Sam Millard
4/26/11
The first day of our expedition to the Outer Banks we got to our campsite in Cape Hatteras and set up camp.
The next day we went to a history museum in Roanoke Island, where we saw a blacksmith shop. The blacksmith showed us how to make nails the way they made them in the times the settlers settled in the Outer Banks. We also went to the sand dunes in Jockey Ridge where we played war games.
The day after that, we left our campsite to go to another campsite, but because of tornado warnings we stayed the night at a motel in Cedar Island where some of us had a rave party.
The next day we went to the campsite, which was also in Cedar Island, that we were supposed to go to, and spent the night there.
The next day we got up and paddled. We paddled for about 2-3 miles before we got to the island we would spend the night at. At that island there was a giant marker buoy that somehow was beached and we climbed on it.
The next day we paddled back to our campsite in Cedar Island where we spent another few days before driving back to Base Camp in Balsam NC.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Billy's blog outerbanks
4-25-11
Billy’s Blog
Outer banks, NC
The previous expedition we went to the Outer banks in NC.
We first went to Camp Hatteras. At Camp Hatteras we would run on the beach every morning and then go off to do some activities. One day we went out on a boat for the whole day. Evan Small was driving the boat and we stopped at a couple places to fish. Then we were driving out towards the ocean and had a lot of big waves hitting us. Evan Harr and Dustin were sitting on the front of the boat and we crashed into a giant wave and it came over our bow and got Evan and Dustin soaked. After that we drove back inland and Evan Small ran us into a sand bar. It wasn’t that bad but it was funny.
We ended up leaving Camp Hatteras and took a ferry out to Ocracoke Island. Once we got there we had about an hour to walk around the small town. After that we had to go catch another ferry to go back to the mainland. After we got to the mainland we had to stay at a motel because of the tornadoes. At the motel we had a rave party when the power went out. Evan A, Evan H, Dustin, Sam, and I participated. It was really fun.
The next morning we went to our actual camp site. The next day we put our canoes in the water and paddled out to an island. We made a bunch of trenches surrounding a fort and watched it get destroyed by waves. Later we all went back to the beach and swam in the Atlantic for the last time this semester. Then we loaded the canoes and went back to the mainland. The day after we got back to the mainland we went to town and walked around. Then we came back and were trying to catch crabs. The next day we got ready to go back to base and started our 9 hour drive back.
Once we got back we had to clean group gear and pack it away for the rest of the semester. The next day we saw our base staff again and had to transition back to base. That was our last full, real expedition of the semester.
Billy’s Blog
Outer banks, NC
The previous expedition we went to the Outer banks in NC.
We first went to Camp Hatteras. At Camp Hatteras we would run on the beach every morning and then go off to do some activities. One day we went out on a boat for the whole day. Evan Small was driving the boat and we stopped at a couple places to fish. Then we were driving out towards the ocean and had a lot of big waves hitting us. Evan Harr and Dustin were sitting on the front of the boat and we crashed into a giant wave and it came over our bow and got Evan and Dustin soaked. After that we drove back inland and Evan Small ran us into a sand bar. It wasn’t that bad but it was funny.
We ended up leaving Camp Hatteras and took a ferry out to Ocracoke Island. Once we got there we had about an hour to walk around the small town. After that we had to go catch another ferry to go back to the mainland. After we got to the mainland we had to stay at a motel because of the tornadoes. At the motel we had a rave party when the power went out. Evan A, Evan H, Dustin, Sam, and I participated. It was really fun.
The next morning we went to our actual camp site. The next day we put our canoes in the water and paddled out to an island. We made a bunch of trenches surrounding a fort and watched it get destroyed by waves. Later we all went back to the beach and swam in the Atlantic for the last time this semester. Then we loaded the canoes and went back to the mainland. The day after we got back to the mainland we went to town and walked around. Then we came back and were trying to catch crabs. The next day we got ready to go back to base and started our 9 hour drive back.
Once we got back we had to clean group gear and pack it away for the rest of the semester. The next day we saw our base staff again and had to transition back to base. That was our last full, real expedition of the semester.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Outer Banks Expedition-- Our Island Campsite. By Evan Harr
4-25-11
During the Outer Banks expedition, we only went canoe paddling for two days. The first day we paddled three miles to an island. It was a bird sanctuary and a beach. On one side was the Atlantic Ocean, and on the other side was the Pamlico Sound.
At this island there were quite a few things to do. We could swim in the ocean, go fishing, climb on buoys, and more. I had a lot of fun playing war and digging holes. We even made a tunnel that connected the two holes. We also built a dolphin and mermaid out of sand.
During this hole-digging contest, we saw a stingray get beached up on shore. He flopped around a little bit, then flipped over and swam back into the water. It was an amazing sight to see.
When I went fishing, I left my pole stuck I the sand, and It fell into the water when I was gone. When I came back, I couldn’t find it, and I thought a fish took off with it. Luckily, Tristan found it later on, and I was very relieved.
I decided to go swimming in the ocean for a while and it kind of felt like I was at home again. I love the ocean and swimming in it, especially back at home. It also kind of made me miss home, because I used to go to the beach all the time in summer. It is so nice having a home so close to the beach. I can get comfortable with the waves, get a tan, cool off, hangout with friends, and more. It is just so awesome and I really miss it. Anyways, I am really glad that I got to enjoy a fun day out in the water at the beach again.
