night. While Byron, Bo, and Jessie helped cook our very first backcountry dinner of spaghetti, the rest of the group worked on skits to teach the different principles of LNT. Everyone agreed that food tastes amazing after a hard day’s work, and we all had a good laugh watching as the group demonstrated how to camp with minimum impact. After dinner we had a good game of 500 with the frisbee and had the best game of Big Booty EVER! We played for about an hour, and I think it’s safe to say we all laughed harder than we have in awhile. We played ghetto style (which Henry was especially good at!) and country style (Jessie excelled at that version!) We got the chance to tell our highs and lows of the day at Moonup and had a lot more good laughs, reminiscing on moments throughout the day when different students’ true selves began to come out. :) We all slept quite well that night, and it was a good thing because we had a good challenging hike on Saturday! We lined up our packs to judge how well we packed them, and Henry won the “most bomber pack” award. Hannah showed strong leadership skills as leader of the day, and Henry did a great job heading up the pack towards the end of the day and keeping a positive attitude when people’s feet were growing tired. We saw some amazing views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and felt the group really beginning to come together as a team. We had a picture perfect campsite last night- surrounded by beautiful trees and a rushing creek! Ethan, Charlie, and Max fixed some delicious pancakes for the group, and everyone got plenty to eat before we had a lesson on bear bagging! We had a little trouble throwing a rock high enough to get it over a tree branch, but Jack McKay saved the day when he made one last effort to throw it high enough and made it! We had another great moonup and everyone shared something that they are grateful for. It was awesome to hear the students say how thankful they were to be out here and for their parents sending them. We headed to bed early for our sunrise hike to the top of John Rock, but changed our plans when it rained early in the morning and waited until later in the day. We didn’t see the sunrise, but the view was still amazing! We hung out on the rock for a long time, telling stories and laughing- Molly amused us all with funny sleep walking stories. :) We headed back down to camp to pack up and had a breakfast of oatmeal, which Jack L., Jack M., and Miller helped prepare, before our leaders of the day, Max and Jessie, led us back to base camp. Everyone was really excited to be able to share the homemade chocolate cookies that Henry’s mom sent with him. It was a great opening trip to our two week expedition. We have a lot of different personalities that work really well together, and everyone seems to be having a lot of fun. Everyone has a message that they would like me to include. :)
“I can’t get over how green it is here!” – Molly (she’s from Colorado…)
“This is psychedelic! Funky fresh!” – Jessie
“The water we drink is yellow.” – Henry
“This is gangster!” – Miller
“I love my hiking boots. They saved my life.” – Jack Laub
“Thanks a lot of sending me here.” – Hannah
“My tent really smells.” – Wilson
“I can now add pancakes to my repertoire of cooking.” – Charlie
“These tents are better than my house.” – Bo
“I met a lot of new friends.” – Jack M.
“I’m having a lot of fun.” – Max
“I met a lot of cool people.” – Byron
“I’m just glad to be out here with these kids.” – Andy
That’s all for now! We head out to climb at Looking Glass Rock tomorrow morning, and we’ll have another update for you soon!
