| Big Wild Log (2007-07-10 -> 2007-07-27)
Leaders: Anna Brown, Nelson Schwab
Students: Ellen Alpaugh, Sam Baughman, Jamie Freeman, Thomas Garrison, Anderson Gibbons, Will Lanni, Renee Rao, TJ Skelton, Parker Sytz, Margaret Williams
July 10
We're backpacking in the Wind River Range and be out on Tuesday. Hope to have an update by Wednesday morning. Stay tuned!
Backpacking in the Winds- BW2!
After our first encounter in the Jackson Hole Airport, we headed
towards Slide Lake for an evening of learning to put up the tents,
swimming and a game of Ultimate Frisbee. We got to sleep under the
stars and enjoy the beauty around us. The next day we picked up our
final member of the BW2 team at the airport (due to delays) and made
our drive to Pinedale, Wyoming to prep for backpacking. Margaret,
Thomas and Ellen helped out a lot in prepping by bagging and separating
all of the group food for the backpacking section. We met our two
guides Rick and Karen (father and daughter duo of the Pinedale area)
after the group enthusiastically bought their fishing licenses at a
local hardware store. We then made the long haul to the Big Sandy
Trailhead which is in the Southern Wind River Range and where we would
be camping for the evening. Parker and Renee were the first to be on
what we call our KFC (kitchen and food crew) and treated us all to
yummy tacos and corn!!
We woke up and started to get ready for the Big Sandy trail! As a group
we packed our backpacks to make sure that we brought everything that
was needed, including bug spray. We started hiking around midday and
went about 3 miles until a hail storm surprised us on the trail. We
huddled together in our rain gear and put tarps over our heads to
minimize getting soaked. The hail finally let up but it turned into
rain and it didn’t stop! The temperature dropped pretty quickly so we
decided to set up camp close by for the day. Everyone did a really good
job being fast and efficient putting up their tents in the rain! Even
though it never ceased to rain, the kids had a great attitude and stuck
it out through the day. We all snuggled in our sleeping bags, put on
dry clothes and stayed in our tents in order to warm up. Later we made
quesadillas for dinner. The next morning we awoke to no rain and some
sun so we took the opportunity to dry out our gear. Finally we hit the
trail again and hiked to Donald Lake which is so gorgeous and
surrounded by many peaks. During the hike Renee had a great attitude.
She put it perfectly after coming up a tough hill and said, “I like hiking the
hills. It’s all about that sense of accomplishment.” Her positive
attitude really helps us out! Once at Donald Lake we were first met by
the mosquitoes and then later some rain showers. We enjoyed some
curried rice, beans and chicken and a delicious peanut butter and
chocolate dessert cooked by TJ and Anderson. We got our evening rain
storm and went to bed early but with the peaceful sound of rain drops
hitting our tent.!
With so many fishing enthusiasts we took the next day to fish Donald
Lake after eating some cheese grits! Sam and Jamie showed off their
fishing skills and caught 3 fish for us to have as an appetizer. With
the threat of a storm blowing in we stopped fishing and swimming in the
afternoon and rested until dinner. Margaret and Ellen treated us to
pesto pasta and a raspberry tart! Everyone really enjoyed it. Again we
had nightly showers and went to bed early but woke up to sunny skies
the next morning. The next day was a tough challenge. We
hiked about 7 miles in one day, but we did it and we did it with high
spirits and great attitudes. We had 4 solid days in the Wind River Range full of fun and beautiful scenery.!
We set up camp at the local Pinedale Campground, got showers, played
capture the flag, and ate some mac and cheese before finally getting to
sleep under the stars again. The next day we headed out to Rick and
Karen’s house in Pinedale to check out the 12 llamas they have. The
group was really fascinated by the llamas and plenty of pictures were
taken. We headed north to Green River Lake for the evening and to do
some more fishing. The lake was gorgeous and it was a great opportunity
to see another part of the Winds in Wyoming. Unfortunately, no one
caught anything but had a good time swimming in the cold water and
hanging out. We spent the day exploring, playing cards and soaking in
the amazing views that surrounded us. We woke up early in order to hit
the road for Idaho to raft. We are all really excited to start rafting
and can’t wait to see the rapids!!!!! Until after the Salmon...!
Anna and Nelson!
Some quotes from the crew:!
Jamie- Hola people. The water is really cold, but the rest of the trip
is really awesome! See ya sometime.!
Ellen- Hey mom. Hey dad. Hey Snooter. I’m having fun!!
Marge- Hey! Having a good time. Wallace swim fast. Good luck in
champs! Love you!!
Renee- Hi family...nice to hear from you (haha) rats okay? I’m fine.!
Parker- Hey mom and dad. I’m having fun.!
Thomas- Hey mom and dad and Luke. BW is awesome. I’m having so much
fun. I miss you.!
Anderson- Hi mom and family. Having lots of fun. Can’t wait to see y’all again.!
Will- Hey mom. The trip is cool. Can’t wait to see you.!
Sam- Hey Mom. I’m having a really good time.!
TJ- Hi Mom, Ivey and Jake. Having fun. Trips going great. I love you guys!!