When we got back to base, I was so happy. I finally finished my last expedition of the semester. It means that parent weekend is getting closer and closer. I couldn’t wait to go back and sleep in our bunk beds. I was also very excited to see people at base like Nicole and Kevin. It was just a very great day.
Overall, I really enjoyed staying at the island. I also liked swimming in the waves of the ocean again. I probably wouldn’t go back though. Anyways, it was a fun last expedition, and I can’t wait to go home!
During the Outer Banks expedition, we only went canoe paddling for two days. The first day we paddled three miles to an island. It was a bird sanctuary and a beach. On one side was the Atlantic Ocean, and on the other side was the Pamlico Sound.
At this island there were quite a few things to do. We could swim in the ocean, go fishing, climb on buoys, and more. I had a lot of fun playing war and digging holes. We even made a tunnel that connected the two holes. We also built a dolphin and mermaid out of sand.
During this hole-digging contest, we saw a stingray get beached up on shore. He flopped around a little bit, then flipped over and swam back into the water. It was an amazing sight to see.
When I went fishing, I left my pole stuck I the sand, and It fell into the water when I was gone. When I came back, I couldn’t find it, and I thought a fish took off with it. Luckily, Tristan found it later on, and I was very relieved.
I decided to go swimming in the ocean for a while and it kind of felt like I was at home again. I love the ocean and swimming in it, especially back at home. It also kind of made me miss home, because I used to go to the beach all the time in summer. It is so nice having a home so close to the beach. I can get comfortable with the waves, get a tan, cool off, hangout with friends, and more. It is just so awesome and I really miss it. Anyways, I am really glad that I got to enjoy a fun day out in the water at the beach again.
When we got back to base, I was so happy. I finally finished my last expedition of the semester. It means that parent weekend is getting closer and closer. I couldn’t wait to go back and sleep in our bunk beds. I was also very excited to see people at base like Nicole and Kevin. It was just a very great day.
Overall, I really enjoyed staying at the island. I also liked swimming in the waves of the ocean again. I probably wouldn’t go back though. Anyways, it was a fun last expedition, and I can’t wait to go home!
Tristan bllog 4/25/11
As you know we went to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I will be writing about the wild horses we saw on Shackleford Island.
OK, lets get rolling. On the island there are about 150 wild horses. Our group’s goal was to see at least one wild horse.
We got dropped off on the island by a small ferry in the morning. When we got off the ferry, we did not see any horses and I was like “Well ok, they must not be in this location right now.” So we all walked down the beach about half a mile and we got to the middle of the island and there they were, five wild horses in all their glory. Evan Harr and Dustin Kenny walked up to the wild horses. They were within 5 feet of them and the horses acted like they weren’t even there. It was one of the sweetest things I have ever seen. I thought “OMG, I cannot believe what I am seeing”. I was amazed how calm they were.
To conclude I had a blast at Shackleford Island. We saw wild horses for the first time for gosh sakes! Who could not be excited to see wild horses? We were all a little excited. What was my favorite highlight? Seeing wild horses of course!
jockey ridge is dustins
Jockey Ridge National Park
In my final blog I will be talking about what we did at Jockey Ridge National Park so here it goes..
The night before in our nightly meeting we were told that we were going to go to a national park and my thoughts were oh gosh we are going to have to learn something, good thing that was not the case.
So on our way to Jockey Ridge National Park we stopped at a general store and I saw our staff buy two boogie boards and all I thought was that we are going to a national park to learn something, why in the world would we have two boogie boards? That is when they told us that we were going to be sand surfing. I thought that it would be really a cool. It did not turn out so well.
When we got there, there were a lot of dunes and a really steep one so some of us tried to sand surf, but it did not work so we all ran and jumped off of it. When we jumped we were free falling for about five seconds because the hill was this steep. No joke! It was really fun.
After we all got bored with that we started to play war- kids against staff. Mitchell and I were the medic and the riflemen and my rank was a corporal so it was really fun.
` Almost at the end we pretended to call in an air raid because I said that the enemy had tanks. After we called in I told Ray-Ray that it would be funny if an actual plane from World War 2 came. After about five minutes of me telling him that a World War 2 plane flew across the dunes and it was so funny. After that we left and we went back to camp.
I think that this trip was really cool I really enjoyed it I am thankful that I got to go there.
Thank you everybody for reading my blogs but this is my final blog ever I will not be coming back thank you and have a nice day
In my final blog I will be talking about what we did at Jockey Ridge National Park so here it goes..
The night before in our nightly meeting we were told that we were going to go to a national park and my thoughts were oh gosh we are going to have to learn something, good thing that was not the case.
So on our way to Jockey Ridge National Park we stopped at a general store and I saw our staff buy two boogie boards and all I thought was that we are going to a national park to learn something, why in the world would we have two boogie boards? That is when they told us that we were going to be sand surfing. I thought that it would be really a cool. It did not turn out so well.
When we got there, there were a lot of dunes and a really steep one so some of us tried to sand surf, but it did not work so we all ran and jumped off of it. When we jumped we were free falling for about five seconds because the hill was this steep. No joke! It was really fun.
