The 22nd Leadership Training expedition is off to a terrific start with veteran leaders Ken and Amanda reporting that this year's class of students are "All Awesome!" With some students having as many as 4 Longacre summers under their belt, and most having at least 2, our expectations are high for expedition.
We must admit the travel day consisted of some minor snafus-lost luggage and 2 incredibly early and unexpected arrivals, but Ken and Amanda were on top of the situation and have remained so ever since. Upon departing Denver, the trip headed to the banks of the mighty Arkansas and Canyon City. The 2 day Wilderness First Aid course with Remote Rescue was an engaging hands on class with a wide range of topics including: checking vitals, splinting limbs, evacuation procedures, and "scene" safety. On day 2 they were put to the test. The group boarded their rafts and headed down the Arkansas for the first of many rafting trips. They were enjoying a terrific sunny day on the river when the stumbled upon a rafting accident that had been stage by Remote Rescue, with rafting guides acting as patients/victims. Our fearless Leaders-in-Training bravely came to rescue putting their new found skills to work. Fortunately, all patients and rescuers survived. Additionally, I am proud to say that everyone successfully passed the written test and earned the coveted WFA status. Additional good news is that I can personally guarantee there will be no more written tests for the next 25 days or so. This day was also trip leader Ken's birthday and the celebrated with song and chocolate cake.
The group is currently in the midst of their mountaineering section. With record snow pack Ken and Amanda scouted out a terrific course for our kids during the pre-season and they should enjoy all the benefits of the unusually high late season snow. Running belays, picking and kicking, self arrests and glissading will all be a part of snow school schedule for tomorrow. Today the group headed up the trail near Poverty Gulch and have plans to attempt the summits of Mt. Augusta and Mt.Garfield while in the backcountry. They will also make their way to Blue Lake for some alpine swimming. Apparently, there has been talk of forming some type of "Polar Bear Club" which can involve swimming with icebergs.
Unfortunately, we have not been able to get many photos from this trip due to the remote nature of the program. In fact we have just 2 thus far, and we vow to get more to you shortly. This program usually provides us with the best photos of the summer and with the snow-capped peaks looming over this program area, we expect more of the same. You can follow the program by: subscribing to this blog, "Liking us" on Facebook, viewing our photos on Picasa, and following us on Twitter. If that doesn't make any sense to you, you are not alone, and can always email or give us a call. Hope you are all well.
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