Monday September 17th:
This day three of the group’s members arrived in the great city of Santiago, Chile. Josh had arrived the morning before and was standing outside of customs with Claudia and Manuel. Claudia is our guide while we are in the Santiago and Manuel is her husband (note the difference between Manuel, Claudia’s husband, and Manwell, the C.O.R.E. mascot). Tommy and Jen arrived in Santiago and prepared to meet the rest of the group with the welcoming committee, but soon learned that only Izzy would be arriving today, Eric D, Eric O, L.B., and Walker’s flight was cancelled so the whole rest of the crew would be arriving, together, the next morning. It was definitely an adventure getting to Santiago. Manwell rode the whole way on Jen’s carry-on bag; it was an adventure for him too. The four musketeers went to Claudia’s house for some breakfast and had many questions answered about Chilean life. It is Chile’s independence week so there were not many cars on the street and not many people out. After breakfast she took them to their hostel, Hostel Oveja Negra (the black sheep), and the four of them took a nice afternoon nap. Around 2:30 she picked them up again and they went to an Independence Day fair at a local park. They really got to experience Chilean culture there. They each got chicken or meat on a stick and sat down to watch a Navy reenactment of a significant battle in Chilean history. After they were finished with the fair they went to a huge grocery store called Jumbo, which is actually a supermarket, construction store, and a mall all in one enormous building. They went out to dinner to a Chilean/Mexican restaurant that was DELICIOUS! One interesting thing that they noticed was that the Chilean people eat really late… they finished dinner around 10:00pm and it was at that time that the restaurant was the busiest! They went back to the hostel and crashed for the night ready to see the rest of the group in the morning.
Tuesday September 18th:
This morning the rest of the group arrived and the team was now complete! Unfortunately, thanks to the Gunnison Airport, Casey and Drew’s bags did not arrive with them, but whose mood could be ruined by such news when you first arrive in a new country! It was also great to see the arrival of their fearless leaders, Mark and Nick. The group seemed a little antsy so they decided to take a walk up the hill right outside their hostel called Santa Lucia. It’s a hill in the middle of the city that contains remnants of a castle. It’s really neat but they have been told not to go there at night, apparently if you do you might come back broke and naked. Around 3:00pm they went to lunch/dinner at an authentic Chilean restaurant. They sat down and immediately received wine, bread, beer, pisco, and empanadas. (Pisco is a very common drink in Chile, Claudia says that if you want to experience some Chilean culture, get a Pisco at every restaurant and taste the differences). When it was time to order they got a choice of salmon, beef, pork, or chicken. When the food came it was exactly that, a hunk of meat or fish on a plate. The restaurant was so confident in the taste of the entrée they did not feel the need to provide side items, but let me tell you it was DELICIOUS!! They went back to the hostel and got ready for their evening out, they were going to a place called La Yein Fonda! (in Spanish a Fonda is a party so this place was like a play on words for Jane Fonda). It was a very interesting place. They paid about $20 USD for a night of some very different music. Four bands played that night and apparently they were some of the top recording artists in Chile! Even though no one understood the songs they danced the night away and got a true taste of Chilean culture.
Wednesday September 19th:
They woke up leisurely in the morning and that afternoon they met up with Claudia, Manuel, and their son Diego. Diego taught them how to use the subway system so they went to check out where their language school was. After strolling through the streets of Santiago and stopping for lunch, they made their way back to the hostel. That night they thought it would be nice to have a good time at the hostel. The family who owns the hostel was there so the group prepared them dinner and played some popular American songs for them. Everyone danced and had a great time, then at the stroke of midnight we celebrated the birthday of Casey Davis! Happy Birthday Casey!