After we all got bored with that we started to play war- kids against staff. Mitchell and I were the medic and the riflemen and my rank was a corporal so it was really fun.
` Almost at the end we pretended to call in an air raid because I said that the enemy had tanks. After we called in I told Ray-Ray that it would be funny if an actual plane from World War 2 came. After about five minutes of me telling him that a World War 2 plane flew across the dunes and it was so funny. After that we left and we went back to camp.
I think that this trip was really cool I really enjoyed it I am thankful that I got to go there.
Thank you everybody for reading my blogs but this is my final blog ever I will not be coming back thank you and have a nice day
A Great Human Accomplishment by. Stephen A. Foster
From a distance, you can see a HUGE monument on the largest hill in the area; it is called Kill Devil Hill. With, the memorial dedicated to one of human-kinds greatest achievements, manned flight.
The great achievement of manned flight was accomplished by two Ohio bicycle engineers, named Orville and Wilbur Wright. By watching the birds they were able to figure out that by warping their wings the birds were able to glide and fly across the sky. They ended up using these ideas on small kites. When it worked really well, they figured that they could create a larger, manned glider. So they found out about this area in North Carolina that was flat, windy, and had a lot of space. They ended up making a base camp there at a place called Kill Devil Hill. They did much research there and ended up completing a glider, not big enough to carry a man, but big enough to try to fly. It ended up working really well, so from there they were extremely motivated to continue to fly.
In the next 8 years they built manned gliders of which some worked and some did not. To get them at the right speed to take a person into the air, they built a track wrapping around Kill Devil Hill to gain enough speed to fly. When they weren’t able to go too far, they figured that they could build an engine to create more speed to fly them further. The engine, through trial and error, ended up working. They got it going about 14 miles per hour, and made it 400+ feet. I think that is truly amazing.
Later on they kept building, better and better airplanes, to fly and sell. They ended up getting a contract to sell to the United States Army Signal Corp, and later a contract to build for France.
When we visited the Kill Devil Hill National Historical Site, I truly was interested in how the Wright Brothers were able to accomplish these feats and throw the world into the age of flight.
The great achievement of manned flight was accomplished by two Ohio bicycle engineers, named Orville and Wilbur Wright. By watching the birds they were able to figure out that by warping their wings the birds were able to glide and fly across the sky. They ended up using these ideas on small kites. When it worked really well, they figured that they could create a larger, manned glider. So they found out about this area in North Carolina that was flat, windy, and had a lot of space. They ended up making a base camp there at a place called Kill Devil Hill. They did much research there and ended up completing a glider, not big enough to carry a man, but big enough to try to fly. It ended up working really well, so from there they were extremely motivated to continue to fly.
In the next 8 years they built manned gliders of which some worked and some did not. To get them at the right speed to take a person into the air, they built a track wrapping around Kill Devil Hill to gain enough speed to fly. When they weren’t able to go too far, they figured that they could build an engine to create more speed to fly them further. The engine, through trial and error, ended up working. They got it going about 14 miles per hour, and made it 400+ feet. I think that is truly amazing.
Later on they kept building, better and better airplanes, to fly and sell. They ended up getting a contract to sell to the United States Army Signal Corp, and later a contract to build for France.
When we visited the Kill Devil Hill National Historical Site, I truly was interested in how the Wright Brothers were able to accomplish these feats and throw the world into the age of flight.
Stormy Motels By: Evan Anderson (Ray-Ray)
On the day we had to take ferries back to the mainland, the staff said that we were getting tornado warnings and lightning storms that were apparently heading our way. After we got off our second ferry ride, we were told that there were some worried parents that would feel better about us staying low for the night and stay out of the coming storm’s furious, unrelenting wrath! Luckily there was a motel next to the ferry dock we got off at.
We began getting out our necessities for the night, which really wasn’t that much since we were at a motel. Then black clouds were spotted off a little ways from where we were, foreshadowing the coming events, giving the gloomy but aweing sight that you couldn’t turn away from. Soon after the lightning was visible, very visible. Lightning lit up skies giving the feeling that Vegas was on the other side of the hill, fortunately, no lightning struck the ground that we could see, but it did take out our power a bunch of times.
Worried staff told us to stay indoors and find something to do to occupy our time. So that’s when we got the idea…. We found as much thing as we could that would flash fast and light up our room like strobe lights. Once that was achieved we took an I-pod that had good techno and dance music and attached it to some speakers and had an all-out rave party! It was awesome!!! Some tips! If you use a bed to help with dancing, don’t go back to jumping on hard floor, you end up feeling pitifully weak because you don’t have the extra bounce. Eventually it was ended by the staff because they got angry that the sheets were on the floor and because of the ruckus, plus it was time for nightly meetings.
You can have fun at any time, if you have the mind for it!
We began getting out our necessities for the night, which really wasn’t that much since we were at a motel. Then black clouds were spotted off a little ways from where we were, foreshadowing the coming events, giving the gloomy but aweing sight that you couldn’t turn away from. Soon after the lightning was visible, very visible. Lightning lit up skies giving the feeling that Vegas was on the other side of the hill, fortunately, no lightning struck the ground that we could see, but it did take out our power a bunch of times.
