Pacific Northwest Exposure

Pacific Northwest Exposure Log (2007-06-20 --> 2007-07-10)

Leaders: Tyler Hogan, Anne Wright Newman

Students: Molly Cheslin, Cheney Garder, Morgan Ivey, Addie Navarro, Newton Law, Ben Barnes, Cate Reese, Bob Fine

June 20

All have arrived safely. Perperations are underway for Sea Kayaking the San Juan Islands. Stay tuned.

June 24

After a smooth start at the airport, we made our way to Lopez Island ferry in Anacortes where we first observed the sweeping landscapes of the San Juan Islands. The islands make us feel as if an entire mountain range was swallowed by the Pacific, leaving only the tops to form these unique islands.

We spent the first night in Spencer's Spit campground learning the basics of tent set up and "leave no trace". Everyone slept soundly underneath the stars our first night as a group. On day 2, the group awoke to packing dry bags and learning kayak basics before heading out to the sea.

Our first leaders of the day were Cheney and Newton. Cheney was ambitious with her previous paddling experience, and Newton showed exceptional leadership skills honed on his previous Moondance trip. The group paddled a short four miles to Jones Island, observing seals, bald eagles and multi-colored starfish along the way. That night we also saw orcas feeding on a tide line off Jones Island. The group really started to bond on our first night on Jones Island. Morgan displayed a true love of fire and became our official fire starter/pyrotechnic.

The next day Bob and Molly were leaders of the day. Bob paddles like a madman with his doo rag and aviators. His heavy foot for steering has lead to the nickname 'Heavy Metal Bob'. Molly boasts an endless supply of energy that keeps us moving. During early mornings and rough days, Molly maintains a full smile that everyone thrives on.

Day 3 was certainly our hardest day as the group paddled a full ten miles to our campsite on Doe Island. This small island was perfect for our small group, and we had our own island for the night. We played 'mafia' for a full hour that night, a game our group has really come to love.

On Day 4, Addie and Ben were elected as LOD's. Addie was selected for her strong paddling ability which I can certainly attest to, as I paddled with Addie our long day and felt as though she was carrying me. She used her strong core to conserve energy which helped to keep her endurance up. Ben displayed strong paddling skills as well, smoothly navigating his way through other boats. He always seemed to be at the front of the pack.

Led by our guide Blair, the crew explored the coastline, seeking out crabs, starfish and other sea creatures. We have some great photos of Cate with a large purple starfish. As we made our way back to Spencer's Spit, the group had a large water battle from boat to boat.

Everyone was dreading learning wet exits by the time we got to shore. Ann Wright, my co-leader, was first to jump in to complete her wet exit.

Getting back to shore early, she encouraged the rest of the group to jump in and get wet. For those of you who don't know, we wear skirts while paddling to keep water out of the boats. An underwater exit involves flipping the boat, removing the skirt, swimming to the surface and pumping the water out of your boat - and essential skill for sea kayaking.

Everyone did very well with this task. Molly, Cate and I went out in a boat, none of whom were excited to swim in the cold sea, however after getting wet initially, we were all smiles. Cheney and Addie showed no fear, hopping in to the boat with guide Blair, and quickly completed their task.

Newton, Ben and Bob also did an exceptional job. Although the water was quite cold, we were all happy to have completed the daunting challenge.

Cate was eager to try again, but I was not, so we headed back in for burgers, thrilled by Outdoor Adventures. Morgan sports exceptional expedition behavior, as I noted her carrying my gear for me as I got out of the boat that day.

As we head in to our next section backpacking at Ross Lake, everyone is so excited. Ann Wright and I agree that this group is already amazingly seamless. I really can't believe it. Their sense of humor is a comfort to both of us, and the whole crew is always laughing. We look forward to seeing their backcountry capabilities develop as they continue to hone their leadership skills.

Until next time,

Ann Wright and Tyler

** Shout outs **

Ben....Hey Mom and Dad (they'll know what I am saying)

Newton....Mom and Dad, I am having a lot of fun, take care of my garden!

Cate...Hey Mom and Day, I am having fun!

Addie...Mom, Dad, and Emily, I am having fun! Emily, you had better be feeding my frogs!

Cheney...Hey Mom and Dad! Have fun at camp, Annalee!

Molly...Hey Mom and Dad, I love you! Annie - have fun in Spain!

Morgan...Hey Mom and Dad, this is radical!