Wednesday, June 29th
Things are going great! We have certainly discovered that rain can’t get these Moondancers down. Since our last update we’ve been having as much fun as ever. Upon returning to camp after our first backpacking section we discovered some amazing athletic talent in the group with a game of ultimate frisbee. A highlight of the game was watching Jessie lay out to make a beautiful catch and impress the boys! When we had finally worn ourselves out we settled in for a few games of Mafia, which has now become a group favorite. Some of us happen to be pretty good actors and the mafia seems to keep winning. We put up with drizzle and clouds all day so we finished off the day with some yummy comfort food, and Wilson’s favorite meal, grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup. Exhausted from our adventures we fell into our sleeping bags for what we hoped would be a great night’s sleep. But the weather had other plans…At about 3 in the morning the leaders awoke in their tent to the sound of pounding rain and some of the loudest thunder we have ever heard. This intense storm stayed over us for almost 20 minutes, causing Molly to need some hands to hold and Charlie to exclaim, “I think I had a heart attack!!” Thankfully we were all okay, if a bit shaken. When we woke up in the morning everyone appeared a bit tired and the lesson of pitching a “bomber” (meaning very taut and well staked out) tent and packing up your pack well at night was definitely understood. A few people claimed to have nearly floated away on their thermarests the night before. We had delicious muffins and apples for breakfast before our climbing guides showed up to tell us that because of the storm and rain we wouldn’t be able to make it out to Looking Glass, the rock was simply too wet to climb. Spirits were a bit low until we arrived at the climbing gym in Asheville and the kids realized that this was going to be an incredible time. Hannah impressed us all with her quick movements up the wall and Jack M. surprised himself by really enjoying climbing and not being scared. The kids picked up on the knots quickly and the group unity was WONDERFUL!!! Everyone was helping each other out and encouraging each other as they tackled different routes along the climbing walls. Jack L. and Bo challenged themselves to complete increasingly difficult routes.
After leaving the gym we were all a little hot because the sun had finally come out. We headed out to Sliding Rock where the fun continued. Smiles abounded as we slide down the rocks and even watched a granny brave the cold water. Ethan had to be dragged away from the slide because he was having such a blast. Miller has been dying to swim and could hardly get back up the rock fast enough to slide back down. Wilson, Hannah and Henry cooked up a delicious chicken and veggie teriyaki stir-fry that wasn’t even ruined when Molly dropped some of the veggies to the ground (it added a nice crunch!). Luckily this night we got some much needed sleep and weren’t awoken by any storms. We woke up for a quick breakfast of cereal before heading out to meet the climbing guides. Again, the rain stopped us from going to Looking Glass but we were able to hike out into Pisgah National Forest and set up some repel lines at Cedar Rock. Byron was a pro as we flew down the rock face and everyone marveled at the beautiful views. Henry kept us all entertained as we belayed at the bottom with his seemingly endless supply of jokes. Hayes hiked out to meet us and got a chance to see how much this group gets along, that also meant he wasn’t able to get a word in edgewise! Our kike out was through the sunshine that again appeared in the afternoon and we had a cute dog that the kids wanted to adopt, follow us out. As a surprise treat on the ride home we stopped by Dolly’s for some delicious ice cream. A game of big booty started up right at the ice cream store and Max headed the debate over Coke or Pepsi being the better cola. We returned to camp for what has been voted hands down the best dinner. Jessie, Bo and Byron tore it up in the kitchen creating a delicious cheesy jambalaya with sausage and veggies. Delicious! The highlight of the day came at Moonup which was lead by our leaders of the day Wilson and Jack L. They asked everyone what their favorite part of Moondance was and we got some amazing answers:
Max: The sense of accomplishment I get each and everyday.
Jack L.: The friendships we make and how we accomplish things with each other and how we encourage each other to accomplish things.
Molly: Moonup. You guys share the greatest thoughts and it helps me see what amazing people you all are.
Rachel: Sharing what I love with all of you and laughing.
Andy: Watching you move from individuals to a group.
Miller: Finding my inner gangster. I love how it’s really small so everyone can get to know each other really well, really quickly.
Jessie: That we get to do stuff we usually can’t do at home and everyone gets along really, really well.
Charlie: The sense of accomplishment you get.
Wilson: The fun new games we learn that I can share with my other friends.
Ethan: It’s really cool to meet all these new people and hang out with them.
Hannah: I think it’s amazing how everyone is completely different and in normal circumstances might not be friends but it’s like we’ve known each other forever.
Bo: The amazing opportunity and meeting all these cool people. And meeting my new daddy (Wilson).
Jack M.: Accomplishing my goals, things I didn’t know I could do.
Henry: Doing stuff I normally can’t do at home.
