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We're so glad we don't have to carry gear that is as big as those bags!
It's that time again!  Welcoming YD Adventure's summer staff to their new home for the next few months is always an exciting time!  Going southbound has lent itself to us being present during their first few weeks, which is focused on trainings.  It's already going (my eyes fill with tears already) to be sad not to be a part of this year's ministry (this would have been our fifth summer as a couple at the ministry). So to be around for the beginning, and to meet the new staff as well as see our old friends again, is priceless to me.   

They all trickled in this past weekend to Cindy and Rich's home (thank you for that!) and moved into the Lodge on Sunday.  They ate some pizza, learned about how to pack a backpack and what to bring on their upcoming trip.  Then they packed their own backpack, woke up early on Monday for breakfast made by some of the full-time staff, then proceeded onto the day's activities.  A little bit of chatting, a small tour of the Ranch, then some Horse training...because in a little while, after some orienteering training, they were going to saddle up and hit the trail to begin their next adventure!

Jason and I, along with two others, helped to set out checkpoints (the places that the staff needed to find before they could continue) for the orienteering course. It was beautiful being up in the mountains that evening.  We were high enough to get a gorgeous view of Nason Ridge and the surrounding mountains, and the weather was perfect.  It made me so excited to be able to be out in places like that for about five months!  It was a great night for the summer staff to do some bushwhacking and orienteering in the dark! :)

The rest of the evening rolled by as we continued to set checkpoints, chatted with the other staff, met and encouraged the summer staff as they found the checkpoints (it was after all about midnight-one in the morning), and then finally cleaned up and headed to camp.   And camp was so wonderful!  A little fire, hot chocolate or tea, s'mores, talking with the others and good late-night laughter...so memorable.  Then around 2:30 am, we headed to bed...
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Tuesday morning, Jason helped the amazing food staff ;) make pancakes, while I lazily poked at the fire (wait a minute...) And after packing up camp and eating breakfast, talking about how to poo in the woods (there are many methods ;)  ) and how to leave-no-trace, we took a group photo, and sent the troops out into the mountains for their first backpack trip all together! 

So while they were out braving the rain, Jason and I continued getting our gear ready.  Jason has been sewing like nobody's business lately.  He even made me hat! And we successfully cooked our first corn-pasta meal on our alcohol stove-then we proceeded to pack about 50 bags of it for our resupplies!  (We happen to really like it)  I also packed most of my belongings, getting it all ready to be moved to Snoqualmie.  It feels good to have a lot of that done, because packing always stresses me out.  The more time I give myself to do it, the better....for everyone ;)
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This will keep me so warm, eventhough I look like I'm wearing a bonnet!
Yesterday, I gathered most of the items that I'll be carrying and wrote a list of how much everything weighed.  I haven't totaled it all, but I feel like I'm doing pretty good.  Especially since I saved .4 of an ounce by breaking my toothbrush in half ;) (We think it's really funny when people do things like this to save weight, when they could potentially shed POUNDS by either not carrying certain items or buying lighter-weight ones) 

Thanks so much for following along and please, if you have any questions or would like to leave a comment, please don't hesitate to!  By the way, when you input your email address, it doesn't get sent out to others!  I know sometimes I wonder about that when I see it...   

Hope you have a great weekend!  We're off to welcome the summer staff back from their adventure and to have a wonderful meal that all the full-time staff are preparing!  Cheers!
rick
6/5/2010 11:49:27 am

everything tastes better with "blue bonnet" on it. ok, maybe not tastes, but looks?

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