Project Adventure Nearing The End...

I am currently writing this post while sitting outside in a field surrounded by 300 foot Redwood trees. It has been difficult to get Internet long enough to write a post since we are camping in a dense Redwood forest. When we are not at our campsite, we are usually doing something fun outside, so we almost never have a chance to sit and write about the trip.

On Tuesday we had a great day sea kayaking on an inlet of the Pacific called Elkhorn Slough. Everyone got to experience the diverse ocean life unique to this part of the California coast. We had the chance to see sea otters, sea lions, seals, many varieties of birds, and even a sea slug. The sea slug was the highlight of the day for many people. We passed it around and it inked on us (a disgusting, memorable, and once in a lifetime experience). Our amazing guide educated us about the Slough from the animals to the history, and he even gave us a very open and honest explanation of what a guide’s life is like. We learned all about the pros and cons of what that job entails.

Wednesday was our long hike day. We got to explore deep into an old growth Redwood forest, and we learned it was the oldest in the entire country. The trees we walked amongst were 1000-2000 years old! We saw trees that were arguably the tallest trees in the world. Some trees were so wide at the base that the whole group could link arms and wouldn’t even be able to reach around it. We got to see three beautiful waterfalls. We all shared great conversations about how we could be outside in that beautiful forest as a career. The day ended with all of us sitting around a campfire bonding over sore legs and how excited we were to go mountain biking the next day.

Thursday morning we awoke with one and only one thing on our minds. What was killed at our campsite last night? It was probably thirty minutes after we had all laid down to go to sleep when we heard something small that was walking around, most likely a raccoon or squirrel. After a few moments we all heard the most gnarly animal attack you could ever imagine. Most likely something big, maybe a coyote, bobcat, or mountain lion must have been stalking this small critter and then pounced on it and ate it. I have never heard 12 people be more silent in my life. We all laid in our respective tents or tent cabins and waited until whatever big animal, which was no more than ten feet from us, had walked away with its dinner. I have spent countless nights outside camping and I’ve never heard an animal attack like this, certainly a learning experience.

The rest of Thursday was spent mountain biking in the Demo Forest. We got to ride some world-class trails high above Santa Cruz in a lush Redwood forest. These trails were made up of amazing single track which went up and down, over rocks and roots, along ridgelines and back and forth on banked turns. Sadly, Sam S. took one too many falls on her shoulder and ended up getting a separated shoulder. This turned the day into medical evac mode and through our guide, a local group doing trail maintenance, and the great Huskies we have on this group we were able to get Sam out of the forest without having her hike more than a mile. This is no small feat considering we were nine miles deep in the woods. Special thanks to Bell who was instrumental in getting a truck deep into the woods to give Sam and myself a lift to the main gate where we able to load up our larger bus with everyone and get to the ER. We got Sam all checked out and were back at the campsite in time to cook some burgers and hotdogs with a bit of daylight left.

Right now most of our Huskies are high up in the Redwood Trees around Mount Hermon Adventures. We will be going out to eat in downtown Santa Cruz tonight as a last hurrah, and then tomorrow we start our travel home. It has been an amazing trip, the students have been journaling each night about what they did that day and how they might turn their passion for adventure into a career. We have had the chance to see the full spectrum of outdoors actives, from being a photographer who goes out in the woods and takes pictures to being a company like Mount Hermon Adventures, which owns a mega-complex on what seems like a thousand acres on the top of a mountain, to everything in between. Hopefully, this great group of Huskies who have shared in these adventures all have a deeper appreciation for the outdoors and realize there are many more options in life besides working inside behind a desk. Work can be fun while at the same time rewarding for others. I think the students on this trip have seen that first hand.

Project Adventure About To Set Sail!

Project Adventure will be in Santa Cruz in just over three days. We will be exploring whether or not you can make a career out of your passion for adventure while also investigating our Essential Question:

Are there connections between being adventurous and succeeding in our daily lives, and if so, what are they and does it change your perspective on certain aspects of your life?

By participating in activities like mountain biking, sea kayaking, and guided rope tours of Redwood trees, we will be learning first hand from the people who are living their passion and who know what it takes to turn your passion for adventure into a career.

The high in Santa Cruz yesterday was approximately three times as high as it was in New Hampton. Everyone is excited to get together tonight for our “duffle shuffle”. We have been meeting as a group each week for the past month, and tonight is our most important meeting yet. We will be packing all of our gear for the trip and going over any last minute details which need to be addressed. After tonight we won't be together as a group again until 4:00 am Monday morning when we leave bright and early for our ride down to the Boston to catch our flight to sunny California!

It is going to be a great week of learning for all the students, and they will undoubtedly come back with great stories to tell the NHS community and their families.

