Saint Michael's College Wilderness Program

Notes from the Field: Scotland with Joe Coughlan

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Michael's College Wilderness Program) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:13:00 +0000

Day 1 (Thursday)

Nate, Todd, Mike and I traveled from Burlington to Newark, then Newark to Glasgow. After a long flight, we landed sometime around 7:30am on Friday morning.

Day 2 (Friday)

We checked into the Holiday Inn at the airport, slept until noon and then went into Glasgow for the rest of the day. We ate dinner at a delicious Indian restaurant named Koolba and attempted to adjust to the time change.

Todd driving on the wrong side of the road.

Day 3 (Saturday)

We traveled to the Isle of Skye, drove on a sketchy road on the shore of Loch Lomond and then through the Highlands. We stopped in Fort William for a lunch break and arrived to the Tigh Holm cottages around 3pm and made ourselves at home after a stop to the grocery store.

Day 4 (Sunday)

Hiking our boats to sea.

We went to Gordon Brown’s house to pick up some kayaks and left from his back yard. The tide was out so we had to hike our boats 1.5 miles out to sea. We set off into the wind for the Skye Bridge in hopes of finding some waves to play in. After some boat complications and a stop for lunch we made it to the bridge and found mellow seas, much to our disappointment. After a quick break for some photos, we turned around with the wind at our backs and surfed some small waves back to Gordon’s house. Along the way, a small weather front came through and dropped some snow and rain for about 15 minutes but was gone well before we were back.

After a chance to warm up and catch some dinner at a fish n’ chip shop in Broadford, we went back to Gordon’s house to meet the 5-star students. We overviewed some key aspects of the 5-star training that was going to happen over the next three days, a training that Mike and I were not technically participating in.

Under the Skye Bridge

Day 5 (Monday)

Putting in at the ferry terminal.

We arrived at Gordon’s promptly at 9am, the time that the “kettle will be ready” every morning. While drinking some tea and [instant] coffee, we spent the morning hours in Gordon’s classroom going over tides, trip planning, and navigation. That afternoon we left for the Armadale Ferry Terminal, where we put in our boats and played under the structures there for a little while. After a play we paddled to some nearby islands, where we practiced different towing techniques. Once we were finished, we paddled back to the ferry terminal where we packed the kayaks back onto the trailer and left for Gordon’s house.

Once we got back we prepared for the night navigation exercise. We soon got back into the van and left for Kyleakin. Once we got to the parking lot and prepared our kayaks, it had gotten dark. The purpose of the night navigation exercise is to be prepared for an emergency situation in which you’re unexpectedly caught out into the evening. We were lucky enough to be out on a night that the skies we crystal clear and there was no fog. Before we got into our boats we were all given a number that was going to be used as our roll-call number, and we would yell out our numbers in order to make sure we were all accounted for throughout the night. We paddled under the Skye Bridge, out to a buoy and then navigated our way through the dark to a nearby island. We then turned around and paddled back to the van. Throughout the exercise, we discussed what can be used as navigation tools in the darkness and how one can manage a group in the dark. Once we were finished, we drove back to the cottage and had a late dinner.

Gearing up for the Night Nav exercise.

Day 6 (Tuesday)

Kilt Rock

Kilmaluag Bay

After our usual 9am arrival to Gordon’s house we promptly left for Kilmaluag Bay. It was about a two hour drive to the northernmost point on the Isle of Skye that took us through some beautiful mountain passes and views of the ocean. We also took a quick stop to see Kilt Rock, a huge cliff that arises from the ocean and even includes a waterfall. Once we arrived at the bay, we put in our boats and started paddling towards the sea.

For some reason, we were told to put our helmets on…I soon found out why. Once we turned north out of the bay, we were met with 4-6 foot swells, by far the largest seas I had been in. Once we cleared the Isle of Skye to the north we started to play in the waves, hoping to catch a surf or two.

After a seemingly quick play, we began to practice rescues. We started with a roll, then went to a self-rescue, and finished with an assisted rescue from our partner. After that we stopped for lunch in a protected area which happened to have very old ruins of houses and boat slots/holders. I spent about half of my lunch break just walking around, checking these things out.