Worried staff told us to stay indoors and find something to do to occupy our time. So that’s when we got the idea…. We found as much thing as we could that would flash fast and light up our room like strobe lights. Once that was achieved we took an I-pod that had good techno and dance music and attached it to some speakers and had an all-out rave party! It was awesome!!! Some tips! If you use a bed to help with dancing, don’t go back to jumping on hard floor, you end up feeling pitifully weak because you don’t have the extra bounce. Eventually it was ended by the staff because they got angry that the sheets were on the floor and because of the ruckus, plus it was time for nightly meetings.
You can have fun at any time, if you have the mind for it!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Tristan's Blog
Dear readers,
In this blog I will be talking about a few things such as food, staff food, along with the diverse environment. This is also a student led expedition. So we were running the show`.
To start off I want to tell what the environment was like. For most of the expedition it was very swamp like, humid, buggy, and full of wildlife. In fact one night I was sleeping in my ENO hammock and was awoken at 3am by an owl. I was so shocked. It sounded like it was right next to me. But anyway the environment was so sweet. I enjoyed the environment very much.
The rest of the expedition was more of a salt mash consistency such as mud instead of dirt or sand, reeds instead of trees, and most of all brackish water instead of fresh water. Those were the most drastic changes that I noticed.
Ok, now let’s move on to the food. You would think that since I am bringing up food that we had really good food, not at all. Every day we had oatmeal for breakfast, pb&j or crackers with summer sausage. Then for dinner we had pasta every night. I never want to have oatmeal again. That’s the food topic.
That was the lead up to the staff getting sick of our food. They finally decided to take control of the meal plans. Nat cooked hash browns with scrambled eggs, green bell peppers, and onions all mixed into one pot of deliciousness. For lunch we had pb&j, and dinner was burritos containing refried black beans, rice and more.
Now Mr. Evan Small on the other hand cooked chocolate chip pancakes for breaky. For lunch it was lunch meat and for dinn dinn we had pesto pizza. Once again the staff swoop in to save the expedition with outstanding food.
To sum it all up it all this was one my favorite expedition of the semester because it was student led and we (the students) were running the show.
Thanks for all the support. You know who you are!!!
In this blog I will be talking about a few things such as food, staff food, along with the diverse environment. This is also a student led expedition. So we were running the show`.
To start off I want to tell what the environment was like. For most of the expedition it was very swamp like, humid, buggy, and full of wildlife. In fact one night I was sleeping in my ENO hammock and was awoken at 3am by an owl. I was so shocked. It sounded like it was right next to me. But anyway the environment was so sweet. I enjoyed the environment very much.
The rest of the expedition was more of a salt mash consistency such as mud instead of dirt or sand, reeds instead of trees, and most of all brackish water instead of fresh water. Those were the most drastic changes that I noticed.
Ok, now let’s move on to the food. You would think that since I am bringing up food that we had really good food, not at all. Every day we had oatmeal for breakfast, pb&j or crackers with summer sausage. Then for dinner we had pasta every night. I never want to have oatmeal again. That’s the food topic.
That was the lead up to the staff getting sick of our food. They finally decided to take control of the meal plans. Nat cooked hash browns with scrambled eggs, green bell peppers, and onions all mixed into one pot of deliciousness. For lunch we had pb&j, and dinner was burritos containing refried black beans, rice and more.
Now Mr. Evan Small on the other hand cooked chocolate chip pancakes for breaky. For lunch it was lunch meat and for dinn dinn we had pesto pizza. Once again the staff swoop in to save the expedition with outstanding food.
To sum it all up it all this was one my favorite expedition of the semester because it was student led and we (the students) were running the show.
Thanks for all the support. You know who you are!!!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Billy Cullity South Carolina and the Edisto
Billy Cullity 4-04-11
Blog
Expedition 4
The previous expedition was on the Edisto River in South Carolina. We canoe paddled 100 miles of the Edisto, more than half of the Edisto. On the first day the staff showed us what a strainer was. A strainer is an object which is on the surface of the water, usually a tree. It’s called a strainer because moving water goes right under and will suck anything under the water. The reason why staff had to show us what a strainer was is because there are a lot of strainers on the Edisto and they wanted us to stay away from them.
The second day of the paddle we loaded the canoes and took off. We came across a lot of strainers that day, and one of the kids dropped a paddle because of a strainer. Evan Harr and I were ahead of everyone and had to find a place to stop, there were non-stop strainers and nowhere to stop. We were out of line of sight from everyone and finally got to stop and wait for everybody. Later that night the staff congratulated us for making the right decisions and being aware of our surroundings and waiting for the right place to stop.
The next couple days were basically the same except for the day we built our own island. Then the next couple days were still the same we paddle and it rained. One day we went to a boondocks type place to eat lunch and had to stay there for a couple hours cause of a storm. Then we paddled to our campsite and that was our last full day on the river. The next day we went to the van and were so excited. We went out to eat for dinner. Then the next day we went to Edisto beach and stayed there. Then the next day we went to Charlestown landing and took lot of pictures and saw an old boat. We also went to the zoo there and saw lots of stuff. Another day we went to the actual city of Charleston and walked around. The next day we went to Edisto beach and hung out then went back to camp and packed up, drove to Charleston one last time and saw April while she was on vacation in. Then got back in the van and drove back to NC and took nice shower and unpacked our van and then went to bed. The next morning we did phone calls home and transitioned back to base staff, and that was the official end of expedition.