Rafting the Salmon
After our rugged and rainy days in the Wind River Range everybody was
happy to make it to the Salmon River for some fun in the sun. After a
thorough safety debrief the group put on their life jackets as we
launched from Hammer Creek on the lower Salmon. It didn't take long for
everybody to discover what the water cannons in each raft were for,
after we figured out that we did not need to bail out the rafts. Jamie
enjoyed a prime shooting position while riding "bull" on the front of
the raft as our water fights in the steamy Idaho climate put our minds
in the right place while we headed for the whitewater. After a few warm-up rapids we took a quick pit stop and saw pictographs painted by the
Nez Perce Indians on nearby rock walls. Shortly after getting back in
the boats we hit the "Demon's Drop" rapid and the Salmon claimed its
first victim. Parker became the first person in our group to join the
Salmon River Swim Club, as he was quickly rescued and returned to the
raft giggling with delight. Day one on the river soon came to an end
after a delicious cookout of hamburgers, potato salad and corn on our
warm sandy beach. We played a game of touch football and keep away to
help get the energy out. Jamie, Thomas and Anderson tested their
skills at fishing while at camp. Unfortunately they did not catch
anything but we loved to see their enthusiasm for fishing!
Day two proved to be more of a challenge as we covered over twenty four miles and
ran into some strong headwinds later in the afternoon. Ellen constantly
encouraged everyone to stay hydrated while she rode the bull, leading
her raft into Snowhole rapids. Strong gusts continued once we made it to
camp, yet somehow Will and Margaret managed to prepare an outstanding
spaghetti and meatball dinner for the group. After dinner we gathered
together and played an intensely hilarious game of charades for several
hours until we all fell over due to exhaustion.
The next morning awaking to the delicious smell of french toast, we got treated by our
three raft guides- Matt Laine, Elise and Alec- with breakfast being
ready for us. With food in our stomachs, we were ready for an exciting
and tough day 3 on the river. Renee gracefully joined the Salmon River
Swim Club after our raft hit a rock in the class III China rapid, and
her wide eyes turned into a big wet smile after her mid-rapid return to
the raft. T.J. and Sam took on the two man duckie boat in the afternoon
and paddled hard through the long flatwater sections despite the wind
in their faces. They did a really great job getting through the day. We
survived the hot weather with quick dips in the water and the splash of
Sleuce Box, Checkerboard and Flint Creek rapids. Going down the river,
our guide Matt Laine showed us old Chinese rock houses that have been
standing for over 100 years on the Salmon. Once finding the perfect
beach for our third evening we settled down, rested in the shade, took
a swim in a swimming hole and feasted on fajitas and rice with
nachos as an appetizer. After our meals in the backpacking section we
were really treated by the amazing food cooked by the guides and all of
the kids. After more charades and hanging out with our guides we
finally hit the hay and got a great view of a beautiful big sky of
stars.
Our last and final day on the river was just as fun as the rest
and we didn't want it to end. We had our last breakfast of eggs, ham,
english muffins and fruit salad and then packed up all of our gear.
When we are on the river we have two boats that we raft in and then one
big gear boat with all of our clothes, food, and anything else you can
imagine. Alec was our gear boatman and he always needed help loading
and unloading the big boat. Anderson and Margaret were always there
lending a helping hand and making sure the job got done. So we loaded
up the big boat and floated down two more rapids heading towards the
border of Washington and Oregon. Due to a long flat section of the
river, we ended up tying all of the boats together and then motoring
all the way to our meeting point where we joyously saw our van and
Uhaul again. With hugs and thanks to our guides we packed everything up
and headed for Lolo, Montana where we would camp for the evening. We
thoroughly enjoyed our time on the river and know it is something we
will all never forget.
Anna and Nelson
Climbing Update: July 25
Wow, what an incredible two days we have had climbing the rocks of the Tetons. Yesterday the group headed for Teton Village to do level one training on the Slabs of Doom. After meeting our excellent guides George and Brenton we geared up and hopped into the gondola for a scenic ride up the mountain. After George led us in warming up our bodies and minds in a series of stretches he calls “brain gems” we began with some basic bouldering. After a few trips over the rock only using one hand the group embraced a greater challenge – no hands! Renee, TJ and Parker showed the group how it is done, ascending the rock in style without touching it once. Next we all learned the basic knots and belay techniques, and by the time we finished some special guests arrived. Just around the corner a mother moose and her moose-ling majestically enjoyed snacking on some local fauna while we all observed with delight. Ellen’s goal of spotting a moose was now achieved two fold, and the sighting got everyone pumped up.
After a quick lunch we began our first multi pitch climb up the slabs of doom. Just as we reached the top of the climb the skies opened up and poured on us, but as always everybody handled it extremely well, and we soon headed down the mountain and sipped hot chocolate while we dried off and warmed up. After heading back to the campground the group faced off in a battle royalle, Iron Chef style. After an hour of cooking the delicious dishes were beautifully presented and the judging began. The most creative award went hands down to Thomas’s Banana Boat dessert with cooked bananas, chocolate and marshmallows. The best dish award went to the head chef of team Kick Aces, Anderson, with his tomato, mozzarella and basil panini. In the end after taking into account cleanliness, flavor, creativity, teamwork and having fun, team Kick Aces beat Tenacious Pea but in our eyes all the food was delicious and we enjoyed watching the kids in action.