Thursday September 20th:
Today they woke up bright and early and started their day with a visit to the presidential palace. They were able to see the changing of the guards, which I believe was because the president of Chile was coming. They toured the palace and learned a lot of information about the history of Chile and the way their government works. After they were done with the palace they walked around a small museum that had a display of different kinds of handy crafts from the different regions of Chile. Once they were done there they were off to their first day of language school. The group learned some important vocabulary words and phrases that would help them communicate on a very basic level for the time being. After a short snack break, they learned the basics of the country and culture of Chile, such as how the country is divided and some of the unique characteristics of each region. Nick did his best to be our translator for the teachers because they were reluctant to speak any English to the group; immersion is the key to language success! After language school was done the group split up, some went back to the hostel and the others went food shopping. A little while later, the group that went shopping came home only to give us the news that Albee got his pocket picked on the subway. It was a real eye-opener for the rest of the group and everyone has been very conscientious of their belongings since then.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Adventure 1: Part 2 River Trip
Friday September 7th:
Directly after their adventures in Crawford the group was on their way to Dinosaur National Monument for a four day raft trip. First stop: Grand Junction. They went to REI and then made a stop for lunch/dinner at the note worthy Golden Corral. It is an all you can eat buffet place and the food, you could say, was less then excellent. If remembered correctly, there were even a few people asleep on the floor trying to digest their food so they could eat more.
As they were leaving they passed a Salvation Army and decided that, since the last night on the river was a costume party, they needed costumes. After ravaging through the store everyone was able to come out with some kind of costume. As we were leaving Justin Albee found the perfect C.O.R.E mascot. He’s some kind of donkey… or maybe a dog… but anyway they call him Manwell Jorge Rodriguez. He is C.O.R.E.s 16th member, and if you watch closely you will find him on all of our adventures. He was tied to the hood of the car and then they were off!
So, the group was on the road again and only about an hour away from their destination for the evening they were pulled over for a routine traffic stop. Unfortunately, the lights on the trail were out and only the blinkers and the break lights were working. The officer let them off with a warning and we drove to the nearest camp ground to try and fix the problem. While Albee was hard at work trying to get the lights on the trailer to work correctly the rest of the group practiced their slack line abilities on a thin pipe that circled the campground. Walker and Casey were the ones who made it the farthest. 20 minutes later the group was off again.
They finally pulled into their campground around 11:00pm; the group set up camp and got ready for 4 days on the river.
Saturday September 8th:
Today the grouped helped Adrift Adventures get all their boats situated. Manwell was transferred to the front of Josh’s kayak for the day’s river adventures.
Their take off point was through the Gates of Ladore, the scenery was incredible. A couple of hours later they arrived at their camp ground, Pot Creek 2. They set up their camp, prepared dinner and then relaxed for the evening. The beach was really nice, not too windy, and the stars were amazing!
Sunday September 9th:
The team woke up, ate breakfast, and packed up the boats. They were off for day 2 of their adventure. Today the group prepared themselves for the two roughest rapids that they would see for the entire trip, Triplet and Hell’s Half Mile. They stopped at a nice beach and Mark taught them a very critical skill in desert survival, how to catch a lizard with a piece of grass. After Lizard Lassoing they ate lunch and went on a really cool waterfall hike. For some of them, getting to stand under fresh running water was a life saver (for them and the group, there are some stinky kids!). They got back on their boats and continued towards their final destination for the evening, Wild Mountain. The evening was spent sending problems (a.k.a. rock climbing/bouldering), drumming, and doing nifty tricks off of a little sand dune. Once again it was a great night.