Once we were finished we went back out on the water and found the waves had gotten slightly larger. We practiced patching boats in groups of three. Once we had all gotten a turn, we started paddling back to the bay that we started in. However, we didn’t go straight back. We paddled towards some cliffs and decided to have a play. We paddled through a slot and came back out on the other side of a huge rock and did the cycle a few times. On our paddle back to our put-in site, Gordon and Todd decided to hop out of their boats and pretend to be unconscious. Once we realized what was going on, we jumped into the scenario and got them back into their boats. After some feedback from them on what we could have done better, we paddled in and packed up the boats. On the drive back Gordon pointed out a spot that the famous urban biker Danny Macaskill had ridden and we jumped out for some photos. After sleeping the majority of the ride, we arrived back at Gordon’s and unpacked our gear.

Day 7 (Wednesday)

Mike Surfing a wave on Kyle Rhea.

This was the final day of the 5-star training. We arrived to Gordon’s when the kettle was ready and did another quick turnaround to Kyle Rhea, a thin gap between the mainland and the island that is sensitive to tidal currents and winds. The current moves quite fast and with an opposing wind it can build up with huge standing waves, sometimes reaching 10-15 feet. The drive into the gap was on a thin, one lane road that hovers over drop-offs and the occasional cliff. To top it off, the road was coated with about 2 inches of snow from the night before and the van got stuck at the top of a hill and we had to push it over the hump. The drive was an adventure in itself. Once we arrived at Kyle Rhea, we found a fast current but no standing waves, and only an occasional hint of wind. We got into our boats and found some small waves on some eddy lines and surfed those for a while. We also practiced different techniques of getting in and out of current. We then practiced towing across the current and eventually made it to the other side of the straight. The group practiced instructing one-by-one back up the current via large eddies on the shore. We paddled back across the current to the van and packed it up. Before we left we took some photos in a red telephone booth, something that must be done when you’re in Scotland. The things randomly pop up everywhere. Once we got back to the house we said farewell to the 5-star students and soon went back to the cottage for dinner.

All of us inside a phone booth.

Day 8 (Thursday)

Todd doing some surfing.

Todd, Nate, Mike, Gordon and I met in the morning and went back to Kyle Rhea in hopes to find more intense conditions than the day before. Again, the weather was similar and we played in the eddy-line waves for a bit. As the morning went on, the wind picked up slightly and a small race was slowly being created to the south. We paddled down and played for quite a while in 1-2 foot waves at the bottom of Kyle Rhea and then paddled back up to the van. Gordon packed up and got back into the van while we started padding north out of Kyle Rhea. He picked us up about 1.5 hours later in Kyleakin, west of the mouth of Kyle Rhea near the Skye Bridge.

Searching for some waves in Kyle Rhea.

Day 9 (Friday)

The beginning of our paddle around the Sound of Sleat.

With our last day on the water, Todd, Nate, Mike and I decided to paddle around the Point of Sleat, the Southernmost point of the Isle of Skye. Morag, Gordon’s wife, shuttled us to a small bay on the west coast of the point. We put our boats in and started paddling south. There were fighter jets from the Royal Air Force flying over the water on presumed practice flights. At one point, one jet came up behind us going extremely fast, low enough to see the details of the bottom of the plane. The jump from the extremely loud sound of the engines almost sent me overboard, but I was able to stay upright to watch it fly away. Once we got the point, we found some sheep hanging out on some cliffs and soon pulled over for lunch. After lunch, we paddled with the wind and waves back to the ferry terminal we paddled at on Monday. Gordon was waiting for us with the van and we drove back to his house to hang up all of our gear to dry. We got back to the cottage and watched COPS, You’ve Been Framed, and the Big Bang Theory, the only things we had been watching for the past 6 nights.

Day 10 (Saturday)

We packed up all of our gear and left for Glasgow, where our flight was scheduled to leave early the next morning. Along the way, we stopped at the Eilean Donan castle for an awesome tour and later stopped in Fort William again for lunch. We arrived back in Glasgow that evening and made our way back into town for dinner. We inevitably returned to Koolba for [arguably] the best dinner in town.

Eilean Donan Castle.

Day 11 (Sunday)

We were up bright and early to catch our 7 hour 45 minute flight to Newark. At about 3pm we arrived back in Burlington. It took a few days to adjust back to the time change and get back into the routine of classes. Overall, Scotland was an amazing experience and I can’t wait to get back to explore more of the ocean, mountains, and the cities.

