The River Song

And now, ladies and gentlemen, the world-wide debut of “The River Song” as composed by Edie (aka Fred) and performed by the GOA Players last June on the Willamette Canoe expedition. Enjoy!

The River S-o-o-o-ong

Ready For The White Stuff?

"Hey, come here for a second..."

It’s looking very much like there’s going to be lows in the teens and the possibility of snow in Portland this weekend! While the Utah contingent in the GOA offices has greeted this news with eye-rolls and barely-stifled yawns, the locals seem to be pretty excited. When it’s all said and done, though, we’ll all take any break from the rain-drone we can get.

So if the flakes should fly, make the best of it while it lasts! Get out there and make some snow peeps, (or maybe even that whole snow-entourage you’ve been dreaming of), pelt someone in the back of their fool noggin with a (nice, fluffy) snowball, build an icy fortress of solitude–whatever, just so you get out and do what you can to enjoy this rare opportunity.

We got up on the mountain yesterday and stomped around in the snow with YEI and had ourselves a blast. Great group, great kids, great times!

This Land is Whose Land?

It’s Armistice Day, and if you have the day off, a great day to get outside and explore (what day isn’t a great day for outdoor adventure?). I’m not sure what to think when I hear that the Forest Service and BLM have relaxed usage fees for our public land today in an effort to encourage veterans to enjoy the land they fought for. Should we be grateful to our great father in Washington for letting us walk on our land without charging us money? Should we consider the difficult position of these federal land management agencies whose budgets have been decimated in the last decade so that, impoverished, they shake down citizens who dare to use public land? I find it difficult to believe that if this country can bail out huge corporate banks that we can’t also manage our public lands with funds from the community chest. Should we get all civil disobedient and walk our land, refusing to pay the parking fees within 100 meters of trailheads that  have been so controversial in the last few years?  I don’t really know the answer. The BLM and Forest Service do get a lot of abuse when Libertarian ire rises in people like myself who love to walk the land, but hate paying fees beyond the taxes already paid when there’s no transparent benefit. But these federal agencies, as feeble in preservation and complicit in selling resources to business interests as they may seem to environmentalists, are the only thing standing between our mountains, deserts and rivers and the kind of criminal theft and sale of resources that goes on in Siberia. So when I get all turned around like this, I like to think of the words one of my heroes, Woody Guthrie. You can listen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaI5IRuS2aE

I’m sure of this–if it’s not easy and affordable to access our public land, the public will stay away; the public will forget the wonderful lessons of wilderness. And when people don’t value something, they turn it into a strip mall.

Coyote Sighting!

I stopped by my friend the house of my friend, Frank, last week, just in time to hear his neighbor report a coyote sighting in front of the house on Northeast 61st avenue. It’s always great to hear about wildlife sightings in the middle of the city. Hemmed in by two freeways, as you can see from the map, there are wild beasts like the wiley coyote looking for food. A couple of years ago, there was coyote found on the lightrail train at the airport. It was curled up on a hard plastic seat, getting warm on a cold night. After I hearing about the train-hopping coyote, I kept an eye out every time I rode the train to or from a flight. Early one cold morning I remember riding the train home from an early flight and as my car rounded a huge blackberry hedge, I caught sight of a big, fluffy coyote as he pounced to flush a ground squirrel. He looked as unique as each coyote I’ve ever seen up close. This one had a big, light brown cape of thick fur, appearing well-fed on squirrels, birds and cats. That blackberry hedge is gone now, built over by the slice of suburbia plopped down next to the airport–it’s where the Ikea store is. I suppose I would feel differently about the coyote if I grew up on a sheep ranch, but I didn’t. I still feel a sense of kin with this creature who survives in the cracks of wilderness between the paved over city scape.

Torren on the Radio

Gerard’s recent interview on KBOO featured the following piece recorded by Torren on our ‘08 expedition to Olympic National Park. Great job, Torren, and thanks a lot!

The Torren Report

My Side of the Mountain

We’ve been waxing nostalgic around the office today, recalling the book (and film) “My Side of the Mountain” by Jean Craighead George (the link is to Amazon, where, apparently, you can buy the book for as little as one penny). The tale follows the adventures of young Sam Gribley as he runs away from home to the Catskills, lives in a hollow tree, and ends up BFF’s with a falcon and a weasel.

We all read a lot of books and saw a lot of movies growing up, but this one really stuck with us for some reason. It’s really inspiring and empowering for one thing. The idea of running off and living in the wilderness with no bossy grownups around must be universally appealing to kids.