Monday September 10th:
This day was packed FULL of excitement! After breakfast the group got on their way. After a short while down the river they beached the boats and went on a hike to a plateau where you could see for miles down the canyon. It was really amazing. Once they got back on the boats Chris, the head raft guide and manager of Adrift Adventures, told them that they were to zip their mouths and throw away the key. The next 6 miles were to be a silent float. This gave everyone a chance to look at the scenery and just take it all in. At the end of the 6 miles the group entered Echo Park, a huge canyon at the confluence of the Yampa and the Green. Your echo’s lasted forever! Mark even pulled out a drum and started rocking out, it was really cool. When they got through Echo Park the group stopped and Chris explained that this was where the Yampa River meets the Green River. It was really amazing to see the two kinds of water collide; the Yampa was a lot clearer than the Green and also noticeably warmer. They went down the river a little ways and stopped for lunch. Dustin had them all sit in a circle so he could give a Dam Yampa speech… haha. But really, it is something he is very passionate about. He explained to them that the Yampa is the last major free flowing river in the Colorado River System and that the future of the entire Colorado River System depends on maintaining the health of the Yampa. If a dam was constructed on the Yampa the health of all of the rivers in the Colorado River System would deteriorate exponentially and the scenery they enjoyed so much would be lost forever. The day concluded at a campsite called Jones Hole. There the group went on the longest hike of the trip. They experienced two waterfalls and received a brief history on the Freemont Indians while viewing some pictographs leftover on the canyon walls from years ago. The first waterfall that they went to was just a small one, but you could walk all the way underneath is and it was COLD! The second fall was Butt Dam falls, this one was especially interesting because you could sit at the top and stop the water with your butt and then someone would stand under where the water came out, and as soon as it built up you let it go and the person at the bottom would get pounded with water. They went back to camp to find Jambalaya ready to eat. Because it was the last night on the river you were required to be in costume to get dinner. So everyone dressed up and the party started. There was drumming and dancing and fun all around. And then came dessert….. It was, you could say, strawberry shortcake river style. One would hold their mouth open and head back while a square of cake, strawberry, and whip cream were shoved into your mouth by Elvis, John Wayne and Sister Markenna (Nick, Albee, and Mark, respectively). The challenge was that you could not use your hands to finish it. The cake was in honor of our guide Chris, because it was his birthday. The night ended with a pounding drum circle and a roaring campfire.
Tuesday September 11th:
Today the group went through the longest and flattest stretch of river EVER! It is called Island Park. It was really slow, but many members of the group were able to have a turn at guiding the oarboats. It was really cool that Adrift let people row the boats as much as they did, and I am sure the guides enjoyed the break also!. While the group was in Island Park it seemed as though there was a car in the river, and as they got closer it was true! There was a Ford Bronco stuck, stuck, stuck in the river bed. During a stop they informed some park rangers who took off to take care of the eyesore on an otherwise pristine river. They ended the day at the take out point and helped pack up all the gear on the trailers. They got back to Adrift’s warehouse and helped them clean boats, organize the warehouse, and get everything ready to sit through another winter in Utah. It was really a great trip! They took off from the warehouse around 8:00pm; it took about 6 hours to get home… The finally arrived at Western around 2:00am, what a long day! The group dispersed, and for most of them they would not see each other again until they arrived in Santiago! Their adventures had truly begun.
Directly after their adventures in Crawford the group was on their way to Dinosaur National Monument for a four day raft trip. First stop: Grand Junction. They went to REI and then made a stop for lunch/dinner at the note worthy Golden Corral. It is an all you can eat buffet place and the food, you could say, was less then excellent. If remembered correctly, there were even a few people asleep on the floor trying to digest their food so they could eat more.
As they were leaving they passed a Salvation Army and decided that, since the last night on the river was a costume party, they needed costumes. After ravaging through the store everyone was able to come out with some kind of costume. As we were leaving Justin Albee found the perfect C.O.R.E mascot. He’s some kind of donkey… or maybe a dog… but anyway they call him Manwell Jorge Rodriguez. He is C.O.R.E.s 16th member, and if you watch closely you will find him on all of our adventures. He was tied to the hood of the car and then they were off!
So, the group was on the road again and only about an hour away from their destination for the evening they were pulled over for a routine traffic stop. Unfortunately, the lights on the trail were out and only the blinkers and the break lights were working. The officer let them off with a warning and we drove to the nearest camp ground to try and fix the problem. While Albee was hard at work trying to get the lights on the trailer to work correctly the rest of the group practiced their slack line abilities on a thin pipe that circled the campground. Walker and Casey were the ones who made it the farthest. 20 minutes later the group was off again.
They finally pulled into their campground around 11:00pm; the group set up camp and got ready for 4 days on the river.
Saturday September 8th:
Today the grouped helped Adrift Adventures get all their boats situated. Manwell was transferred to the front of Josh’s kayak for the day’s river adventures.
Their take off point was through the Gates of Ladore, the scenery was incredible. A couple of hours later they arrived at their camp ground, Pot Creek 2. They set up their camp, prepared dinner and then relaxed for the evening. The beach was really nice, not too windy, and the stars were amazing!
