White waters hurt the best of us by A.C. Berry

On the first trip we were supposed to go surfing but we could not because “CHIPPER BRO” went on a vacation without telling us. So for the last three days on the first trip to California we were all waiting for CHIPPER to call us. But he never got back to us which were a huge disappointment. Then all of us thought hay we go two trips to California so I bet we could do it the second trip. When we arrived in California the second time we saw Wes and the first thing that Alex and I asked was has chipper called yet. And Wes said nope he has not and we are trying to find other options for you guys.
When we were riding to camp Wes got a call from Jeremy saying he found a different guy. Keep in mind soar has used CHIPPER BRO for a while so we were all grateful that Wes and Jeremy found someone else. It was actually really close to the campsite that we were staying at for the first second and third night. So Wes called the guy as soon as we got to camp. This guy wanted us. Because he found out that soar dose summer course with chipper so he was yea come by tomorrow and we will hook you guys up with surf boards. Before we could go to surfing we had to finish all of the work before we went to play. When I found this out from Wes I just dropped the football that I throwing with Alex and went to help out.
Threw our hard work that night we got to go surfing. The morning of the surfing we had to wake up at six o clock and just get up and go. I think it was totally worth it though. I mean I saw everyone having fun and getting hit by the huge waves that were forming. So for the first day Wes told us this is a white water day. We could only surf the waves that broke before they got to us. That was a good idea because some of those waves were just twice as tall as me and I am 6 foot 3. I think Alex was the first one to ride a true wave but I was the first to stand up on the board. Wes was the one that was teaching everyone that day. He did a very good job and I think almost everyone came close to standing up.

In conclusion when things do not go your way just look at others our just wait until your plan comes. I am saying this because that is what happened to us. And instead of waiting we used our recourse to find another surf shop. And the owner said that CHIPPER BRO is thinking about selling his surf shop. Also that’s why he wanted us to come to him so he could make a good first impression. The group altogether had great time weather it was chilling on the beach our catching the waves we were all positive about surfing and just to everyone in generally. And when someone stood up everyone would cheer and when some got hit buy one of those big waves we would give a helping hand.

Sarah Wolfe’s Blog Part 4

This blog is about our second California trip. We now only have two trips left to go. I can’t believe that we are almost done. Here are my favorite parts of this trip.

My first favorite part was going surfing and boogieboarding at the beach. The water was cold but we had wetsuits to keep warm. The weather was very warm.

My second favorite part was going to Julia Pteiffer State Park. During the whole time we were there it was raining hard. There was a pretty cool lodge not far from the campsite. Since it was raining outside we had to do school and other things under a pavilion.

My last favorite part was going to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It was a great thing for us to do on a rainy day. We all had a fun time. We saw lots of fish and other creatures. We saw seahorses and jellyfish, which were really cool. We also saw otters and penguins.

We all had a good time. We are looking forward to our Wyoming trip. We all hope it goes great.

California blog trip Connor Newton

On our second trip to California we participated in a lot of activities that were near the ocean. It was very rainy at the beginning of the trip but we still camped out in the rain.
We got to surf while we were at Carpentaria which was a lot of fun. We got to wear wet suits and carry surf and boogie boards, which was a very fun experience because I have never carried one around before. We went surfing twice and it was more fun on the second day. I will come back again to surf so I can get a lot better.
Other ocean activities were at a place called Montana De Oro Bay. We collected sea shells and had a lot of fun running around on the beach. We also saw a bunch of sea lions that were roasting themselves in the sun sleeping soundlessly.
Julia Pfeifer Burns State Park was where I got my 6th patch. I like collecting patches from National Parks so I was excited. Big Sur was very rainy and wet, but we got through with determined faces. On the first day of our backcountry trip it took us all day to hike the 8 miles. The redwoods were huge and had very thick trunks. The trail was loaded with them and they would have taken half the team just to reach around one. There were banana slugs that we were putting on our faces and hands. Bright flowers gave the trail a more lively feel.
In conclusion I loved both of the really fun places that we got to go. The first beach that we got to was where we went surfing for two days, and the second one was where we got collect all of the shells. The other really fun place was our back country place. This was where the massive redwoods and the large yellow slugs were on the sides of the trail. I would love to comeback because I love to be in the middle of nowhere and breathe in the silent air. I would love to comeback because I had a blast.