Thanks to WP Instructor Joe Coughlan for writing a great post about his time in Scotland with the Program! To see more photos from this trip and our other programs, go to our Facebook Page.

Notes from the Field: Utah with Jess Jablonski

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Michael's College Wilderness Program) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 01:58:00 +0000

Day 1-Saturday

The group walks across the Petrified Sand Dunes in Snow Canyon State Park.

We left Saint Mike’s around 9:30am. The previous night we had a Packing meeting so, everybody was ready to go that morning. Our plane was leaving from Albany, but it got delayed so we got to Las Vegas later than expected.

When we landed in Vegas it was about 9pm, we pick up our cars and went grocery shopping before heading to our final destination of St. George, Utah. We arrived at our campsite, Snow Canyon State Park, at midnight, set up camp quick and went to bed. We were all tired from our long day of travel.

An after lunch groups shot at the Scenic Overlook.

Day 2-Sunday

We got to sleep in a bit, because we were up late. Unfortunately we were not able to climb. It had rained within the past 24 hours, so the rock was still wet. Instead of climbing we were able to explore the state park we were staying at.

We started out by hiking towards petrified dunes. The rock was so cool. It had all sorts of layers that had been eroded by wind and water, which gave the rock a step by step appearance. By just rubbing the rock it would turn to sand. The rock was sandstone with

WP Instructor Jess Jablonski winning Farkle.

some bright red layers and others white layers. After hiking to the petrified dunes we hiked towards the overlook. At the top of the overlook we stopped for lunch. We stayed up there for about an hour. It was amazing to see all the rock from the high point. After lunch we where able to explore the top of the overlook. Just after leaving the overlook, we found a lava cave and we went exploring. We think an air bubble that had been trapped in the lava created the cave. The top of the air bubble had broken through, exposing the cave. After exploring the lava cave we headed back to camp. Even though we where a little disappointed we couldn’t start our trip off climbing, it was nice to get to explore the State Park.

When we got back to camp we had a little down time before dinner. After eating dinner we played our first game of Farkle. Farkle is a simple dice game that everybody enjoyed. We turned in early because we had to get up early for our first day of climbing!

Day 3-Monday

Jess Jablonski leads a 5.8 out at the Black Rocks.

We got up to a chilly morning and we also got a bit of a late start. We left at about 8:45 for the Black Rocks, which is only 15 minutes away from our campsite. The Black Rocks are a canyon that you can't see from the road or from the approaching trail, so it was a surprise to us when we got to the canyon edge. The canyon ran north to south so half was in full sunlight while the other side was constantly in shade. We started at the sunny side for warmth.

We started climbing some easy/moderate routes, 5.7s, 5.8’s, and 5.9’s. After climbing at the sunny side for a while, a larger group moved in and it started to get warmer, so we decided to walk to the other side of the canyon and climb in the shade. We only did a couple of climbs on the shady side, a 5.9, two 5.10’s, and a 5.8 that I lead. Josh also tried a 5.12, which everybody enjoyed watching. We left the Black Rocks early in the afternoon and headed back to camp.

We made dinner almost immediately after we got back and went to bed right after we finished cleaning up. We all were tired from our first day climbing.

Day 4-Tuesday

WP Instructor Josh Troob leads his first 5.13.

We got up and moving quicker this morning, we where leaving the camp site for the Soul Asylum a little after 8. The drive there wasn’t too bad, but we had to hike in a little further than expected because the road was a little to rough for us to take the cars down. The longer approach gave us a change to warm up a little bit because it was the coolest it had been so far, but it was still warm by Vermont standards.

The rock at the Soul Asylum was really different from the rock we climbed at in the Black Rocks. It was limestone, with little divots and pockets everywhere. There were so many feet and they where all really, really good! Most of the climbs that we did were slabs, so it was really different climbing than what most of us were used to. I also got to climb a 5.10c, which was over 100ft long. It was my favorite climb of the trip.

After we left, we went to the grocery store to pick up some food to make dinners for the rest of the week. We got back to camp and made dinner and went to bed early again.

WP Instructor Jess Jablonski on her favorite climb, a 5.10c/d.

Day 5-Wednesday

The group admires the scenic view in Zion National Park on the way to the Emerald Springs.

Martha McElroy in front of some huge rock formations.