Highlights and bullet points of the trip:
• Paddled against current
• Saw alligator
• Saw snake
• Someone dropped a paddle
• Paddled through strainers and had fun with them
• Paddled down a small rapid
• I rammed Tristan and Mitchel’s canoe
• Saw an old sail boat in old town Charleston
• Went to old town Charleston
• Saw April in Charleston
• Went to a zoo
• Saw a Bear
• Saw a puma
• Saw bisons
• Saw a bobcat
• We were very happy to see the van again
• Played volley ball
• Dustin fell in empty boat at dock and flipped it
• Went to Edisto beach
• Went out to eat at bucks pizza
• Staff made us food
• We went to Charlestown landing
• Saw the U.S.S. Yorktown
• Walked around Charleston
• Took lots of pictures at Charlestown landing
Blog
Expedition 4
The previous expedition was on the Edisto River in South Carolina. We canoe paddled 100 miles of the Edisto, more than half of the Edisto. On the first day the staff showed us what a strainer was. A strainer is an object which is on the surface of the water, usually a tree. It’s called a strainer because moving water goes right under and will suck anything under the water. The reason why staff had to show us what a strainer was is because there are a lot of strainers on the Edisto and they wanted us to stay away from them.
The second day of the paddle we loaded the canoes and took off. We came across a lot of strainers that day, and one of the kids dropped a paddle because of a strainer. Evan Harr and I were ahead of everyone and had to find a place to stop, there were non-stop strainers and nowhere to stop. We were out of line of sight from everyone and finally got to stop and wait for everybody. Later that night the staff congratulated us for making the right decisions and being aware of our surroundings and waiting for the right place to stop.
The next couple days were basically the same except for the day we built our own island. Then the next couple days were still the same we paddle and it rained. One day we went to a boondocks type place to eat lunch and had to stay there for a couple hours cause of a storm. Then we paddled to our campsite and that was our last full day on the river. The next day we went to the van and were so excited. We went out to eat for dinner. Then the next day we went to Edisto beach and stayed there. Then the next day we went to Charlestown landing and took lot of pictures and saw an old boat. We also went to the zoo there and saw lots of stuff. Another day we went to the actual city of Charleston and walked around. The next day we went to Edisto beach and hung out then went back to camp and packed up, drove to Charleston one last time and saw April while she was on vacation in. Then got back in the van and drove back to NC and took nice shower and unpacked our van and then went to bed. The next morning we did phone calls home and transitioned back to base staff, and that was the official end of expedition.
Highlights and bullet points of the trip:
• Paddled against current
• Saw alligator
• Saw snake
• Someone dropped a paddle
• Paddled through strainers and had fun with them
• Paddled down a small rapid
• I rammed Tristan and Mitchel’s canoe
• Saw an old sail boat in old town Charleston
• Went to old town Charleston
• Saw April in Charleston
• Went to a zoo
• Saw a Bear
• Saw a puma
• Saw bisons
• Saw a bobcat
• We were very happy to see the van again
• Played volley ball
• Dustin fell in empty boat at dock and flipped it
• Went to Edisto beach
• Went out to eat at bucks pizza
• Staff made us food
• We went to Charlestown landing
• Saw the U.S.S. Yorktown
• Walked around Charleston
• Took lots of pictures at Charlestown landing
Edistio River Expedition by Mitchell Harrison
This expedition Pangaea went to the Edisto River in South Carolina for two weeks.
One of the days it was so cold that I couldn’t feel my fingers and I had to put a pair of my socks on to keep my fingers warm.
We stayed at Givhen’s Ferry for two days. One of the days when we were staying there we played volleyball. After the volleyball game most of the people went swimming and fishing. Evan Small, Billy, Ray, and I played two on two volleyball. Evan Small and I won against Billy and Ray.
One of the days we went to a gas station and staff got us ice cream. It was great to have a special treat from the staff. Another day we got to go to a gas station to buy some snacks and some famous Cheerwine. I got a honey bun and some Oreo ice cream. While at the state park we all took showers because we hadn’t taken showers in two weeks.
We got to get out a day early on the river. Then we went to Charleston and got to see a lot of history at Charleston landing. We also got to see a very old ship that was used in the old times. I had a very fun time paddling on the Edisto River. It was my second time with Nat on a river. I can't wait to come back.
One of the days it was so cold that I couldn’t feel my fingers and I had to put a pair of my socks on to keep my fingers warm.
We stayed at Givhen’s Ferry for two days. One of the days when we were staying there we played volleyball. After the volleyball game most of the people went swimming and fishing. Evan Small, Billy, Ray, and I played two on two volleyball. Evan Small and I won against Billy and Ray.
One of the days we went to a gas station and staff got us ice cream. It was great to have a special treat from the staff. Another day we got to go to a gas station to buy some snacks and some famous Cheerwine. I got a honey bun and some Oreo ice cream. While at the state park we all took showers because we hadn’t taken showers in two weeks.
We got to get out a day early on the river. Then we went to Charleston and got to see a lot of history at Charleston landing. We also got to see a very old ship that was used in the old times. I had a very fun time paddling on the Edisto River. It was my second time with Nat on a river. I can't wait to come back.