Bob....Hey Sebastian, what's up? Hey Ali - can't wait to hear about Europe

July 2

As we made our way into North Cascades National Park, everyone was thoroughly impressed with the scenery. At Ross Lake the mountains drop swiftly into the lake below, and their slopes produce tumbling creeks of clear mountains water. The group was dropped off by water taxi at the Hozomeen lake trailhead. We were only one mile from the Canadian border. Our first hike left us at Hozomeen Lake. For me and Anne Wright, it was the nicest camp site we have ever seen. We felt very isolated as the group set up camp. Morgan, Cate, and Molly were the first cook crew. They made us a delicious meal of red beans and rice with sausage. They have become quite the cook crew and pose a serious threat to competing cook crews in our upcoming iron chef cook-off. That night we all slept outside near the lake watching bats collect bugs from the lake’s surface. Bobby claims that it was the coldest night he has ever experienced. While everyone agrees with him, I recall the group slept quite sound that night despite the chill. Our next day took us to Nightmare Stock campground. We had a lot of free time, so I took to the stream to investigate the fish life. Newton and I hiked a good mile or so down stream and managed to catch around 30 rainbow trout. We released all of them, as any true fly fisherman would do. Newton has a smooth cast and holds serious fly fishing potential. While some of the crew was upset that I would not allow them to eat our catch, Ben, Bobby, and Newton cooked up an amazing stir fry dinner that filled everyone up. Our next day’s travel took us to lightning creek, which would serve as our base camp for our summit to desolation peak. Everyone went to bed early that night because we had to get up at 1 AM to head to the summit. Morgan and Cate were elected LOD’s for the day and did and excellent job of motivating the crew on such a hard day. Guided by headlamps, we reached to summit at 6 AM, just slightly after sunrise. Addie kept an excellent pace for the crew.

With some help from Molly, she got everyone excited to see the next switchback. Molly eased tension with her great attitude during the grueling hike. Newton was an excellent motivator for those at the back of the crew, conserving his energy for the final push to the summit. To reach the top, we had to hike through a good quarter mile of snow, however, it was quite worth it, as the summit offered incredible views of the surrounding peaks. Cheney mentioned that it was the hardest thing she has ever done. The rest of the crew concurred at our next moon-up. After the summit we made it down by 8:30 and everyone slept sound into the afternoon. Ben and Bobby were glad they pushed themselves and were eager to eat mid afternoon pancakes as a reward for such a tough climb. We made a good 5 servings of pancakes. Ben helped to eat the final monster pancake, which we nick-named Beast Cake. She was a large specimen. We estimate the hike to be around 15 miles total with nearly 4,000 feet of elevation gain. That’s pretty intense. Some other highlights include finding a Rubber Boa, a docile snake and one of only two boa species in the United States. It was a gift to see such unique wild life. We released it safely into the wild after taking some quick pictures. Addie and Bob were both eager to handle it, while some of the rest were a bit hesitant to handle the snake. It was certainly the most calm snake I have ever encountered in all my reptile catching. The next two days proved much easier as we hiked out along the edge of the lake.

Everyone will miss the back country as we head out rafting but we are excited to be on the road again. Anne Wright and I feel blessed to have such a fun and cooperative group of kids! Thanks for following, more to come after rafting…