We left at 8am for Zion National Park in Utah. We needed to take a rest day from climbing so we decided to do some light hiking at Zion. It was chilly in the morning when we got out at the welcome center, but we weren't in the sun yet. Our first hike was the overlook, which was awesome. We were able to see the winding road we came up on, and we had a panoramic view of the cliffs. By the time we left overlook it had started to warm up and get really hot.

After the overlook we went to the emerald springs. The hike to get there was longer than the overlook hike, but it lead us to two waterfalls and springs that where fed by the waterfalls. When we got to the main waterfall we stopped and had lunch. It was shady and cool; it was the perfect stop to stop for lunch. After the main waterfall we stopped a little spring that fed the lower waterfalls. I went to cross the pool and slipped. I got myself and a French lady soaking wet.

Fearless Leaders Eben and Andrea

After leaving the spring we split up from Andrea and Eben. They took the same trails back to the cars to meet us while we hiked out a different trail. When we met up with Eben and Andrea we decided to look at some gift shops in the town right outside of Zion.

When we got back to camp we made dinner and planned out the last two days of our trip.

Martha and Meghan climbing at the Sumo Wall.

Day 6-Thursday

After getting up and making a quick stop at the campsite shop we where on our way to the Sumo Wall. Martha and I had found it the night before and it looked like it had climbs in the right range for our group so we decided to give it a try. The parking lot was packed with other climbers camping and living out of their cars. At first we where worried that the cliff would be pack but fortunately there are lots of other climbs in the area and we had the cliff to ourselves.

The base of the cliff was really rocky and uneven. We had a difficult time finding a good stop to put our packs. But once we found a good spot we began climbing. The rock was limestone, like the Soul Asylum, but the routes and even the holds on the rock were so different. It was steeper and the climbing felt more difficult. I think that we all felt that the Sumo wall was our hardest day of climbing, physically and emotionally. We had a tough time transitioning to the different type of climbing that we experienced at the Sumo Wall.

When we got back to camp we made ourselves dinner and decided on going back to the Soul Asylum for our last day of climbing.

Professor Trish Siplon loving the warm weather.

Meghan Lynch climbing a 5.8

Day 7-Friday

Guide Andrea Charest climbing a 5.13

When we got up it was a little odd because we all knew that it was our last day in Utah. We ate breakfast and started packing up a little bit before heading off the Soul Asylum at 8. We started in the same spot as last time, on the easy long slab. But we then moved off the right of the cliff band to climb on some new routes. There, Trish climbed her first 5.10, which was a great way to end the trip.

I also tried the 5.13 with Josh and Andrea. It was a really interesting climb, totally unlike all the other climbs that I had done. I didn’t finish the climb, but I really enjoyed getting to try the climb. I got about half way, which was further than I expected, so I was happy with how our last day went.

We left Soul Asylum a little after 3:30 and when we got back to camp we finished up the packing we could do, then we got cleaned up for dinner. We decided to go out to dinner for the last night. We went to a little Mexican restaurant. We had a great time at dinner. It was fun way to spend our last night together.

WP Instructor Andy Hogan was tricked into leading a 5.10.

WP Instructor Jess Jablonski on the 5.13.

Josh, Martha and Jess leaving their last day of climbing in Utah.

When we got back to camp we went right to bed because we had to get up at 4:30 to catch our flight. It was sad to be leaving, but I know I was tried and missing my bed.

Day 8-Saturday

We got up at 4:30 and finished up packing. We took down the tents and packed away our sleeping things. When we made our way back to Las Vegas the sun was just coming up. We got to the airport and said goodbye to Andrea, who was staying out west to climb for a little bit longer.

By the time we got back to Saint Mike’s it was about 9pm. It may not have been late but I was exhausted. The days of climbing and hiking and all the early morning where catching up to me. Even though I missed the warmth and sunshine of the desert, it was nice to be back and in my own bed.

The group at the end of a sunny day in Zion Nation Park.

Thanks to WP Instructor Jess Jablonski for writing up a great blog post! To see more of the Utah trip go over to our Facebook Page or check out WP Instructor Josh Troob's Awesome Video.