California trip #2 alex r

Surfing

When we first flew into Cali I was super excited because we were going to go surfing. I wanted to go surfing last trip but we couldn’t so we went this trip. I have never been surfing, but I do skateboard and snowboard, so it was easy for me.

When the first day of surfing came we got up early and we drove over to A-Frame Surf shop. Before we could go surfing we needed to know how. First you paddle out on your board. Then you can either sit on your board or try to catch a wave. When you want to catch a wave you turn your board around. Then you start paddling toward the beach. You get in cobra position and then you hop up on your board. If you don’t get in cobra position you will get sucked  under and it hurts. The first time I tried to stand up and I ate i (fell). I stood up on my forth try, and from then on I could get it.

  We went surfing for two days and I really hope I get to go again because it was really fun and funny. Overall I thought this trip was really fun, but the surfing was the best part.  

Nolan's California trip #2

Trip #2 in California, and this expedition was full of rain. We went to the Ventana Wilderness in Padres National Forest. It was wet, dry, and full of new experiences.

         In the Ventana Wilderness, it was a mixture of wet and dry because it rained a lot while we were there. It was dry because we had 2 fires to dry all our clothes off. It was also dry because we had to tent while we were there, so I got to have a tent all to myself. There were many new experiences, but the biggest one was getting to see Jeremy again. I had heard that he was the President of having banana slugs on your face. I challenged him by putting 2 of them on my face. It was disgusting (slimy and cold). Lastly, while we were there, there had been so much rain that the river flooded. We were able to catch salamanders and iodize water to drink. Sadly, we didn’t get to go in the hot springs because they were also flooded.

         Final expedition is up next. It is in Wyoming where the other SOAR base is. There are only six more weeks left in the semester and then home to chill for the summer. 

SOARing in Northern California with Chris Kiefer

During the Northern California trip we went surfing. That was my first time surfing and I was definitely nervous. I had no idea of what to do nor how to do it. The staff gave us a basic lesson and then we got in the water. I paddled out and then once Wes was done getting another student on the waves, I went up. After a few small waves passed Wes told me to start paddling and I rode my first wave, and then I wanted to catch many, many more.

When on the waves I felt like I was riding my bike, both the object I'm on and I are moving. Several times I kept moving even after my board had stopped. I didn't wipe out too much, and every time I did, I got right back on the board and rode another. One time while riding, by complete accident and in no way planned, seven of us all rode on a wave, thus making the biggest party wave of our time surfing. A party wave is a wave that several people are all on at once. The best wave I had was one that the first part carried me a little ways, then a bigger one right behind it took me all the way to the beach.

I loved surfing. The adrenaline when you get a big wave, the feeling of almost flying when you go flying off, and the fun we had as a group. I would love to go surfing again, especially if it was the same waves we had on my favorite days of the expedition.

Kyle: Schnitzels's innapropriate joke

We went on a second California EX this time. We had a lot of fun, though we had many a challenge with things outside of our control.

We had a lot of fun surfing in Ventura. I had a ton of fun going out the farthest on a boogie board and getting to ride in several waves that beached me. I, seeing as I am insane, even enjoy wiping out and being rolled around in the waves.

We also went to Morro Bay. We got to go to a cool beach which had an awesome rock (I’ve been there before, but it’s still cool.) Sadly, we didn’t get a chance to check out the town, or to go to one of the best (and cheapest) saltwater taffy shops known to gnome-kind.

We stayed at Big Sur before we went backpacking. Not much happened here, but it’s worth mention.

Then we went backpacking in the Ventana (not Ventura) wilderness. It rained every day we were there, and for a while afterwards. Luckily, the group handled it really well. I’ve seen groups flat-out fall apart when it rains in the backcountry, but our group held it together quite well.

We had some really long hikes on that trip. It’s 8 miles in and out, with no campgrounds in-between. It felt a lot like last semester, at least in terms of the physical challenge.

We had one camp day there. It was fun because the rain let up for a bit and we made a fire. We also got time to work on reading or just chatting.

After we hiked out of the wilderness, we went up to Monterey bay. Both state campgrounds were closed, so we stayed at a KOA (Kampgrounds of America, not killed on arrival). We went to the aquarium there, which is the largest (and coolest) in all of California. I’ve been there a few times, and I always enjoy it. I love the jellyfish exhibit. Sadly, the huge tank (my favorite) was closed for renovations.