Tyler Hogan

Our short rafting trip down the Deschutes began at Mecca Flat campground near Bend Oregon. Although the scenery here was less spectacular than that of the Cascades, everyone was happy to get on the water. The desert is quite hot around here, and the river was an easy way to cool down. Everyone was anxious to get their heads wet as we began our trip. Since the first day was a more relaxed section with only a few minor rapids, we had a large water battle between boats. My boat became known as the “White Stallions,” and the other crew was named the “Onions.” The White Stallions were eager to steal members of the other boat. Cheney and Molly were quickly pulled off the edge of their rafts into the calm water and became temporary members of the White Stallions. Ben, Bobby, and Anne Wright fought ferociously to defend their friends, but they were overtaken by Addie, Newton, and Cate, all members of the White Stallions. Morgan became a secret weapon for the White Stallions earning the nick-name “Moragon.” We had a little Lord of the Rings theme going on here. While she was initially hesitant to get into the cold water, she ended up pouncing off our boat onto the other boat trying to pull people into the water. Morgan was also quite scared of receiving a sunglass tan from her newly purchased Smith glasses. All the girls aside from Cate seemed really afraid of getting a Chaco tan from their sandals as well. I don’t know where such fear originates. Anne Wright and I sport ours proudly. Molly was horrified of such tan lines at the beginning of the trip. However, after the first day of rafting, sporting the ultimate Chaco tan became a competition. Molly has a solid Chaco tan. Morgan argues that hers is stronger. Bobby received a Chaco burn, which tanned out the next day. This was certainly the most defined tan of the group. Addie loves her Tevas and is glad she doesn’t have to deal with the large Z tan that the rest of the crew has. Cate took no credit for starting the Chaco tan movement, but I do recall that she was the only one excited to get one at the beginning of the trip. She is a real trend setter. The boys were quite pleased with the massive amounts of food offered on the rafting section. Our charter, Orion, cooked us a nice pasta dinner with chicken, broccoli, and some nice sauce. We had a large amount of pudding that night as well. Ben has named his stomach Josh and pointed out how Josh had grown after such a meal. Josh remained satisfied the rest of the trip. Everyone slept out beneath the desert stars that night. While the nights provide comfortable temperatures, the morning sun is intense and early. I am woken up by the sun around 6am every day. Most kids are not phased by this, however. I am convinced that Bobby, Ben and Addie could sleep until noon every day in the desert heat without getting out of their sleeping bag. Unfortunately for them, day two of rafting called for an early wake up. On the bright side, Bobby, Newton and the guides cooked us an incredible breakfast of French toast and sausage. We also had fresh fruit, which was so nice to have after the backpacking section. Everyone was full once again as we headed out on the river for day two. Day two was much more exciting. There were longer and more consistent rapids. The kids also got to swim a rapid. I assure you it was quite safe. It was a long class II wave train with one large roller in the middle, a nice treat on the 4th of July. Everyone was pleased to have the experience, but they were equally impressed with the power of white water. Cheney was in my boat for that day and was a really strong paddler. Even better, she was great at following directions from our guide, a crucial aspect of rafting. The guides commented on her stroke quality using her as an example for the rest of the boat. By the end of the trip everyone was exhausted from the heat and the paddling. We celebrated the 4th with Fried Chicken, Watermelon and Ice Cream. We tried our hand at mentos and diet coke, trying to get some makeshift firework-style entertainment. It was very anti-climactic. As we moved into moon-up, however, we could see fireworks in the distance satisfying the group’s pyromania craving.

Our campground at Smith Rock is gorgeous but so hot. Today the kids got to do laundry in Bend, a relief for many. It is nice to be able to escape the desert heat for a day and relax. Being the early riser of the group, I took to the ground floor of Smith Rock area for a morning hike. I am so excited for what the Rocks have to offer. There are so many climbing routes in such a spectacular place. The views at sunrise and sunset are so amazing. Yesterday we could all see the Monkey’s face looming in the distance during our drive in. Everyone is so excited for our last section climbing. I look forward to working some climbing routes, but I know in the back of my mind that we only have these kids for another week. It will be hard to leave them all. They continue to offer excellent behavior, and their attitudes about the trip are so great. I can assure you they are all eager to see you all again. For now, Anne Wright and I are making the most of every moment we get with them.

Thanks so much for keeping up,

July 9th update

I have to start by saying that our climbing section at Smith Rock was a unanimous favorite for the crew. While all the other sections were awesome, everyone loved the challenge of climbing. I am very happy to end with such a fun section. Anyhow, our first day of climbing started with an easy 8 am start. We met our guides; Charlie and Nathan, in the parking lot that morning. They are some of the nicest folks to work with. Charlie is a burly climber who teaches at Oregon State and Nathan is a lean local. Their knowledge of routes and features in the park was exceptional. We learned safety basics and belay technique before getting into our climb. Charlie recognized that the group was predominantly southern and proceeded to say “y’all” as much as possible. He even attempted to wake us up earlier bribing us with promises of grits and cheese for a 5 am arrival. Both guides were great with the kids and were my favorite company we have worked with thus far.

On day one we climbed some of the basalt rock in the park, an area known for its traditional climbing. All of our routes were top-rope routes set up for easy belaying. The crew was very comfortable with belaying. Newton was the most experienced of the group and was consistently pushing the harder climbs of the day. After about 2 minutes of being scared of the rope, Morgan found herself at home on the wall. Her background in gymnastics made her a strong and confident climber. She really loved being on the rock and was always pushing the spicier climbs of the day. On day one we had a couple crack climbs set up, which was fun for everyone to try. I have never climbed crack before, so it was great to learn something new. Nathan taught us the basics of some crack climbing, which includes wedging your hands into cracks and rotating your arm sideways to secure a hold. It is not as rough as it sounds, the basalt was quite worn in most of the areas and the crew found this technique very helpful for the next day of climbing.

We ended the day at a local watering hold recommended by the guides. Ben enjoyed cooling off in the water before dinner. Ben is always ready for dinner, so he cooked dinner that night with Newton and Bobby. They made an awesome dinner of stir fry with beans and rice. It filled even the most bottomless pits including Ben’s stomach, nick-named Josh. Josh has been thoroughly satisfied the past few days.