Anyway, it might be below most of your reading levels, but it’s worth a look. Maybe give it a quick read and pass it on to a younger sibling or something?

Eating Centipedes on Mount Adams

South side approach to Mt Adams

Last week I thought a lot about the hiker who was lost on Mt. Adams. Search teams had been looking for him for five days without luck when a dog team finally discovered him alive on the Round the Mountain Trail.  When 27 year-old Derek Mamoyac’s car was found at the Cold Springs trailhead, local news outlets reported (probably after interviewing his family) that he often struck out alone because he didn’t know anyone who could keep up with him.

The romantic thrill of solo adventure has its precedent in heroes of my own. An image of John Muir comes to mind. He tosses a couple of bags of tea and some biscuits in a scarf, ties it around a stick, rests it across his shoulder and charges off into the Sierra. I think of my own foolish adventures hitch hiking through the American west, sighting distant mountains from the highway and letting wanderlust get the better of me as I sauntered off through high pastures until hitting treeline just before dark; the last thing I can make out on the trail is the paw print of a bit cat.

Age helps clarify youthful desire for solitude in the wild. The hardest thing to hear about when there’s a search on for a hiker is the predicament of the family and friends who are waiting for news. The anguished stress in their voices as they relate their hopes and fears is almost too much to hear. It was quite a surprise when the young man was found alive on Mt Adams. He reported that when he ran out of food, eating centipedes and drinking from streams kept him alive and impressed his rescuers with his strong spirit. His family might be impressed if he takes a few more precautions next time he heads out alone, which he probably will. I know I would–I still hike alone on occasion, but reel in my ambitions compared to hiking, climbing, skiing, adventuring with a team.

Comical Camper Comments

According to lovetheoutdoors.com, these are actual comments left on U. S. Forest Service registration sheets and comment cards by backpackers completing wilderness camping trips:

“A small deer came into my camp and stole my bag of pickles. Is there a way I can get reimbursed? Please call.”

“Escalators would help on steep uphill sections.”

“Instead of a permit system or regulations, the Forest Service needs to reduce worldwide population growth to limit the number of visitors to wilderness.”

“Trails need to be wider so people can walk while holding hands.”

“Ban walking sticks in wilderness. Hikers that use walking sticks are more likely to chase animals.”

“Found a smoldering cigarette left by a horse.”

“Trails need to be reconstructed. Please avoid building trails that go uphill.”

“Too many bugs and leeches and spiders and spider webs. Please spray the wilderness to rid the area of these pests.”

“Please pave the trails so they can be plowed of snow in the winter.”

“Chair lifts need to be in some places so that we can get to wonderful views without having to hike to them.”

“The coyotes made too much noise last night and kept me awake. Please eradicate these annoying animals.”

“Reflectors need to be placed on trees every 50 feet so people can hike at night with flashlights.”

“Need more signs to keep area pristine.”

“A McDonald’s would be nice at the trailhead.”

“The places where trails do not exist are not well marked.”

“Too many rocks in the mountains.”

We’d like to think some of these people were joking, but you never know.

Caldera People

I want to thank the expedition team from Mt Scott Learning Center for taking a chance on the weather (which turned out to be superb) and making the Central Oregon Expedition a memorable adventure.  Almost no one escaped without at least a mild cold, but there was so many high points to the weekend–clear skies filled with uncountable stars, otter sightings, solitude in the forest, exploring the ancient volcano of Fort Rock, one-chord songs on an out of tune guitar around the campfire–I could go on and on and on. We’re looking forward to another camping trip on the coast in the spring. A special thanks to Julie and Kyle who gave up their weekend to spend extra time with Mt Scott students. There are a ton of great photos on the gallery page of the GOA website (GreatOutdoorsAcademy.org), so have a look if you dare.

A Preview of Our Upcoming Mag

Just wanted to share some of the writing we’ll be featuring in our upcoming third edition of The Expedition Journal, the nation’s only magazine featuring young people’s nature writing. Do you have a tale of adventure or reflection to tell? Drop us a line here and we’ll set you on the write track–ha, get it?

The river’s flowing melody, the rustle of the breeze through the leaves.
The churring, chirping, and singing of the birds.
All a part of nature’s hidden melody, unheard by the loud, the carefree, and the ignorant. Only in man’s utter silences does mother nature truly sing.

The sun’s shimmer on the water, the leaves dancing in the wind.
The ripples of the grass on the windswept plains.
The swooping of the birds and the bugs.
All the dust flowing in the gust.
All a step in nature’s dance.

–Eric