Our Student Led Expedition Blog, By Evan Harr
4-4-11
This past trip on the Edisto was quite miserable sometimes. There was a lot of rain, and of course, thunder and lightning came along with it. It was a tough paddle, but we were with the current most of the time. We did some fun things in Charleston, and when we were staying at Edisto Beach State Park.
There was some hammock camping, but mainly tent camping. I let Ray Ray use my hammock for a few nights. The other nights that had lightning storms were unsafe for hammocks. Everyone, no matter what, had to sleep in tents some nights. I preferred tent camping because it was so much warmer and nicer altogether. I still like my hammock a lot and love that my parents bought it for me. Tents are a lot better in the rain too because you don’t get nearly as wet or cold.
There was some terrible fishing. We didn’t even get one bite. It was lame because the bass are so dang lazy. I don’t like river fishing unless it’s fly fishing, which I’ve never tried. I wouldn’t recommend fishing in the Edisto River. I did get to troll a little, but I was more worried about hooking a dolphin than a fish. Some man gave us sardine and shrimp bait. It was really cool although it didn’t do anything for us. There was a time when I thought I had a fish, but that was only because I had a weight on the fishing pole. At one point I had four different fishing poles out since nobody was using any!
Along the paddle we stayed at a few different state parks. The first one was called Colleton State Park, and it was very small. It was kind of fun because we got to fish and play volleyball. The volleyball games were awesome, but unfortunately we didn’t get to play on sand. It was really awesome and tough even though some people weren’t even paying attention. I also got to charge my phone there! I really don’t even remember who won. Again, the fishing in the little stream still sucked.
The next state park was called Givhan’s Ferry, and it was like at least ten times bigger than Colleton. It was a lot of fun there, and the volleyball was amazing there. There was actual sand, but the ball was pretty flat. I made some sweet hits, especially my diving one. We played a few games, and got to be shoeless, which is always great at SOAR. One of the days, staff bought ice cream for us, which was really awesome. They were one of those drumstick ice cream cone things. They are covered with chocolate inside the cone, and on top of the ice cream. They also had peanuts over the chocolate. They were a very delicious and free snack. The next day, we went to the bigger store, and got some yummy snacks, and Cheerwine! I have loved Cheerwine ever since I had it the first time at Neo Cantina. Anyway, this campsite is where we got to have a zero mile day, which was really sweet because we also got to sleep in.
The last state park was Edisto Beach State Park. That was probably the best campsite that we stayed at. We had two campsites like at Colleton, and the staff got there own, just like the students. Our site was very secluded. It was a little walk into the woods, and then we went back into our sites that were by a little body of water. It was like a bay where we saw raccoons and deer. During our stay here, we went into the city of Charleston some of the days. One of the days we went to Charleston state park where we saw many historical things. We went on a boat that sent mail and cargo to other places, and we also saw where the wall was dug, and more. We also saw an African American grave, which was just flat land, since they were property and nothing more. We also went to the zoo and saw a Puma, Black Bear, Bison, an Elk, Deer, and a Bobcat. Tristan was very excited to see the Puma, since that is his trail name. The next day, we went to the beach. We did school in the building there, and then headed to the water. The ocean was freezing, and I only went in for a little. We also bought a kite, and it lasted for a while. I probably got the best run out of everyone because mine went really high. At one point when Stephen was flying it, the string came off of the kite and flew into the ocean. Tristan tried to get it, but it sank before he got close. It was probably my fault since I tied the knot for the kite. We also had some nice snacks and lunch at the beach which consisted of subs and trail mix. Right after people got tired of it, we went to Piggly Wiggly, which is now called Lucky Ducky. Anyways, I bought Cheerwine and Sweet and Salty Chex Mix. At camp, when Ray Ray was done with his gummy worms, and there was just sugar left, I kind of snorted it. The staff got really mad at me because someone decided to tell on me. It hurt, but was fun while it lasted. We went into Charleston one more time, and we saw April. We also went to the candy store, and a deli that was apparently really good. I couldn’t find my money, so I missed out on buying something there.
Overall, it was a great, but hard trip. We worked very hard and got some rewards along the way. I am thankful that it is finally over. It probably wasn’t my favorite, because it was pretty tough. I’m glad the semester is almost over, and summer is almost here. I have so many fun plans over summer, especially with SOAR kids, and I can’t wait. We have one and a half expeditions left, which I am stoked for. I will be free once again when I get home.
student led EX by Sam Millard
Our student led expedition
By Sam Millard
The first day of our expedition we left the van and started paddling the Edisto River. After paddling for around half an hour we got to our first camp sight. After we set up camp some of us made sand castles which was a lot of fun. The next day we got up and paddled.
We did the same routine until around the fourth day which we got to a state park. The next day was our rest day which we didn't do any paddling. On that day we did school work and played volleyball. That night it started raining which wouldn't be surprising, but the first four or so days there wasn't a cloud in the sky. For the rest of the expedition, with an exception of the last day, it rained.
The day we finished canoeing we went out to get pizza. The next morning we drove our van, which we hired a company to move to our final destination, to another state park. The last few days of our expedition we went to Charleston, which was very close to our camp site and we went to the beach. On Saturday we drove back to Base camp.