The next day of climbing was so much fun. The pitches were much longer that day, some nearing 90 feet. We also had a rappel line set up so the kids could prepare for the dreaded monkey face. Our harder route of the day was composed of a short crack climb with a knobby, crimp section above it. That basically means that kids were using a lay-back technique for the crack and then climbing some of the knobs that smith rock is famous for. The knob sections means that there are small pieces of harder rock engrained in the large face that we were climbing creating micro hand and feet holds. Newton sent the route on his first attempt setting a pretty high bar for the gang. Although everyone was intimidated, Bobby tackled it as well. He came down claiming it was easy. Apparently height doesn’t bother him, a nice thing to have for the next day. Addie was also determined to make it up this route. She kept trying and eventually made it the full pitch. She was so excited. Ben also dominated the route. His height offers a nice advantage. The other routes were quite diverse and everyone did very well on those. Cate loved the rappel route, another tricky climb that would prepare her for the big monkey. She always has such a good attitude about things and kept the enthusiasm up even in the scorching desert sun that toasted the group’s energy level by mid-afternoon. I was also impressed with the determination from Cheney. She pushes herself so hard. She is consistently telling me this is some of the hardest stuff she has ever done. I am glad that she is so comfortable working as hard as she does. She earns that feeling of accomplishment. Molly feels that climbing might be something she wants to pursue in the future. She did an exceptional job on the wall as well. Her swimming strength correlates strongly with climbing. I hope she continues to climb. I can promise you that all of these routes were significantly challenging. It is great to see kids that can excel at such a technical sport at a young age. I was so happy watching them work through tricky problems.

The next day was the challenging monkey face. For those who aren’t familiar, the monkey face is a good 20 foot tyrolean traverse across a 150 gorge onto a huge tower that peaks at a large chunk of rock that looks like a monkey head. After one completes such a traverse, you have to climb a short 15 foot 5.7 route to the top. 5.7 is a grade that everyone in our group can easily climb, but the height does interesting things with your mind. After that short scramble, you hook into a belay device and rappel the 150 feet. It’s huge. The monkey is like King Kong. He seems like a guardian of the park. His head is visible from all over. He is quite the monkey. We woke up at 5 am and headed for the ape. I went first to assist with the off-belay section at the bottom. Honestly, this thing was scary. The face is so exposed. As Charlie said, it is the gnarliest 5.7 out there. All the kids made it just fine. Some were more comfortable with the height. I had a nice semi-telephoto lenses on my camera that was graciously donated by my parents for the occasion. I have excellent pictures of everyone on the wall. Kids’ thoughts on the experience varied. Everyone thought it was fun. Molly said it was easy. This is just not true and she knows it. Addie and Cheney said it was the most intense thing they have ever done. Nevertheless, everyone was so excited for it. I clearly remember everyone’s emotions at the top. They were pushing their comfort zones for sure. I love to see that. These folks are now so much more comfortable with heights. For some who may have been afraid of heights at the beginning of the trip, they will probably feel more comfortable with it for the rest of their lives. This sort of growth and expansion is what Moondance is all about. I can assure you everything was so safe. Every line had a back up line. Kids were never hung by a single rope. Our guides had back-up the entire time. Everyone came away super stoked. It is now mid afternoon and the lack of sleep is catching up. We stayed up late last night hanging out and talking. I think there is more of this to come.

They are getting very sad about leaving each other. All I can say is that they better wake up for Iron Chef tonight. It is the battle of the sexes taken to the food world; an intense cook-off will soon commence. Anne Wright and I are pumped to judge it. More to come very soon… I don’t enjoy speaking of endings. We are all focused on tomorrow. They have all been trying to live in the moment, something very important at the end of such an incredible journey. Thanks so much for keeping up. This trip has been an amazing privilege!

-Tyler Hogan

Well, the kids all made off safely. Airport day was a sad day for everyone. During out last day driving together, the group started to get very nostalgic. I know they will all miss each other much. From what I hear, they may even be planning a reunion in Atlanta. For the Atlanta families, I promise it is not that hard to house all of them. If you feed them Ramen noodles, they should be satisfied. I don't know what it is about those noodles, kids love them. Anne Wright and I are already missing these kids. They have become great friends of ours over the past few weeks. I look forward to keeping in touch with everyone. I expect a lot of email updates. Thanks so much for allowing your kids to be a part of our lives this summer. I know it was a great experience for them, but it was a blessing for us. They were an incredible bunch.

Thanks,

-Tyler Hogan