Backpacking Domination

Hello Everyone.

We heard from the Wild Oregon B leaders a short time ago. They have successfully completed the backpacking leg of this expedition and everyone is doing great. We will be getting  a full report later this evening, so for now please enjoy the photos and stay tuned...

 Ruckle Creek Trail

 Quesadilla Thief

 Benson Plateau

Tunnel Falls

Backpacking Sections Begins

Hello Wild Oregon B families-

We just heard from Wild Oregon B and they are about to head out on their 4 day, 26 mile backpacking section. They have elected to front load this section with the hardest day being the first today. They will be taking the Ruckle Creek Trail up to the Benson Plateau. All in all they will gain about 3,300 ft in elevation and conquer 7 miles of trail. Day 2 will take them to Whatum Lake, Day 3 they will hike to 7 & 1/2 mile camp and on Day 4 they will hike out. The last 2 days will be filled with old growth forest and incredible waterfalls. We will not hear from the group unless there is an emergency, so we won't be able to update this blog again until we hear from them on July 19th. We look forward to hearing how this group performs in the backcountry. Stay tuned!

Surf's Up and Clean Clothes

The Wild Oregon B expedition has completed the surfing section of the expedition, and they are enroute to the amazing Trail of Ten Falls at Silver Falls State Park.

The leaders told us that most of the kids rated surfing their favorite activity thus far. With our legendary surf instructor, Paul Hansen, leading the way all of the students braved the Pacific Ocean and learned how to paddle into waves and ride them to shore.  Noah was said to be a true natural, and Daniel and Paul picked it up extremely well. Duncan was apparently the most enthusiastic and was always in the water and didn't want it to end. In other news, Dylan has become the undisputed "Veggie Off Champion." Apparently, his long and lanky arms give him a true "Veggie Off Advantage."

Perhaps the biggest news is that each of the boys did their laundry last night, while being forced to eat  some delicious ice cream. While I can't verify if the clothes were folded, we can confirm that the clothes were successful washed and dried before being packed away.

Forced to eat ice cream and not happy about it.

 Matt rocking some yoga poses

Shenanigans at the Laundromat.

After laundry they had a chance to get back down to the beach for a beautiful sunset.

The group is headed to Silver Falls State Park today, and taking on the Trail of Ten Falls. One of the most gorgeous hikes in all of Oregon. Tomorrow they will be skiing at Mt. Hood.

The Oregon Coast and a Close Encounter

The Wild Oregon B expedition has made it out to the Oregon Coast and the mighty Pacific Ocean and we have photos to prove it! Yesterday they explored the glorious Umpqua Hot Springs and enjoyed a nice soak in several of the all natural mineral pools. Despite our leaders best efforts and a pre-scout of the hot springs, they group did encounter the not very elusive and extremely common Naked Oregon Hippies bathing in one of the pools as the group hiked out. According to the leaders it was a very non-traumatizing situation.

The group then headed out to the coast and established camp at Honeyman State Park. Today they have enjoyed an epic day of sand boarding with picture-perfect weather. The leaders are still just raving about how awesome this group of students is. They continue to earn their leaders trust and are really taking ownership of this experience. We are really proud and impressed! There a bunch of photos posted on Picasa from the trip thus far, including individual profile photos. Enjoy.

 Noah cutting lose

 Daniel Shredding

Mountain Biking & Crater Lake

 Wild Oregon B

After celebrating the 4th of July in style with top hats and red, white, and blue capes, this "Band of Brothers" dominated the rock climbing scene at Smith Rock. Each and every one climbed, belayed and took in the glorious views of Smith Rock. Austin was lucky to receive rock climbing's ultimate sign of good luck. Half-way up 5 Gallon Buckets, a 5.8 climb, he was doused by bird poop on his arm. Like a true professional he brushed it off and finished the climb. Way to go Austin!!! After 3 days of climbing and a brief visit with the Wild Oregon A expedition it was time to put away the climbing gear and swap them out for helmets and mountain bikes.

The mountain biking in this area is some of the best country. The team headed out on the legendary Phil's Trail and did an all day bike-a-thon, complete with a visit to the pump track. In the morning the group stayed together as our leaders assessed the varying skill set. In the afternoon, Leader Jon took those with the ability and the "need for speed" on  a more  intense trail with some steep uphills and the always enjoyable long and rolling downhills. Leaders Jess and Seth led the other group on a really great  trail along the river. They loved the mountain biking but were admittedly exhausted by day's end. The lone exception was Paul, so he and Jon snuck in once last run in near record time. Great group photo below. If you look closely you can see the snow-capped volcanoes on the horizon.

The next day the group made the trip to Crater Lake. The leaders let the kids sleep in, 8:30 wake-up call, to let them rest and recover from the mountain biking section.  They enjoyed a beautiful day at Crater Lake. With snow still covering parts of the ridge line, the group hiked their way all the way down to the water's edge. They scouted out a great jumping point and proceeded to plunge into the super-deep and frigid waters of the nation's deepest lake. That evening they enjoyed camp at Diamond Lake, and were scheduled for an intense game of Mafia.

This trip continues to thrive. They are headed to Umpqua Hot Springs and Tokotee Falls today enroute to the Oregon coast and Sandboarding and Surfing!!

Wild Oregon B- Rocks On!

The Wild Oregon B expedition continues to move on impressively with an action-packed couple of days, after having enjoyed the relaxing river for a few days.

The Wild Oregon B Expeditioners have morphed into true rock hounds. After braving the mighty Deschutes they headed down to North America's premier sports climbing mecca -- Smith's Rock! The group spent 3 days climbing with climbing specialist Sean W. The group was said to be fearless as they took on such climbs as Rope-A-Dope, Bunny Face, 5 Gallon Buckets, and Cinnamon Slab. They all  graduated from belay school and have really turned into knowledgeable climbers.

Austin & Matt taking on 5 gallon buckets.

The group is Mountain Biking today and it sounds like everyone was really psyched for their day on the trails. 

We will be adding a more extensive update when the leaders get into the front country.

Report from the Field

Wild Oregon B has successfully completed  a 3 day 60 mile run of the Deschutes River. Despite a heavy down pour on the first day of rafting, the young adventurers pushed onward conquering Class II and III rapids.  Day one was filled with quite a few plunges into the river. Duncan was the first to brave the cold waters. Next, the leaders had each raft group conduct some trust falls into the river. Great teamwork and sportsmanship was reported. The raft guides told our leaders about just how impressed they were with this group. In the words of Bodi, "They break camp on their own, on time and swiftly. They all have great attitudes and are impressively polite." This is the kind of feedback we love to hear!

On Day 2 the weather held out. Paul was the resident champ of Wheel of Fortune- a game of balance consisting of standing up on the raft with hands in the air, while the raft guide spins the raft in a series of 360 degree spirals. Austin was the perfect white Ninja, outfitted in matching white helmet, white sunglasses, and white bandana. Noah is king of the really long words, providing plenty of food for thought with his 30 letter words at Chow Circle. Matt has developed a strong affection for Bighorn Sheep and is determined to see one in the wild. Josh, Dylan and Daniel all did terrific jobs as Leaders of The Day. 

The leaders also raved about the food -- French toast, egg & sausage fajitas, chicken and steak with biscuits! The raft guides have been spoiling this expedition. As they move into the Rock Climbing portion the Group will be taking their meals into their own hands. 

We hope to get some photos from this trip today, so please stay tuned.