So its nearly two weeks after the trip and everyone is still talking about it. It was a long long drive to get there but well worth the time spent. Jared and i were the only ones who got checked off the drive the fun bus and driving it was an adventure in itself. Especially the dirt road we had to take to get to the cabin. We managed to almost completely cover the van in mud and the inside didn't look to much better. This probably had something to do with the weather, rainy and wet. It pretty much rained the whole time we were on this trip but i think that added to everything. I was glad that we made the executive decision 3 days before to bag the canoeing since the weather was so crappy. Instead we spent a lot of time exploring and hiking.
We were greeted by a herd of deer when we finally arrived. To all of our amazement they came right up to us and ate out of our hands. So as you can imagine the rest of the trip was spent playing with the deer and checking out other wild life.
On the Saturday we did our big hike. We summited Big Squaw mtn which is a ski resort. It was neat seeing all the big ski equipment sitting idly waiting for the snow. As we got higher we started to enter into the clouds. When we finally reached the summit it was really cold and wet. On the way back down we had some great falls. The fall of the day went to Julia right at the top where she tripped landed on her side and started rolling down the hill. Jared had to chase her down to finally stop her. It was definitely something i will never forget.
The rest of the time was spent by the fire or around the surrounding woods in Tom Heagan point. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and everyone came back with some great memories. I look forward to the time where i can get back out to Moose Head Lake when the weather is better to kayak and hike some more.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
mt Kineo
This mtn that we are planning to summit has a history as adventurous as our trip. Mt Kineo was 
created just like all the other mountains in the North East. The giant glacier that moved ot the Atlantic ocean. Because of this movement it created a gentle slope on the northern side of the mountains and a far steeper chipped off rock slope on the southern side. This is clearly the case and is very evident in mt Kineo. Mt Kineo took many names from its Native American Habitats. It was a well loved place as it could over look the whole of the massive lake it shores. As our American history progressed and the white settlers took more and more land, mt Kineo finally made its way into the hands of the settlers. Soon enough they had a small tavern on the mountain which grew into a large hotel. The old 
hotel was said to be able to seat 400 people for dinner and would house the V.I.P.s of Teddy Roosevelt and other international prestigious figures. While one Russian Princess was enjoying her time on mt Kineo she received a letter of rejection from her fiance. She threw her self off the cliff in depression and the rumor has it that her and the native Americans still haunt the mountain to this day. Shortly after her death the Hotel burned down, and other attempts to construct all failed. Mt Kineo remains to be a mysterious and awesome place. Its location and sights make it ideal for hikers and nature lovers alike. the trail head starts right form the beach making it ideal to get to by boat. However if you don't have those means of transportation you can still get to it by car but expect to walk a lot extra. Its another mile to the trail head from the first gate. Our group is excited to tackle some of the Native American trails running up the steep part of the mountain as well as taking the more mellow longer trail down and around to snag some spectacular views and see some awesome wildlife.
created just like all the other mountains in the North East. The giant glacier that moved ot the Atlantic ocean. Because of this movement it created a gentle slope on the northern side of the mountains and a far steeper chipped off rock slope on the southern side. This is clearly the case and is very evident in mt Kineo. Mt Kineo took many names from its Native American Habitats. It was a well loved place as it could over look the whole of the massive lake it shores. As our American history progressed and the white settlers took more and more land, mt Kineo finally made its way into the hands of the settlers. Soon enough they had a small tavern on the mountain which grew into a large hotel. The old 
hotel was said to be able to seat 400 people for dinner and would house the V.I.P.s of Teddy Roosevelt and other international prestigious figures. While one Russian Princess was enjoying her time on mt Kineo she received a letter of rejection from her fiance. She threw her self off the cliff in depression and the rumor has it that her and the native Americans still haunt the mountain to this day. Shortly after her death the Hotel burned down, and other attempts to construct all failed. Mt Kineo remains to be a mysterious and awesome place. Its location and sights make it ideal for hikers and nature lovers alike. the trail head starts right form the beach making it ideal to get to by boat. However if you don't have those means of transportation you can still get to it by car but expect to walk a lot extra. Its another mile to the trail head from the first gate. Our group is excited to tackle some of the Native American trails running up the steep part of the mountain as well as taking the more mellow longer trail down and around to snag some spectacular views and see some awesome wildlife. Joe
information used from :
McLeod, John (04/08/2008 ). Hiking Mt Kineo ~ Moosehead Lake Region . Retrieved October 21, 2008, from The Moose Head Lake region of Maine Web site: http://www.moosehead.net/hiking/kineo.html
its all coming together
So our group came to a conclusion of what we are going to do and all the pieces are coming together wonderfully for the most part. We are planning to go up to moose head lake with some canoes and outdoor gear to paddle, see some nature and just generally test our physical limitations in the colder weather. It is sure to be an adventure getting to such a secluded large lake in the first place let alone staying there for a weekend. This trip does add to several safety concerns however that we must be worried about. To me these concerns add to the trip as long as everyone cautious and down to earth about the true risks at hand. We are planning to start our trip by driving from UNH to moose head lake in Maine on Friday night the 14Th of November. The drive should be 4-5 hours so we will be arriving late. So by the time we set ourselves up in the cabin. get some food and prep for our next day it will be time for bed. Saturday is going to be our paddle day. We will paddle from Tom Headen Point to Sociation Bay. 