On the last day, the van broke down when we were going out to eat dinner. We stopped at a different place for dinner and we had the van towed. We used a rented car to shuttle back to camp. It was a late night, but we did really well and no one made a problem because of it.

Cedric has been acting weird recently. He wasn’t with us for the first couple of days, when he came back he claimed he went to Hollywood and starred in a movie. If he’s telling the truth, Hollywood has gone to his head, because he’s denying to have his picture taken.

All in all, it’s been a fun EX. I’ve had some awesome times, and while the rain was tough, the group did really well. Next up is Wyoming, where the group will run the show. It’ll be tough, but I’ll do my best to get working well.

Random thoughts

Quotes of the EX: (going through TSA, also, I store my chopsticks in a corked PVC pipe) “sir, what’s in here?” “Chopsticks.” “What?” “Chopsticks.” (TSA agent opens corked pipe) “… chopsticks.”

And

“ra rawda, ra rawda rada, ra rawda rawda rawda, ra, ra rawda, ra rawda rawda rawda!”

Working on new magic deck titled “nervous wreck” as both a reference to the Neurok and the mental games it’s meant to play with the opponent

Feel the burning stare of the gnomes and change your ways.

Connor 3/3/11 California Coastal Blog

Connor

Newton

3/3/11

Hi again. On this trip we went to the Joshua Tree National Park and the Channel Islands National Park. At Joshua Tree we saw many different types of plants, including the Joshua Tree and the Beaver Tail cactus. My favorite plant was a cool Barrel Cactus that had these pretty red needles. There was also a cactus called the Jumping Cholla, a cactus that if you even touch it, the needles will stick to anything. While we where there we saw an old gold mine that was once a place where a bunch of gold and silver was pulled out. We also saw a rock that was a skull and called skull rock. It looked like something out of a pirate movie. The next park that we went to was the Channel Islands National Park. It was a lot of fun an awesome park where Alex and I caught crabs on the rocks. I taught Alex how to properly hold and catch a crab. We also saw starfish, held hermit crabs and saw sea urchins. While we were on the islands we did some fun hikes. My two personal favorites were Potato Harbor and Cavern Point Overlook. I really loved all the places that I went to and will plan to come back in the future.   

The activities that brought the team together By A.C. Berry

This was my very first expedition with this team. We had two main activities that we liked while we were in California. One was a game called camouflage, and the other was rock climbing.  I felt like these two activities brought the team together.

 Camouflage is a game that we played in the Channel Islands. This game is similar to hide and go seek, only the seeker cannot move at all out of his spot; he has to use his eyes to see the people hiding. One time Wes, our staff member, was hiding behind a small tree. Now, know that Wes is a dude with one large manly frame. Chris barely saw Wes. He saw his pants by an inch. At first he thought it was a fox but then Wes came out and Chris, shocked, asked “How did you fit behind there?” Camouflage is a very fun game to play, but sometimes you can get battle wounds from it. I do remember this one game where Nolan did not have enough time so he jumped into the grass. In the grass there was a rock and he cut open his leg.  He tried to still play but the pain was too much for him. Nolan is a trooper for trying to continue after he cut open his leg. Once he got a Band-Aid on it he was like ok guys who want to keep playing, like nothing happened. I think that this activity is a great team building activity. I say this because for one, if you are the seeker you have to trust that the people moved forward. If you are hiding with someone else you have to trust them to not give away your spot. It is also fun and a strategy people use to get out there frustration.

The next activity that we did was an indoor rock climbing gym. We chose this activity, one because it was raining outside, and two we did not want to get all wet. I think rock climbing was fun. Everyone tried to at least get on the rock and climb as high as they could. Chris is afraid of rock climbing because he thinks the rope is going to break on him.  Since it was inside he decided to try it out and overcome his fear. He got up on the wall and got 80 percent up the wall and called it off. I thought it was so cool that the team was just cheering him on because we all knew that he did not like this activity but just him going up on the rock and having the mindset really got the team going. Alex is really good at rock climbing so Wes gave him a challenge along with me to complete a 5.11, the highest level rock climbing goes to is a 5.15 so he was trying to see how good we were. We could only get up halfway but Wes was impressed on how we would not give up.