After cleaning the many dishes of the cook off and feeling totally stuffed we went to bed to rest up for our next big day of rock climbing. We woke to overcast skies but were still pumped about our day of adventure. We loaded the car and headed for South Jenny Lake to meet our guides Brenton and George again plus two new guides to help out for the day, Amy and Becca. We started off with bouldering to get warmed up. Everyone really started to get the hang of smearing their shoes in the rock and looking for good foot and hand holds. Finally we headed for the big mama rocks and did some awesome climbing. One group started by climbing what they call the Open Book. Despite being a little hesitant about the climb, Will did an amazing job and really conquered the climb. We were all really proud of him. At the same time another group got to feel some adrenaline when rappelling off a cliff. Sam was very enthusiastic about rappelling and the day in general and that excitement really helped the group get pumped about climbing.
Eventually we all rappelled and then ate lunch at the top of the mountain with a great view of Jackson. After some scrumptious pb and j’s we split up again and one group climbed what the guides call the Crazy Tree Climb. Jamie was a natural and acted as if he had been climbing for a long time. He dominated the pitches and had a great attitude. The group finished the climb right before another rainstorm rolled in. Finally, the other group did some top roping and climbed a pitch towards the bottom of the mountain. The guides told us that women are usually better climbers because they use their brains and not their brawn to get up pitches and Margaret proved that true. She showed up all of the guys on this pitch and showed off her finesse on the climb. All in all we had a really great time and learned a lot. It was an awesome group building activity because we all had to depend on each other and rely on each other to get through the day. We are proud that everyone stepped up to the challenge. Now we are off to start cleaning and getting ready to pack up!! Until later…
Anna and Nelson
July 28th Final Update
Wow, what an incredible two days we have had climbing the rocks of the Tetons. Yesterday the group headed for Teton Village to do level one training on the Slabs of Doom. After meeting our excellent guides George and Brenton we geared up and hopped into the gondola for a scenic ride up the mountain. After George led us in warming up our bodies and minds in a series of stretches he calls “brain gems” we began with some basic bouldering. After a few trips over the rock only using one hand the group embraced a greater challenge – no hands! Renee, TJ and Parker showed the group how it is done, ascending the rock in style without touching it once. Next we all learned the basic knots and belay techniques, and by the time we finished some special guests arrives. Just around the corner a mother moose and her moose-ling (calf) majestically enjoyed snacking on some local fauna while we all observed with delight. Ellen’s goal of spotting a moose was now achieved two fold, and the sighting got everyone pumped up.
After a quick lunch we began our first multi pitch climb up the slabs of doom. Just as we reached the top of the climb the skies opened up and poured on us, but as always everybody handled extremely well, and we soon headed down the mountain and sipped hot chocolate while we dried off and warmed up. After heading back to the campground the group faced off in a battle royalle, Iron Chef style. After an hour of cooking the delicious dishes were beautifully presented and the judging began. The most creative award went hands down to Thomas’s Banana Boat dessert with cooked bananas, chocolate and marshmallows. The best dish award went to the head chef of team Kick Aces, Anderson, with his tomato, mozzarella and basil panini. In the end after taking into account cleanliness, flavor, creativity, teamwork and having fun team Kick Aces beat Tenacious Pea but in our eyes all the food was delicious and we enjoyed watching the kids in action. After cleaning the many dishes of the cook off and feeling totally stuffed we went to bed to rest up for our next big day of rock climbing.
We woke to overcast skies but were still pumped about our day of adventure. We loaded the car and headed for South Jenny Lake to meet our guides Brenton and George again plus two new guides to help out for the day, Amy and Becca. We started off with bouldering to get warmed up. Everyone really started to get the hang of smearing their shoes in the rock and looking for good foot and hand holds. Finally we headed for the big mama rocks and did some awesome climbing. One group started by climbing what they call the Open Book. Despite being a little hesitant about the climb, Will did an amazing job and really conquered the climb. We were all really proud of him. At the same time another group got to feel some adrenaline when rappelling off a cliff. Sam was very enthusiastic about rappelling and the day in general and that excitement really helped the group get pumped about climbing. Eventually we all rappelled and then ate lunch at the top of the mountain with a great view of Jackson. After some scrumptious pb and j’s we split up again and one group climbed what the guides call the Crazy Tree Climb. Jamie was a natural and acted as if he had been climbing for a long time. He dominated the pitches and had a great attitude. The group finished the climb right before another rainstorm rolled in. Finally, the other group did some top roping and climbed a pitch towards the bottom of the mountain. The guides told us that women are usually better climbers because they use their brains and not their brawn to get up pitches and Margaret proved that true. She showed up all of the guys on this pitch and showed off her finesse on the climb.
All in all we had a really great time and learned a lot. It was an awesome group building activity because we all had to depend on each other and rely on each other to get through the day. We are proud that everyone stepped up to the challenge. Now we are off to start cleaning and getting ready to pack up!! Until later…
Anna and Nelson
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