ITP Weekend 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Michael's College Wilderness Program) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:47:00 +0000

Our aspirant instructors are in the home stretch of their yearlong Instructor Training Program. In addition, to classroom and field training experiences focused on basic outdoor living skills, teaching/coaching process, wilderness medical training and the development of mountain sense they have been exposed to a variety of outdoor pursuit’s disciplines. The purpose of these exposure trainings is familiarize future instructors with the fundamentals associated with different disciplines and to afford them the opportunity to observe senior staff teaching and managing people, equipment and the environment. This weekend the cohort of 12 aspirants participated in a mountain skills clinic and implemented a self-designed day trip with senior staff observing and providing feedback.

We still have some great trips going out this season! Stop by the Wilderness Office in Alliot 204 to sign up for ice climbing, backcountry ski and ride and snow shoeing trips.

Alumni Relations, WP Style

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Michael's College Wilderness Program) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:05:00 +0000

You never know who is going to crawl out of the woodwork and want to take a trip down memory lane. On Friday, February 8^th, Drennan Hicks (’11) and Ryan Magee (’11) got together with assistant director Eben Widlund to go ice climbing in Smugglers Notch. Despite hard blowing snow the three made their way to Hidden Gully. After deciding the avalanche conditions were too risky for the route, they sought out a more pleasant location, and found no wind but plenty of ice at Jefferson Slide. Ryan Magee led both pitches, finding thick, soft ice all the way. A short walk through the woods brought them to ENT gully and another quick 2 pitches of fantastic climbing. A quick rappel and walk back down the road gave them the opportunity to enjoy fresh snow skiing down the road and back to the cars.

Stop by our office in Alliot 204 to sign up for ice climbing trips!

What's better than hauling one guy in a rescue sled?

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Michael's College Wilderness Program) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 03:26:00 +0000

Hauling two!

For reasons the directors cannot fathom, students are hesitant to go out on trips on Superbowl Sunday, despite the fact that programs return to campus well in advance of kickoff. However, the Wilderness Program took the opportunity to offer instructors a chance to head into the field with their peers and have some fun.

Taylor Luneau and Todd Wright worked with aspirant backcountry ski and snowboard instructors. They started with an equipment shakedown and review on campus and then travelled to Smugglers Notch Resort to work on skills. Up-skiing, skinning technique, kick turns, coaching process, and group management in the environment were the menu for the day. For additional fun, Todd and Taylor were strapped into the Brooks Range rescue sleds and the instructors spent some time pulling them uphill and found another reason to avoid injury deep in the backcountry. Despite the lack of fresh snow, the group was able to develop and practice skills needed to take students off-piste. It goes to show that if you have a firm idea of what needs to be learned, you can find a venue to make it happen.

Working on some kick turns.

Morgan Brown enjoying the new split boards.

What's better than hauling one guy in a rescue sled?

Hauling two!

The view from the skin up.

Sleeping van passengers indicates a successful day in the field.

Mike Carlin and Eben Widlund took one instructor and 5 instructor candidates to the Guides Wall and Workout Wall in Smugglers Notch for a day of ice climbing. Despite 4 degree temperatures in the parking lot, the day turned into a very pleasant outing thanks in small part to the lack of wind. After a 20 minute walk up the road harness, helmets and crampons were donned to access the moderate angle ice of the Guides wall. A quick review of belay technique and everyone grabbed ice tools and started climbing. The group moved to progressively steeper sections of ice, finishing on the vertical terrain of the Workout Wall. Finally, it was time to head downhill as the light began to fade. While everyone found different challenges throughout the day, success in climbing was achieved, and fun was had by all.

That's one way to keep warm.

A great day of climbging in the Notch!

Want to sign up for an ice trip or a ski trip? Stop by the Wilderness Office in Alliot 204 to sign up for trips!

An Average Day Off in the Wilderness Program

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Michael's College Wilderness Program) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:05:00 +0000

After realizing that the office was humming along nicely and that the workload for the first week of classes was not overwhelming, climbing coordinator Mike Carlin and assistant director Eben Widlund decided that Wednesday, 1/16/13, would be a good day for conditions scouting and professional development in Smugglers Notch. In other words, they decided to go ice climbing and see how much damage last weeks thaw had done. A quick trip up the road revealed that all was not lost. The trail to the climb Grand Confusion was quickly dispatched and Eben lead the 70 meter, some what hollow, but climbable route. Mike quickly gained the top and the two decided to keep exploring. While Jefferson Slide had water running down one side, the center proud line was climbable, and Mike took the lead. Two pitches and a quick descent later, the two were, back on the road with plenty of time for mike to make it to class. Despite warm temperatures and melted conditions, Smugglers Notch is still world class ice climbing and only getting better.

