Ecoventure Prep

Ecoventure is in prep mode. We have all met this past week and have attended class. We have been preparing for the Ecoventure by reading, writing, and having discussions about what we will or may encounter. We are reading about how to get prepared physically and mentally within the aspect of Kinesiology. I'd like to add that we have also been preparing physically by continuing with our workout plans, in which we will critique on Monday.

Also, we have been meeting with faculty within other departments such as Environmental Studies. Just last week we got a review session of the rock cycle and interacted with different types of rocks and concepts of Geology. Professor Kincaid elaborated on a running joke during class, "Don't take a Gneis rock for Granite."

However, Geology and Kinesiology aren't the only subjects we have been learning and experiencing. We started our studies within Religion and Ecology at the last class meeting. Which come to find out does in fact overlap. I didn't see any correlation between the two subjects, but there's plenty of books out there on the subject.

Also this past week, the entire Ecoventure crew met including; Bill Howard, George Patterson and Travis Patterson. We started gathering equipment late Wednesday night at Mountain Trails. I decided to test out all the possibilities of hiking boots. If I'm going to be in these boots for an entire month, I think I would want something comfortable. Wouldn't you? There's definite returning date for all of us to return to pick up the rest of our equipment. However, I'm unaware of this date at the moment.

Above: Bill Howard of The Downstream Project, Technical Director of SEV

Another part of our preparation is to get 50 miles of hiking in, eventually adding more weight each time. These hikes will be done in the month of September, which is approaching fast. We are expected to do a couple overnight camping trips to test our equipment, as well.

On a side note, I thought it was neat that all the students venturing are from the surrounding area and went to local high schools in the Shenandoah Valley including; Clarke County, Jameswood and Warren County.

Above: Travis Patterson, son of George Patterson. Photographer of SEV Above: George Patterson of The Downstream Project, videographer of SEV

Lets just say I'm looking forward to all of the experiences that are ahead and can I just say I know it will be a very interesting experience being the only female on this wonderful adventure. I'm an easy-going person, and I'm looking at this experience as a challenge and a learning experience! ;-) Bring it on! :-)

Thats it! Happy Trails!

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Ecoventure Update

L to R: John Stevens Jr., Carl M. Chapman, Stacey Keenan, and I on one of many prep hikes.

We all head back to classrooms and lectures in less than 2 days. It's a little more than a month until the Ecoventure blasts off or rather, hikes off. For the past couple months I have heard splirts of information about the Ecoventure. It seems lately everything is in the midst of falling into place. We'll be meeting this Monday to go over our mission for our classes and to meet each other. I have never met the other two people who I will be spending a month in the Wilderness with and I had just met our leader a couple of days ago. I have to say that I'm getting anxious, but I'm feeling better about this opportunity that we all have in front of us. It has been confirmed that we will depart on October 3rd and we will be returning to civilization on October 31st. October 17th will be our half way point in our journey and we will be making several stops along the way. We are starting to gather some of our equipment for this adventure, I got fitted for my backpack yesterday at Mountain Trails and we are looking to go back on Wednesday to get fitted for our hiking boots. I just found out we will each get a MAC book which we will be able to use throughout this process and I'm tickled to death about being able to use it! My preconceived notion is once we get closer to the date we will be dying to go on this trip and by the time October 31st comes around, we may not want to come home.

Thats all for now!

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