In conclusion I think this has been one of the best expeditions I have ever been on. Why, because this team loves to work together and cheer each other on and give positive feedback.  I think this was a great start for me coming into the group and that it is going to be a great semester.

Allen 3/7/11 Southern California

Allen 3/7/11

During the first week of our expedition we went to Joshua tree national park where we did some rock scrambling.  Joshua tree is located in southern California

The first place we did rock scrambling was at a spot called Hidden Valley. Scrambling is climbing and moving around on boulders. To get there, we had to hike about half a mile. The rock that we scrambled in had a big crack in the middle and we had to go inside the rock. A couple of kids got stuck climbing through the rock

The second spot we did rock scrambling was at a place called Mastodon Peak which was 5 minutes away from our camp ground. In order to get to the summit of Mastodon Peak we had to hike 1.5 miles and scramble on some rocks.  Once we got to the top we took a group picture and there was a rock that looked like Pride Rock from the Lion King movie.

The last time we went rock scrambling we went to a place called Lost Palm Oasis. We had to hike 3 miles but we didn’t make it all the way to the oasis. Instead we stopped early and climbed on a bunch of rocks, one of which looked like a diving board. Once we got to the top, we took a group picture. After we had our group picture taken we went back to our camp ground and had dinner.

In conclusion I really enjoyed the rock scrambling and I hope to do more in the future.

alex R cali trip 1

Throughout these two weeks I have seen a lot of things. On our first trip to Cali we went to some pretty cool National Parks. our first stop was at Joshua Tree National Park. After we were done with Joshua Tree National Park we went to the Channel Islands National Park. Both of those National parks were very fun.

Our first stop was in Joshua Tree National Park. When we were there I saw a lizard and a very fat mouse. The next day we went rock scrambling. Scrambling is jumping around on rocks. On the last day we were there we went on some really cool hikes.

The ferry ride was very fun when we were going to the Channel Islands. I saw a shark, a sea lion, and a dolphin. I saw those animals on the ferry ride. I was surprised to see that many animals on the ride. The boat ride was very nice and relaxing. When we came out of the fog, we saw the Channel Islands and they looked like “King Kong's “ Island.

The Channel Islands were super fun. I got to play a lot of games there. The game we played most was camouflage. We saw a lot of foxes there and they were really cool to see. I also helped Connor catch crabs. I thought catching crabs was a really fun part of the trip. went hiking and we were all on an edge of a cliff. That was pretty cool.

This Cali trip was very fun, even though we didn’t get to go surfing. I really liked the Channel Islands because every morning I woke up to the sound of the ocean hitting the rocks. I hope we get to go surfing next trip but I still really liked this trip.

Nolan Turner California trip #1

During these past two weeks in California, one of the places we went to was Channel Islands. They are a group of Islands off the coast of California and are really cool and fun.

During the four days in the Channel Islands, we went to the biggest Island in the Channel Islands, Santa Cruz. While we were there, we got tons of rain. Also, I learned this really cool game called camouflage (camo). We spent a lot of time at the beach. We played a game where someone would set a tower of rocks and you would try to knock down the tower. Whoever knocked down the last rock, would win and set up more towers. The water at the beach was REALLY COLD. I didn’t go in the water very much for that reason. The Island had these foxes that were about the size of cats, and they were really annoying because they would always try to steal your food.

After all of this, I am starting to miss the Channel Islands. For the four days we were there, I had as much fun as I possibly could. The next expedition is in California again and I still love the warm and moist air.

Sarah Wolfe's Blog Part 3

Sarah Wolfe’s Blog Part 3

Our first California trip went great. We all had an awesome time. We just can’t believe that another trip is over.

My first favorite part of the trip was landing in LA. I felt great when we got there. Seeing the city for the city for the first time was pretty amazing. When I saw all the different cars I realized that people never walk in LA.

My second favorite part was going to Joshua Tree National Park. We stayed at a wonderful campsite. During the days we were there, we went on day hikes which were nice. We also went to see Skull Rock, which was really cool. Skull Rock is a huge rock that’s shaped exactly like a skull.

My last favorite part of this trip was going to the Channel Islands. It was raining on our first day there, but the next day it cleared up. They had a really nice beach. Before we left we saw a baby seal. It was really cool and we saw it trying to get back into the water.