Acadia Climbing Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Michael's College Wilderness Program) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 18:03:00 +0000

Over the long weekend we sent a group of students to beautiful Acadia National Park for two days of rock climbing and one day of hiking. Despite a little rain, everyone still had an awesome time in the unique, marine environment.
We spent our first day in the Precipice climbing area where we had beautiful weather and amazing views of the ocean from the top of the cliffs.

A unique approach to the climb.

Teaching moment.

WP Leader Mike Carlin giving some advice.

All smiles after an awesome climb.

The stone stair case.

Mike leading up a climb.

We woke up early on Saturday morning to watch an amazing sunrise over the ocean.

Sunday turned into a rainy day. Since it was too wet to climb we decided to explore some of the hiking areas on Mount Desert Island.

The Saltine Challege... Eben won.

Summiting in the rain.

Summit conga line.

Hiding from the rain in a cave.

Looking out over the ocean.

On our last day in Acadia we had the chance to climb at Otter Cliffs. Otter is directly on the ocean, meaning that we were climbing above the water all day. It's one of the most unique places the Wilderness Program sends participants.

Setting up the Sea stack.

Climbing the Sea Stack.

Looking down the Sea Stacks.

A pretty awesome place to eat lunch.

Watching out for waves.

WP Leaders Sarah Fox and Betsy Manero taking a lunch break in beautiful Acadia.

Stoked at the top of a climb.

As soon as the sun came out, we found some dry rock!

Group shot!

Looking over the edge of the Sea Stack.

As the tide went down we got to see more rock!

Watching out for algae.

Trad gear.

Even though it was super wet in the beginning of the day, we still found some awesome climbs!

WP Leader Mike Carlin look for a rope.

Check out that 'stache. You can vote for Mike's WP mustache dominance on our Facebook Page.

Yeah!

Thanks to all of our awesome participants and leaders!

Stop by our office Alliot 204 to sign up for trips!

A Long Weekend in Maine!

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Michael's College Wilderness Program) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 02:28:00 +0000

A few folks from the SMCWP community road-tripped it to Deer Isle, Maine over fall break for some action-packed paddling on the sea!

A beautiful lunch break in Bermuda?

Making dinner at the campsite after a long, cold day on the water.

Heading towards the sunshine!

Todd showing off his new hat and...his mustache.

Playing in the current.

Getting some sleep after 3 days of paddling on the long ride back to Saint Mike's.

A great way to get outside for the school break. Until next time, goodbye salt water!

A Rainy Weekend in the Field

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Michael's College Wilderness Program) — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 17:42:00 +0000

Even though the weather wasn't prime this weekend, the Wilderness Program still ran trips as scheduled. Our student instructors and clients had tons of fun despite the weather!

We ran an anchor building clinic on Saturday at Lower West Bolton. Despite cool temperatures and misty weather, 5 students and 1 faculty member joined senior Andy Hogan and assistant director Eben Widlund for a full day workshop on setting up top rope climbs and safely rappelling down them. Everyone had fun, stayed warm, and mostly dry.

Scoping out the tree to see if it's strong enough for an anchor.

WP Leader Andy Hogan teaching rappelling.

Coiling rope.

Working on the top of 5.7 Slab.

Thanks to WP Leader Andy Hogan for doing a great job with the clinic!

A group of students headed to Camel's Hump on Saturday and had a jolly good time in the rain.

Taking a break in the rain.

Summiting in the fog.

Is this a kayaking trip or a hiking trip?

There was still a view through the fog!

Celebrations at the summit!

There are still spots left on our trips this weekend! Stop by the Wilderness Office in Aliott 204 to sign up!

Mount Washington Overnight

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Michael's College Wilderness Program) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 12:50:00 +0000

We run some pretty cool trips with the Wilderness Program, one of the coolest being the Mount Washington overnight trip. A group of students had the opportunity to spend a night in beautiful Mount Washington Valley before driving up to Pinkham Notch early the next morning to hike one of New England's most famous peaks: Mount Washington.

Getting pumped in the parking lot.

Group shot early in the morning.

Taking a break from the grueling hike.

One of many amazing views.

Heading up the Lion's Head Trail.

It's a little known fact that WP Leader Harper Fendler was actually a child model for L.L. Bean

Photo bomb.