Sunday September 9th:
The team woke up, ate breakfast, and packed up the boats. They were off for day 2 of their adventure. Today the group prepared themselves for the two roughest rapids that they would see for the entire trip, Triplet and Hell’s Half Mile. They stopped at a nice beach and Mark taught them a very critical skill in desert survival, how to catch a lizard with a piece of grass. After Lizard Lassoing they ate lunch and went on a really cool waterfall hike. For some of them, getting to stand under fresh running water was a life saver (for them and the group, there are some stinky kids!). They got back on their boats and continued towards their final destination for the evening, Wild Mountain. The evening was spent sending problems (a.k.a. rock climbing/bouldering), drumming, and doing nifty tricks off of a little sand dune. Once again it was a great night.
Monday September 10th:
This day was packed FULL of excitement! After breakfast the group got on their way. After a short while down the river they beached the boats and went on a hike to a plateau where you could see for miles down the canyon. It was really amazing. Once they got back on the boats Chris, the head raft guide and manager of Adrift Adventures, told them that they were to zip their mouths and throw away the key. The next 6 miles were to be a silent float. This gave everyone a chance to look at the scenery and just take it all in. At the end of the 6 miles the group entered Echo Park, a huge canyon at the confluence of the Yampa and the Green. Your echo’s lasted forever! Mark even pulled out a drum and started rocking out, it was really cool. When they got through Echo Park the group stopped and Chris explained that this was where the Yampa River meets the Green River. It was really amazing to see the two kinds of water collide; the Yampa was a lot clearer than the Green and also noticeably warmer. They went down the river a little ways and stopped for lunch. Dustin had them all sit in a circle so he could give a Dam Yampa speech… haha. But really, it is something he is very passionate about. He explained to them that the Yampa is the last major free flowing river in the Colorado River System and that the future of the entire Colorado River System depends on maintaining the health of the Yampa. If a dam was constructed on the Yampa the health of all of the rivers in the Colorado River System would deteriorate exponentially and the scenery they enjoyed so much would be lost forever. The day concluded at a campsite called Jones Hole. There the group went on the longest hike of the trip. They experienced two waterfalls and received a brief history on the Freemont Indians while viewing some pictographs leftover on the canyon walls from years ago. The first waterfall that they went to was just a small one, but you could walk all the way underneath is and it was COLD! The second fall was Butt Dam falls, this one was especially interesting because you could sit at the top and stop the water with your butt and then someone would stand under where the water came out, and as soon as it built up you let it go and the person at the bottom would get pounded with water. They went back to camp to find Jambalaya ready to eat. Because it was the last night on the river you were required to be in costume to get dinner. So everyone dressed up and the party started. There was drumming and dancing and fun all around. And then came dessert….. It was, you could say, strawberry shortcake river style. One would hold their mouth open and head back while a square of cake, strawberry, and whip cream were shoved into your mouth by Elvis, John Wayne and Sister Markenna (Nick, Albee, and Mark, respectively). The challenge was that you could not use your hands to finish it. The cake was in honor of our guide Chris, because it was his birthday. The night ended with a pounding drum circle and a roaring campfire.
Tuesday September 11th:
Today the group went through the longest and flattest stretch of river EVER! It is called Island Park. It was really slow, but many members of the group were able to have a turn at guiding the oarboats. It was really cool that Adrift let people row the boats as much as they did, and I am sure the guides enjoyed the break also!. While the group was in Island Park it seemed as though there was a car in the river, and as they got closer it was true! There was a Ford Bronco stuck, stuck, stuck in the river bed. During a stop they informed some park rangers who took off to take care of the eyesore on an otherwise pristine river. They ended the day at the take out point and helped pack up all the gear on the trailers. They got back to Adrift’s warehouse and helped them clean boats, organize the warehouse, and get everything ready to sit through another winter in Utah. It was really a great trip! They took off from the warehouse around 8:00pm; it took about 6 hours to get home… The finally arrived at Western around 2:00am, what a long day! The group dispersed, and for most of them they would not see each other again until they arrived in Santiago! Their adventures had truly begun.
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