I would say that we had a great trip. We can’t wait for our next California trip.

mmmm, spinach and artichoke dip

We had an awesome expedition this trip. We went to my home state of California, which was awesome. We did a lot of fun things and I have a lot to write about.

The first place we went to is a desert called Joshua tree. They have (shockingly enough) Joshua trees, which a weird bendy trees that look like something out of Dr. Seuss, except it doesn’t look like someone puked a box of crayons on it.

We also got to go to one of my favorite places, the Channel Islands. We got to go to an awesome lookout called potato harbor, which I’ve been to before. We also went to cavern point, which is an awesome place to see sunsets, though we had to do it mid-day. Sadly, we couldn’t go up Mordor’s gate,   a dry streambed named after a scene from lord of the rings, because it had running water in it. That was really surprising.

On the Channel Islands there’s a unique fox species called the island fox. It’s very endangered, so if you go there make sure you DO NOT leave any food out.

We also played a lot of games, including one called Camo. It’s a game where all the players hide (except for an “it” player) and try to hide from the “it”. The “it” player cannot move and turns around if they can’t see anyone. It’s hard to explain, but it’s really fun.

We also stayed at Carpentaria, a little area in so-cal. We got to go to a rock-climbing gym, which was really fun. Sadly, the showers in that campsite were cold.

Cedric has been having a lot of fun. He really enjoyed Joshua tree because he got to see some high views (pictures soon). However, my dad made a comment that scared him, so he hasn’t been out much. He’s been kinda quiet to, so I’m getting worried…

If you’re wondering how my dad said something, the group got to visit my parents on Friday. It was really fun. We went out to eat at Islands and I FINALLY got some spinach and artichoke dip. I also got to see my sister do he trapeze act for aerial arts. She was really good. I found out on phone-call day that she did really well and got moved up a level! (Essentially a belt) good job Kate!

I’ve had a lot of fun this expedition and I can’t wait for the next one, which will be California again!

Random thoughts:

Quotes of the Ex: “WEEEEEEEELLLLLLLL IT’S WAFFLE TIME, IT’S WAFFLE TIME, WON’T YOU HAVE SOME WAFFLES OF MINE?” and “yes, my name is Carl. I kill people, eat hands, and my best friend is a llama that wears effeminate hats named… uh…” someone needs to get that last one.

Card of the Ex: sword of feast and famine. Awesome card that I really like, plus its green-black, which suits my style of play, besides being an awesome card.

The ultimate answer to the ultimate question is 42. Now we need to figure out the ultimate question to the ultimate answer.

I got to see most of balls of fury on the plane. Funny movie.

SOARing in Southern California with Chris Keifer

My two favorite places we went to on the southern California trip were Joshua Tree National Park and Channel Islands National Park. We stayed in Joshua Tree first. There, we hiked and did some rock scrambling, which is mainly just jumping from rock to rock. The view was incredible, even though it was a desert. I have never camped in the desert, so the experience was new and exciting to me. We also got to see the things from which the park has its namesake, the Joshua Tree, which look like they come directly from a Doctor Seuss book. Along with being my first time camping in the desert it was also my first time bivying because I had received my bivy before leaving on the California trip, along with a new mummy bag made it wonderful.

After a few days in Joshua Tree, we caught a ferry to the Channel Islands. It was a great trip, even though it was raining the first night. We manage to make camp during a light pocket of rain, with tents from the ones without the “hardcore” bivys like mine. The next day it was a clear sky and a nice day for the hike we went on. We began to see many foxes . Some got close, others did things to make us laugh. One even returned to a table we had removed stuff from and it had a look that seemed to say, “There was something here before, where did it go?” The rest of the hikes lead us to beautiful views of the water. During the hikes the group did a lot of bonding. My two closest friends here, Kyle and Connor, had some wonderful conversations with me. One day we went to the beach and I did some sun bathing. During that time I had a nice conversation with our new team member AC. We also played a hide-and-seek variant called Camouflage, where we had to hide in bushes and behind trees while the seeker had their back turned. The seeker then turned around and tried to spot the hiders, either by calling out the color of clothing visible or by sending a spotter to the exact location. It is a game I am going to tell my friends about when I get home. I loved California and can't wait to go back.