Are we there yet?

A chilly morning at the trail head.

Starting up Washington.

Making new friends.

Showing off their brute strength.

Blue steel.

Just getting some extra fiber.

A good looking group in front of a good looking view.

Looking into Tuckerman Ravine.

Ski trails in the background... Is it winter yet?

Aww.

Happy faces after finding an amazing view.

Why yes, the Wilderness Program is the coolest organization on campus.

Don't worry. The WP Leaders are on the case.

Group shot.

Looking into the famous bowl of Tuckerman Ravine.

Celebrating after a successful day in the mountains.

This is just one of the many awesome trips the Wilderness Program runs! Stop by our office in Alliot 204 to sign up today!

55 Students in the Field: That must be a new record.

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Michael's College Wilderness Program) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 12:49:00 +0000

That's right: this weekend our student instructors brought fifty-five students into the field! These students took part in climbing, kayaking, white water rafting and hiking in Vermont, New Hampshire and New York.

The weekend started out with a bouldering trip on Friday to Smuggler's Notch. Bouldering consists of shorter rock routes on large boulders, located close enough to the ground eliminating the need for a rope. We're lucky enough to have Smuggler's Notch, a prime location for bouldering, right in our back yard!

The Top Out

Reaching for a hold.

Pinching on the start.

Getting the final move.

Working on one of the classic problems in the Notch.

Making the crux move.

Almost at the top!

The crux move.

Smiles all around.

We sent a group of students to the Adirondacks for a day of white water rafting down the Hudson River. Even through the wind and rain, the group still had a great day of rafting!

The group getting outfitted with all the needed gear.

Enjoying the sun in the morning.

Saint Mike's students conquering a rock.

Taking a dip!

Taking a lunch break.

At least there was some good weather!

Thanks to John, our awesome rafting guide for the day!

Whoops...

A great day on the Hudson River!

An all female group of rock climbers went out for the day on Saturday to participate in our annual Women's Rock 101. Even though the group expected rain, it turned out to be a beautiful day at Bolton Valley.

Working her way up the chimney.

Two climbers working on the crux.

Another chimney climber.

Smiling after reaching the top.

Can you spot the climber?

Lunch break!

WP Leader Betsy Manero giving a climber the low down on rappelling.

WP Leader Kat Keane giving a rappelling example.

Getting ready to rappel.

Rappelling past some great foliage.

Rappelling... with an amazing view!

More rappelling...

What's more fun than going up? Coming down!

A great stance... She's ready to go down.

One climber on the corner and one in the face.

Thanks to our awesome guide, Andrea from Petra Cliffs!

A group of paddlers headed out to Lake Champlain on Saturday. Due to some high winds, the kayaker's took refuge in a protected river for the day.

Taking a paddle up the river to avoid the wind.

The typical kayaking shot. Very Artsy.

Kayaker enjoying the protection from the wind.

Learning some paddling technique from kayaking expert and WP Leader James Coolidge.

Taking a break.

Paddling around some sail boats.

Heading towards the bridge and back out into open water.

Sunday turned out to be a gorgeous day. A group of hikers headed over to Mount Mansfield for an awesome day in nature, even if there was a little wind on the summit!

Stopping for a photo op.

Hiding out in a cave.

A little windy on the summit.

Keeping warm through the wind.

Working their way up to the summit.

Almost at the summit.

Trying to stay out of the wind.

A group of paddlers went out on Sunday to run some rapids. They had a great time on the Lamoile River.

What a great group of kayakers!

Getting ready to launch.

Scoping out the rapids.

Waiting to run the rapids.

Hanging out in an eddy.

Running the rapids!

Getting after it!

Surfing every eddie!

A great job to all the paddlers who came out!

The group after a great day of kayaking.

Thanks to everyone who came out and participated in the program last weekend! Stop by Alliot 204 to sign up for trips! We'll have paddling, hiking and climbing trips all semester!

Kayaking Instructor Training

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Michael's College Wilderness Program) — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 00:57:00 +0000

We spend a lot of time doing behind the scenes training in the Wilderness Program. We had two awesome days of paddling in the past month: one on Champlain for sea kayaking and one on the Lamoille River to run rapids. Thanks to all the instructors who came out and participated!

Camden Latimer working on balance.

Betsy Manero working on paddling.

Camden shredding the lake.