Here are some images of what the Project Adventure group will be doing:

Moutain Biking

We just got done with an amazing day on the Moab Brand trails. One group biked a total of 19 miles on a mixture of beginner and intermediate trails, while another group tackled a few more miles at the end of the day on some advanced terrain.

This day was considered to be one of the most fun by many on the group. This is great considering it was also thought by many to be the hardest day of the trip so far. We've got many tired, (slightly) dehydrated, mentally drained students with sore legs, and to be politically correct, sore posteriors. The type of people who enjoy this type of masochism are exactly who this trip was crafted for. Both Craig and I feel so lucky to have these students on this trip.

The students learned various techniques used in mountain biking, such as pedal placement around turns, how to pick a line, when to commit and when to back off. I think many students also learned how hard mountain biking can be, especially when in direct sunlight all day.

We are going to go fuel up after this and then do some bouldering near the campsite. Hopefully we will also get some rest because the fun isn't over yet. Tomorrow we wake up early again and are off for a fun day on the river. It turns out the water has been rising rapidly here so we are bound to get some COLD white water. It should be a fun wet day on the river.

More pictures and videos coming soon.

Two Days In The Desert

Project Adventure has already been an awesome experience. The students are learning what it takes to live with fewer amenities as well as what it takes to set up and run a campsite. Last night was the the first night the students took charge with little to no help from Mr. Rightmyer and myself; they cooked, cleaned, and made the camp fire.

Yesterday we had an "easy" day hiking around Arches National Park. We learned about the living soil and what it takes to form the amazing arches which give the park it's name. This morning we woke up early and set out for a day of canyoneering in Ephedra's Grotto (see pictures below). The students did an 85 foot repel followed up by a 120 foot one. This gave the students a chance to learn about rope mechanics, anchor systems, and belay techniques. This adventure brought out a very positive sense of teamwork amongst the students; they encouraged one another and worked to overcome their fears. In addition, the guides were great. They taught the students more about the delicate ecosystem as well as edible and non-edible plants. It was an unforgettable day.

We are enjoying everyone's company. We are sharing many laughs, discovering many nicknames, and working great as a team. I think everyone is enjoying pushing themselves, and if the trip ended now the students would have already brought back some life changing experiences.

Below you can find just a sample of some of the amazing sights we've seen so far.

We Are Packed!

Project Adventure got together as a group last night. We had dinner, exchanged some laughs, learned about the differences between Italy and America (thanks Otto), gave SeungWon the nickname "Python",  and then we got to work packing our bags.

We brought all of our personal gear, and we also pulled all of our camping equipment out of the Gear Room. We brought it all down to the lower gym. We set up and inspected our tents, as well as checked our sleeping bags for broken zippers and holes. After being satisfied with the condition of everything, we stuffed our backpacks and check bags. Dividing up tents, sleeping bags, cook stoves, pots and pans, we were careful not to to exceed the 50lb limit per bag. Once we were done, we stood around and checked Moab's weather for next week. I will spare you the pleasant day to day forecast, but will tell you we were all smiles.

Today I got off the phone with the last guide service and we are all set and booked for all of our adventures. You can take a look at the companies we are using, and get more information about what we are doing by clicking on the links below.

Poison Spider Bicycles
Red River Adventures
Arches National Park

We leave campus this Sunday at 3am. We are stoked!

Mountain Biking in Moab

I checked my weather app on my phone before I left for work this morning. It told me there was a brisk -12 wind chill. That sounds cold but I just have a short and sweet six mile commute in. I got on my bike and began to ride. The cold air seemed so thick and forceful, almost pushing me back, as if to say "Wait, where are going? You should take the car." I braved it the rest of the way and made it in. As I changed from my riding gear to my casual clothes, I realized in less than 6 weeks, my riding conditions would be completely different. Temps in the Moab Desert should be right around 60 degrees which will make for some perfect riding. I am sure the Slickrock Trail, as well as any trail we might ride there, will be a lot more enjoyable than the snow, ice, and salt covered roads of New Hampshire.

 

-Craig

Huskies are going to the Moab Desert

Project Adventure is going to be EPIC! In 7 short weeks we will be on our way to the Moab Desert in Utah! Whats our plan? Once we arrive in Moab we will set up camp along the Colorado river, which we will call home for the week. We will hike and explore in Arches National Park. We will have a thrilling guided white water rafting experience down the Colorado River. We are going to rent mountain bikes and take on the world famous Slick Rock Trail. We are also very excited to explore some of the areas canyons and do some guided canyoneering. With daytime temperatures in the 60's and night time temperatures near freezing, we are doing some careful planning about what to pack for clothes and equipment. Hiking, rafting, biking, canyoneering oh my! We can't wait! Stay tuned for more posts. Go Huskies!

-Craig Untiet