Expedition to Colorado

Last expedition was one of the greatest adventures I’ve been on. While I was there I got to build my first real campfire all by myself as Godzilla. As a person who lives in the city and doesn’t go into the wilderness much, this was a big accomplishment. I never thought that trying to get it burning would be so intricate, and need to be so precise. I was so happy when I was able to do it on my own; I felt so happy.
Also, on our way down the mountain on the second to last day our group was almost blown away by the furious winds. They were blowing very fast and gusts of stinging snow were blown into our faces. It was all worth it though; once we got to the tree line it was easy walking.
This weekend we will be going on a funyac trip down the Nantahala. It promises to be a good time and a source enjoyment for all of us.
On our next expedition we are going to Zion National Park. Here we will be backpacking in the desert and rock climbing over cliffs. I’m really looking forward to going to yet another state to which I’ve never been.
Zion

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I have decided in my segment of the newsletter to write about the craziest privy we have stumbled upon on our expeditions. (See my photos for clarification)

The taker of the cake is a privy we found on the side of Battle Mountain. This privy sports an open roof, toilet paper, and not-so solid walls! Yes, that’s right! This privy has the insane winds with it. Expect high winds during your stay!

E.J. got some good seat time with this particular, because it has toilet paper. Luckily for E.J. the winds kept the smell away. It was freezing out there.
Personally I wouldn’t use it, but for the view factor I give it a five. The view was amazing yet it has the disadvantage of no roof. So if it’s raining your on your own.


Nate
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Newsletter! Patrick Abrams!

Hello to all who care! We care back!

Well, things have been rather exciting here. Our group has traveled to many different and new places. We’ve been camping in Rocky Mountain National Park the last two weeks, and that was a site to behold. We went on our first backpacking trip for 5 days, and that was an experience. We were hiking maybe three-five miles a day with bulky backpacks on our backs. It was a fantastic workout, that’s for sure.

In the next two weeks, we will be doing many different and exciting things. Our next expedition is to Zion National Park in Utah! But before we do that, we will be going on a Fun Yak trip down the Nantahala River. The Nantahala is a river in Western North Carolina. Nantahala is a Cherokee word meaning “Land of the Noonday Sun”. I, personally, have been rafting down the Nantahala at least 15 times during my life. Every time, though, something is different. This will be the first time that I will be doing an entire trip in a small raft, which is very exciting.

On Sunday morning, we fly out from Charlotte to Utah! We will be in Zion National Park, which is Utah’s most visited national park. It’s a desert, but it has many different geological features, such as ponds, streams, plateaus, and many different places to rock climb. We should have plenty of things to do and places to explore.

Patrick

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I poke my head out of my toasty sleeping bag. The conditions outside are considerably less hospitable. “Get up!” I hear.

I decide to sit up in my bivy, a luxurious contraption that is essentially a tiny tent, and my head brushes the ceiling, unleashing a shower of accumulated ice on my face. I am successfully deterred from starting my day, and I retreat back into the warmth and comfort of my sleeping bag.
So goes a morning on our first real backpacking trip. The mornings are always the hardest part of the day. Eventually I found the willpower to crawl out of the sleeping bag and join the rest of the group in shivering in the fresh snow. We eat an exciting breakfast of lukewarm oatmeal and we’re off. After an extensive period of negotiation I manage to get my monstrosity of a pack to stay on my shoulders for an extended period of time.
Over the course of the next couple of days a deep appreciation was drilled into my mind. An appreciation for walking around at low altitudes without 75 pounds clawing at my shoulders was on my mind during the hike. It was getting better day by day. The hike on the first day would have been almost unachievable without stopping every 20 meters to hyperventilate like a fish out of water. I could sincerely say that there had been an improvement!
However, somewhere between the aching legs, back, shoulders and feet, the blistering winds and bitter cold, I caught a glimpse of something beautiful - a truth actually. Let me first point out that this truth is not something that I had previously been ignorant of. In fact, I had regarded it as common knowledge for most of my life. The beauty of simplicity and living as such. The thing is, like most “common knowledge” I have a tendency to distrust it and regard it quite literally, as something widely believed by the masses - hence my skepticism.
Another realization I stumbled upon is something I’ve been thinking of ever since my parents decided to enroll me in this program. I've gained an appreciation for the shallower pleasures of life. While this contradicts the other, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to take some things for granted ever again. Even little things like a cold soda, or a cushy sofa seem like a distant, unrealistic fantasy when you’re drinking river water and sleeping on cold dirt.

The reason that I mention these two things together is because when I eventually go home and settle back into the old routine, these lessons will mesh together in a way that could change the way I live my life, or at least see it. But what do I know is this: home is a long way away and I’m still here.
Alex

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I have an interesting story to tell about my last expedition to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. I build my first my first campfire. When we were hiking down the mountain the wind was crazy! The wind almost blew me over!

On Saturday we are going white water rafting and we are going to have pizza by the river and were the NANTAHALA. In Utah we are hiking with the dessert and more rock climbing and I’m going to send you a post card from Utah. Mitch

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My group’s most recent adventure had us exploring the vast state of Colorado.
I must say, Colorado was quite the experience; the adversity of the elements hindered my group’s travels. As my group’s dynamics grew we began to learn more about ourselves, so that helped us succeed even more than in our last trip. When we arrived in Colorado I was amazed by the gorgeous landscapes as I have never seen nature so pristine as Colorado. The first few days after we arrived at our campsites it was relaxed. The group had some down time, which we used to complete homework assignments. After the first couple days in Colorado we began our backpacking journey.

At first, we had some tension within the group about the backpacking trip because not everyone in the group was confident about the trip; people we scared that they weren’t physically capable of the journey that would befall us. The first day of our trip started at the trailhead called “Boulder Creek." At first glance the hike seemed as if it would a walk in the park. Yet, after thorough inspection the group realized that the trail ahead would be more treacherous then we had expected.


The first day of our backpacking trip was a gloomy one and, to make matters worse, we had a five and a half mile trek uphill with 40-pound packs on our backs! Even with the gloominess of the weather affecting our ascent, the benefits of seeing our beautiful campsite in the end paid off. The next few days were better weather wise, so we had a more enjoyable trip trekking through the wilderness. Some of the benefits of this trip were that we came together more as a group as far as working together and listening to each others wants and needs.


I enjoyed Colorado more than I had with Wyoming because I felt as if Colorado had more to offer in terms of natural beauty. I also felt as if it was more civilized. The scenery my group and I had witnessed while in Colorado was absolutely amazing; I’m sure I’ll never see anything like a Denver night again for the rest of my life. On my group’s next journey we will be exploring the vast lands of Utah. I wonder how that will differ from our past two adventures. So far my time at SOAR has been interesting. I hope that after Utah I’ll have many stories to tell of my return home.

EJ