Byron: All the free time to meet people and become friends.
Moonup ended with an incredible rap written and performed by Jack L. and Wilson before we all headed off to bed. Today we leave for Nantahala and more backpacking adventures. This group is wonderful and we are all having such a great time. My only concern is that sometime soon someone is sure to wet their pants from laughing so hard. Oh yeah, we saw a white (albino) squirrel this morning while eating our eggs and bacon. Rachel claims Brevard is “famous” for them! Until next time…
July 5, 2005
The Blue Ridge Expedition is coming to a close, but we still have two of our most exciting days left, and we just finished an amazing week. We traveled to the Nantahala National Forest on Wednesday after an incredible breakfast
of bacon and eggs, cooked by our all-guy-cook-crew, Ethan, Max, and Charlie. Charlie commented on how excited he is to be able to cook things for himself now. We had a relaxing day in the car and even had time to stop and have a picnic and play a few games of big booty and mafia. Jesse is becoming quite the big booty star! We arrived to the Appletree Campground and had one of our funnest nights yet packing up. Our leaders of the day, Ethan and Charlie, did a great job heading up the packing efforts, and everyone did really well figuring out exactly what we needed to take and how to pack it. We had a delicious dinner of cheese and chicken quesadillas before Moonup,where we talked and laughed about all the things we want to accomplish before we die. Bo's answer was a highlight- he wants to sled with Penguins in Antarctica! We had a great first day on the trail on Thursday- it was definitely tougher than our last trip, but the challenge was met with willing spirits by all! Jack McKay and Byron really stepped up as leaders of the day, and picked up quickly on the navigation skills required to lead a group in the backcountry. We enjoyed relaxing after a tough day in our campsite by a creek as Andy helped Miller, Jack L., and Jack M. cook macaroni and cheese. It hit the spot, and everyone agreed that everything tastes like the best thing we've ever eaten after a long day of backpacking. Everyone definitely slept well that night! We made an attempt at homemade cinnamon rolls Friday morning, and the group concluded that the efforts were successful! Everyone was full and energized for a dayhike. Spirits were really high all day long, and everyone seemed to have really gotten down the skills required to enjoy hard hikes. We barely made it back to camp before another intense thunderstorm! It wasn't as scary as the last one, and we were able to enjoy talking and playing cards in the tent before Molly headed up the cooking of the best meal ever cooked in the backcountry. Everyone agreed that the pizza Wilson, Henry, and Hannah cooked was the best pizza they had ever eaten! We were eating well past dark, and had another great moonup- we talked about the places we would like to visit and our highs and lows of the day. A highlight was definitely our marathon mafia session during the baking of the pizzas. Rachel and Miller impressed everyone with their acting skills, and Jesse and Ethan kept the group laughing with their efforts to convince the group of their innocence (although their efforts were seldom successful...) Everyone was sad to leave the backcountry on Saturday, but after another tough day of hiking, they were excited to get to High Country and relax before rafting the Ocoee River. We set up camp at High Country before heading out for our one and only fast food stop- McDonald's! Everyone ate an impressive amount and spent more money than anyone ever should at McDonald's, but surprisingly, everyone was still up for an intense game of ultimate frisbee afterwards! It turned into the funniest night yet, filled with new games led by Molly, Rachel, and Andy. Some of the games were, "Honey if you love me, won't you please, please smile?," "Birdie on a perch," and "Look up, look down." Everyone was howling in laughter all night long. Everyone slept out under the stars and enjoyed watching some pre-4th-of-July fireworks! Rafting this morning went great- everyone was super excited to raft the Ocoee and relieved when the thunderstorms passed before it was time to head out. Jesse was the only one to fall out of a raft, but she was all smiles as Jack McKay helped her back into the boat safely. It was a really exciting and fun day, and everyone agreed that it went by too fast. We enjoyed lunch at the site of the 1996 Olympics before driving to the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Tonight we have our iron chef contest, where we'll split into teams and try to out cook the other teams using all of our leftover food. We're excited to celebrate the 4th of July with some fun on the ropes course and a cookout and maybe even some swimming in the lake next to our campground. The group has come together so much in the last week; it will be hard to say goodbye, but everyone's excited to get back home to friends and family. We look forward to seeing you soon!