By Sam Millard
The first day of our expedition we left the van and started paddling the Edisto River. After paddling for around half an hour we got to our first camp sight. After we set up camp some of us made sand castles which was a lot of fun. The next day we got up and paddled.
We did the same routine until around the fourth day which we got to a state park. The next day was our rest day which we didn't do any paddling. On that day we did school work and played volleyball. That night it started raining which wouldn't be surprising, but the first four or so days there wasn't a cloud in the sky. For the rest of the expedition, with an exception of the last day, it rained.
The day we finished canoeing we went out to get pizza. The next morning we drove our van, which we hired a company to move to our final destination, to another state park. The last few days of our expedition we went to Charleston, which was very close to our camp site and we went to the beach. On Saturday we drove back to Base camp.
The Importance of Adaptability
During our most recent expedition, adaptability was the name of the game. You really must be able to adapt to overcome. Throughout my SOAR experiences, right below safety and school, their main objective was to teach us life lessons that will help us throughout life. Adaptability was definitely a major one, because when you make a plan, you need to be ready for it to change, on a dime.
When you are in the backcountry (anywhere that’s away from civilization), it is hard to know exactly what could happen. From forgetting food to changing weather conditions, many things can happen (both affected us on this last expedition).
During this last expedition we paddled over one hundred miles in around ten or so days. Within ten days a lot can happen. For example, for the first half or so of the paddle, the skies were sunny and clear, then the sky started to cloud up and we paddled through many-a-storm. We needed to adapt when, during one of our lunch breaks, it started pouring down rain. We ended up setting up our tents and huddling down for three-hours to stay warm. To keep ourselves entertained, most of us ended up playing cards to pass the time while some slept. I think that was a perfect example of adaptability. We also had several more examples of the need to adapt. During mid-expedition, we found out that we didn’t buy enough food to last us until the last day, so we ended stopping a day early about thirty or so miles away from Edisto Beach State Park (our original ending destination).
In my opinion these were all really good examples of adaptability. During that expedition, it was especially hard for Yoda (our leadership role) to keep the rest of the group motivated and going, because this was our student lead expedition. This means that the staff, basically, stepped back from their everyday leadership, and had us lead ourselves. So the staffs were only there for safety, to make decisions Yoda couldn’t, and to inform the “Yoda” about the day/plans. But, the storms became a safety issue, so during the storm days a lot of Yoda’s decisions making abilities were taken over by staff. This made it harder for Yoda and the group to know exactly what the plan was. We had to basically blindly adapt to what the staff, did until they informed us why.
So in my opinion, adaptability is one of the most important life skills that an outdoor leadership school can teach is adaptability. Because later on in life when you become an employee, you must be able to adapt to whatever your boss is telling you, and get it done so that you can keep your job. Personally, I am really glad that I have had the opportunity to learn this trait early in life.
-Stephen A. Foster
When you are in the backcountry (anywhere that’s away from civilization), it is hard to know exactly what could happen. From forgetting food to changing weather conditions, many things can happen (both affected us on this last expedition).
During this last expedition we paddled over one hundred miles in around ten or so days. Within ten days a lot can happen. For example, for the first half or so of the paddle, the skies were sunny and clear, then the sky started to cloud up and we paddled through many-a-storm. We needed to adapt when, during one of our lunch breaks, it started pouring down rain. We ended up setting up our tents and huddling down for three-hours to stay warm. To keep ourselves entertained, most of us ended up playing cards to pass the time while some slept. I think that was a perfect example of adaptability. We also had several more examples of the need to adapt. During mid-expedition, we found out that we didn’t buy enough food to last us until the last day, so we ended stopping a day early about thirty or so miles away from Edisto Beach State Park (our original ending destination).
In my opinion these were all really good examples of adaptability. During that expedition, it was especially hard for Yoda (our leadership role) to keep the rest of the group motivated and going, because this was our student lead expedition. This means that the staff, basically, stepped back from their everyday leadership, and had us lead ourselves. So the staffs were only there for safety, to make decisions Yoda couldn’t, and to inform the “Yoda” about the day/plans. But, the storms became a safety issue, so during the storm days a lot of Yoda’s decisions making abilities were taken over by staff. This made it harder for Yoda and the group to know exactly what the plan was. We had to basically blindly adapt to what the staff, did until they informed us why.
So in my opinion, adaptability is one of the most important life skills that an outdoor leadership school can teach is adaptability. Because later on in life when you become an employee, you must be able to adapt to whatever your boss is telling you, and get it done so that you can keep your job. Personally, I am really glad that I have had the opportunity to learn this trait early in life.
-Stephen A. Foster
The Creation of Cathalan Island. By Evan Anderson
It was a distant day ago when a daunting task was put upon us. One of the many days paddling on the Edisto, we decided to stop at this luxurious beach. The white sandy beach was dotted with perfectly placed palm trees, great for hammock use. It had a cabana type structure that was utilized for cooking.
One thing caught my eyes above all other things. It was a spit of land in the middle of the river that we could walk out to. With the help of a few other group members, we walked out to the patch of sand and began to analyze this real-estate. We looked at its promising possibility. However, there were dangers as well. The powerful current threatened to erode anything we would think about building.