This bay is notorious for its nature and wildlife so we plan on hanging out on the shores for a while to take it all in. From there we will continue our paddle to Farmers island where we will be making ourselves a hot lunch. After that we will complete the triangle and head back to Tom Headen point where our cabin is. From there we will be able to debrief on the day play some card games eat dinner, hang out and relax. On Sunday we are going to be getting transportation by to Mt Kineo. We plan on summiting this mountain and then continuing on the nature walk down and around the other side to pebble beach. We will then get transportation back to our car and head back to UNH. The trip details are coming together very well. The group seems to all be generally excited about this trip. However it is frustrating to see only a few people come to the last couple meetings. This is something we are working through and I'm sure will be fixed soon. So now that we have gotten this all figured out here is the rest of our to do list:
This bay is notorious for its nature and wildlife so we plan on hanging out on the shores for a while to take it all in. From there we will continue our paddle to Farmers island where we will be making ourselves a hot lunch. After that we will complete the triangle and head back to Tom Headen point where our cabin is. From there we will be able to debrief on the day play some card games eat dinner, hang out and relax. On Sunday we are going to be getting transportation by to Mt Kineo. We plan on summiting this mountain and then continuing on the nature walk down and around the other side to pebble beach. We will then get transportation back to our car and head back to UNH. The trip details are coming together very well. The group seems to all be generally excited about this trip. However it is frustrating to see only a few people come to the last couple meetings. This is something we are working through and I'm sure will be fixed soon. So now that we have gotten this all figured out here is the rest of our to do list:-Budget
-map to cabin
-map to nearest hospital from cabin
-trip planning paper work
-get maps of lake
-Menu planning
-Emergency contacts
-gear list forms
at this point in time we are having meetings every Wednesday night at 11:15 in our lounge so hopefully this to do list will shrink drastically with in the next week. till next time
peace
Joe
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
getting the team together
On Thursday September 11th our group was formed. As the cluster of us started talking, still a little and tentative from first impressions, we realized we had no idea what we wanted to do for our adventure. We came up with several great ideas and started to get to know each other a little better.
the Browne Center at the University Of New Hampshire. It was raining and cold. I was excited and nervous getting on the bus. I know several shared my emotions and others had the complete opposite, tired and upset that they had to leave the warm dry bed of theirs. We Started out with some low rope problems. Everyone seemed a wee bit tentative and skeptical of what was going on.
Slowly everyone stepped up and the problem was solved. It was really cool to see the whole class working together to solve a single problem even as simple as a low ropes element. People started cheering up and having more fun regardless of the wet and cold.
After lunch we moved to high ropes elements. We split into our adventure groups. We all had to work together to finish these problems with an added element of being 20-40 feet in the air. Our group seemed to click and got everything done
with every single person. It was a neat thing to experience the bonding of a group of people.
On that Sunday the 14th the whole class went to
the Browne Center at the University Of New Hampshire. It was raining and cold. I was excited and nervous getting on the bus. I know several shared my emotions and others had the complete opposite, tired and upset that they had to leave the warm dry bed of theirs. We Started out with some low rope problems. Everyone seemed a wee bit tentative and skeptical of what was going on.
Slowly everyone stepped up and the problem was solved. It was really cool to see the whole class working together to solve a single problem even as simple as a low ropes element. People started cheering up and having more fun regardless of the wet and cold.After lunch we moved to high ropes elements. We split into our adventure groups. We all had to work together to finish these problems with an added element of being 20-40 feet in the air. Our group seemed to click and got everything done
with every single person. It was a neat thing to experience the bonding of a group of people.By the end of the day everyone was left in a great mood. Our group had had such a good time together and we were excited to get on planning with our next adventure.
All though we still might not know what we are doing we have taken one big step in preparation. We trust our teammates and have faith that we are all going to do what needs to get done to make this a successful adventure.
till next time
Joe
Monday, September 29, 2008
Adventure
What is adventure? this question has kept out class in debate for several weeks now. After all these discussions, arguments, fights, make-ups, and more discussion i think we have all discovered that adventure is what you want it to be. Just like every person is different everyone is going to have a different idea of adventure. To me adventure needs to have a risk involved. Adventure needs to include both a mental and physical aspect in the activity and adventure.
For example in the picture here from my recent adventure to Acadia i am bouldering a fairly technical problem. There is a chance of injury if i fall, also I'm having to use lots of physical strength to pull myself up, as well as go through the mental thinking of figuring out what exactly i need to do to make it up to the top. Adventure can take many different forms. I consider many things an adventure. Anything from meeting new people to summiting a mountain. In the following weeks i hope you will enjoy my teams and I's quest to plan and execute a great adventure.
So in the closing enjoy some more pictures form past adventures i have had.
Peace
Joe
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