July 7, 2005
Well, now that all is said and done, I think everyone would agree that the trip was a success. We sent everyone off yesterday, some at the Bi-Lo in Brevard, others at the O.K. Cafe in Atlanta, and the last three at the Atlanta airport. It was sad to say goodbye, and we already miss everyone, but it seems that everyone had a really good time. The last few days were some of the best. We had incredible Iron Chef contest, and the Pink Penguins came out with the best overall award, but the Shivas were close behind, and definitely won in the micro trash department. (Although, Byron headed up a very strong effort in the picking up of micro trash for his team.) The leaders were really impressed with the leadership roles taken on by the students. Despite an interesting event with a feisty stove, the evening was a huge success. Moonup that night was particularly humorous, with everyone sharing what their personal bumper sticker would say if they had to choose one to portray themselves. They ranged from “Penguins” from Bo, to “Jessie” (from Jessie), to “My child successfully passed through the metal detector at ___ High School” from Henry, to “I’d rather be at Moondance” from Jack Laub. The next day was our day on the Ropes Course at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. We had beautiful sunny weather for the first time in a while, and everyone did an incredible job. A few highlights were Henry and Hannah going off the big swing, watching others fearlessly go through the course multiple times, including Ethan doing both the high and the low courses, and sitting around and talking with each other while waiting turns. We had a fun afternoon of more new games, including “Telephone Pictionary” and “Preferences.” (You’ll have to get the kids to explain these.) Then we had a cookout for the Fourth of July! It was complete with hamburgers fresh off the grill, watermelon, potato chips, and marshmallows to roast on the campfire. Even though rain sent us into our tents early, it was a really fun night and a great way to celebrate the holiday. Our last day of activity took us to the Nantahala River, where we floated down the river on Duckies. It was a beautiful morning, and everyone had an excellent time. Unfortunately we had a few flips on the first rapid, but everyone was fine, and Wilson and others did a great job at helping people retrieve their gear and get back into their boats. Charlie did a great job, helping lead the pack and get people excited to try new challenges. The biggest challenge for the day was the Nantahala Falls at the end of the river. We scouted the rapid and everyone was excited and ready to go for it. It was a nearly perfect run, almost everyone managed to stay in their boats through the rapid. Sadly, the last one through, (I won’t mention who…) flipped and had to be rescued. Everyone was safe and happy at the end. We enjoyed a lunch by the river and all the students wrote letters to themselves and listed twenty things they would like to do in their lifetimes. We had a great afternoon cleaning the van and the U-Haul and dishes at a car wash, and we listened to “Cowboy Take Me Away” one last time as we headed back to the campground to shower and pack and get ready for our final Banquet. We ate a delicious dinner by the river and even stopped for Push-pops on the way home. We had one last Moonup, highlighted with words to describe our experiences, and words of encouragement and feedback for one another. Everyone talked a lot about all they learned, especially Jessie, Miller, and Hannah, who were touched by the friendships they formed and how they discovered the importance of not judging people too quickly. Jack McKay offered his home for a reunion, and everyone mused at the idea of riding his donkeys around his 65 acres of farmland. The students slept out under the stars and talked well into the night, well… the morning is more like it, and we awoke before sunrise to get a early start on our drive to the Bi-Lo parking lot. Once we arrived, we played one final game of Big Booty before saying our first goodbyes. It was a bittersweet day, as everyone was excited to get home to the comforts of dry, mosquito-free homes and warm beds, but it’s sad to see the adventure end. Good luck to everyone with the rest of their summers, and we hope to see you next year!
Warmest regards, Rachel
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