Ignoring the issue, we decided to address the current when it became more prominent; we began to start building a base wall, expanding the island and closing the water away from getting inside to the part we wanted dry. Once that task was finished we split up the team. We had some gather moist sand from the main beach, they put the sand into the closed off section and began raising the island out of the water.
The others were maintaining the island from the eroding current. Sticks and branches were placed around the island to help block the water from just simply grinding away at the island. Almost there. The final step in defense was an outer barrier that was created to take the brunt of the current. That wall would also need maintaining, however it was very minimal. Creating the outer barrier also created our own tide changes in the water between the island and the barrier.
Now that the island was fairly protected, we decided to look upon our achievement. However, it was missing something, something rather important in fact. Our humble creation was missing vegetation. It looked rather dull after we realized the hard truth. So, we gathered up small green plants and positioned them in good looking spots. Now it looked better, it was still missing something very important though…..
We finally realized it was buildings. We began to gather very small sticks and built several adobe huts upon the island. We also constructed a small little dock. We finally sat up on the beach and looked to our creation in satisfaction. After we left we gained a curiosity of how long the lonely island could possibly last. But we all were glad with the knowledge of building a large island in a strong current was very possible. And now you know too!
One thing caught my eyes above all other things. It was a spit of land in the middle of the river that we could walk out to. With the help of a few other group members, we walked out to the patch of sand and began to analyze this real-estate. We looked at its promising possibility. However, there were dangers as well. The powerful current threatened to erode anything we would think about building.
Ignoring the issue, we decided to address the current when it became more prominent; we began to start building a base wall, expanding the island and closing the water away from getting inside to the part we wanted dry. Once that task was finished we split up the team. We had some gather moist sand from the main beach, they put the sand into the closed off section and began raising the island out of the water.
The others were maintaining the island from the eroding current. Sticks and branches were placed around the island to help block the water from just simply grinding away at the island. Almost there. The final step in defense was an outer barrier that was created to take the brunt of the current. That wall would also need maintaining, however it was very minimal. Creating the outer barrier also created our own tide changes in the water between the island and the barrier.
Now that the island was fairly protected, we decided to look upon our achievement. However, it was missing something, something rather important in fact. Our humble creation was missing vegetation. It looked rather dull after we realized the hard truth. So, we gathered up small green plants and positioned them in good looking spots. Now it looked better, it was still missing something very important though…..
We finally realized it was buildings. We began to gather very small sticks and built several adobe huts upon the island. We also constructed a small little dock. We finally sat up on the beach and looked to our creation in satisfaction. After we left we gained a curiosity of how long the lonely island could possibly last. But we all were glad with the knowledge of building a large island in a strong current was very possible. And now you know too!
Monday, April 4, 2011
dustins blog
Blog
Hey everybody, we just got back from the Edisto River and it was awesome. It was awesome except there were the storms and those were not fun at all. It rained and all that stuff, for three to four days in a row and it sucked.
Day1- So we left base and took a six hour drive to Zigzag landing and we put in our boats and we went through a lot of strainers and we paddled two or three miles that day and that was pretty much it for the first day.
Day2- So we left the first place and we paddled fifteen miles to another camp site and it was ok except that this camp site had a lot of Hunter, Wolf and other spiders I don’t know the name of. But other than that it was a pretty nice camp site.
Day3- We woke up and we pretty much did the same thing and we instead of staying on some piece of land we went to Colletons state park. It was very very very small and we had a fun time though. We played volleyball so that was cool.
Day4- We left Colletons and we paddled fifteen miles and did the same thing the first two nights and we went to bed.
Day5- We woke up and we paddled twenty miles and we stayed at Givhans ferry for two nights and we played volleyball on the second day.
Day7- It was our first day of rain and it sucked and it started to storm. Then we went to some random camp site and spent the night.
The rest of the trip was just like that except for the last day we did at least thirty miles and we went to the van and we got there listening to Sweet Home Alabama and it was paradise. Then we went out for pizza.
Then until today we stayed at Edisto Beach State Park and it was awesome.
- Dustin
Hey everybody, we just got back from the Edisto River and it was awesome. It was awesome except there were the storms and those were not fun at all. It rained and all that stuff, for three to four days in a row and it sucked.
Day1- So we left base and took a six hour drive to Zigzag landing and we put in our boats and we went through a lot of strainers and we paddled two or three miles that day and that was pretty much it for the first day.
Day2- So we left the first place and we paddled fifteen miles to another camp site and it was ok except that this camp site had a lot of Hunter, Wolf and other spiders I don’t know the name of. But other than that it was a pretty nice camp site.
Day3- We woke up and we pretty much did the same thing and we instead of staying on some piece of land we went to Colletons state park. It was very very very small and we had a fun time though. We played volleyball so that was cool.
Day4- We left Colletons and we paddled fifteen miles and did the same thing the first two nights and we went to bed.
Day5- We woke up and we paddled twenty miles and we stayed at Givhans ferry for two nights and we played volleyball on the second day.
Day7- It was our first day of rain and it sucked and it started to storm. Then we went to some random camp site and spent the night.
The rest of the trip was just like that except for the last day we did at least thirty miles and we went to the van and we got there listening to Sweet Home Alabama and it was paradise. Then we went out for pizza.
Then until today we stayed at Edisto Beach State Park and it was awesome.
- Dustin
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