The group moving out.

Gina Pandolfo being the boss.

Lauren McHatten shredding the gnar.

Taking a break in the eddie.

Betsy Manero running the river.

Derek Piette looking good.

A great move into the current.

Who needs boats?

Boats are for squares.

Group photo op.

Maine girls forever.

Moving out to the rapids.

Todd Wright: resident pro.

Lauren paddling to the eddie.

Emma Kast on her way.

Derek checking out a rock.

A big thanks to Harper Fendler for giving up some free time to work with the newbies!

Interested in going on a paddling trip? Stop by our office in Alliot 204 to sign up! We offer white water and sea kayaking!

First Weekend Out: "What a glorious day to be on a mountain!"

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Michael's College Wilderness Program) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 19:34:00 +0000

This past weekend we sent our first trips of the year into the field where they enjoyed the nice weather and fun was had by all. So much fun that Wilderness Leader Vicky Cooley couldn't help but exclaim "What a glorious day to be on a mountain!"

A stargazer hike went up Snake Mountain on Friday night to look for some stars and try to get a glance at the blue moon. Unfortunately the cloud cover made it hard to see the sky, but on the bright side the group did get to see a lot of toads!

The group looking for some stars at the summit.

Luckily, wilderness leader and yoga lover Gina Pandolfo was around to lead the group some late night yoga!

Gina leading the group in some late night yoga.

Wilderness leader Emma Kast doing a forward fold on the summit of Snake.

The clouds that the stargazers saw on their trip rolled out on Saturday, giving our first sea kayaking trip of the year some awesome weather out on Lake Champlain where they spent the day exploring.

Exploring Lake Champlain.

Resting on some rocks before getting back out on the water.

The group taking in the sunshine.

Wilderness Leader Harper Fendler enjoying the day.

The group out on the water.

It was also a glorious day to be on a lake!

Harper taking in the view.

Our first rock trip also took in the nice weather at Upper West Bolton where they spent the day climbing.

A rock climber working out the crux.

Rock climber getting ready to be lowered after a successful climb.

Thumbs up!

On belay.

Working out the corner.

On Sunday, a group of hikers went out and took in some amazing views of the Green Mountains. It was these amazing views that Vicky Cooley described as "glorious" and I think we can all understand why!

Checking out the Green Mountains.

Wilderness Leader Grey Switzer leading his group up to the summit.

Approaching in the summit of Jay.

"What a glorious day to be on a mountain!" -Victoria Cooley

Interested in leading trips for the program? Come to our informational meeting on Wednesday at 6 pm in the Vermont Room!

Or stop by the Wilderness Office in Alliot 204 to sign up for trips!

Wilderness Orientation Weekend 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Saint Michael's College Wilderness Program) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 21:08:00 +0000

Welcome back for another year at Saint Michael's College! This summer, the Wilderness Program continued our tradition of leading Wilderness Orientation Trips, also known as WOWs, for the incoming freshmen by bringing them out for a fun-filled weekend of hiking, rocking climbing, kayaking and getting to know one another!

The incoming freshmen mingling in some pre-trip ice breakers.

Backpackers hanging out in Devil's Gulch.

Backpackers finding a summit.

Backpackers taking a dinner break.

Day hikers hanging out at the trailhead.

Day hikers enjoying a hearty dinner.

Multisport tackling some rocks.

Multisport summiting Snake Mountain.

Multisport descending Snake Mountain.

Sea kayaking making the most of the beautiful weather on Champlain.

Sea kayaking taking in a sunset on Champlain.

Sunset paddle.

Sea kayakers relaxing after a day on the water.

Multisport celebrating after reaching the summit of Snake Mountain.

Multisport enjoying a day of climbing at Lake Dunmore.

Multisporter rappelling down to a climb.

Rock climber nearing the top of the Echo Lake Cliffs.

Rock climber learning to crack climb at Echo.

Enjoying the climbs a Echo.

Rocking climber finding his way up at Rumney in New Hampshire.

White water instructor Joe showing off.

White water kayaker making the most of the rapids.

White water kayakers taking a break.

Back packers showing off their WOW spirit.

Back packers on the summit of Camel's Humps.

Backpackers taking a break to take in the view.

Stop by the Wilderness office in Alliot 204 to sign up for trips. We're offering hiking, climbing and both white water and sea kayaking trips this semester!