AAVE Trip BLOG » 2006 » July
July 27, 2006
BOLD WEST 1A RIDES ROCKIN’ RAPIDS
Posted by mallormc in : Bold West, General AAVE Trip BLOG , add a comment
Hello parents, friends, and others interested in Bold West!
Marina, Mattieu, Jeff, Jeremy, Sean, Emily, Joel, Jeff, Alex, Quim, Gus, Marion, Ryan, Taylor, and IÂ all send a huge hello!
We just rafted the middle fork of the American River!  In the first fifteen minutes, we barreled down a massive class IV rapid through a tunnel! It was an amazing adrenaline rush!! Don’t worry, everyone is safe and smiling. The guides were knowledgable, kind, but most of all fun.  We ate well and canyoneered to waterfalls all within TWO days! Its hard to imagine that we’ve packed so much adventure into these past 18 days!Â
Currently we are in sunny Santa Cruz gearing up to surf for the next two days! Everyone is stoked to get out on the sea to catch some killer waves! After that we are headed out to complete our service project! San Fransico is not far ahead…we’ll post again there!
We miss you all!Â
Peace and Happiness!!
Megan & Taylor
Colorado Adventures Youth Teen Camp
Posted by lucasfoley in : Colorado Discovery, General AAVE Trip BLOG , 2 comments
Greetings from Colorado~
This is Lucas with ColoDisco 2A. Just wanted to give everyone a quick update on how awesome our trip has been thus far.
After everyone arrived in Denver last Friday, we made our way up to the mountains where my mom, Susy, had prepared a BBQ for all of us. We played a few games, got to know each other a little better, and then loaded up for the drive to Baby Doe Campground outside of Leadville, Colorado.
The next morning, we made our way to the Timberline Lake trailhead. The hike was tough with a lot of steep inclines, river crossings, and an occasional vicious dog who thought it was his job to lick us all to death, and we all made it to the top. Luke, Sammy, Greg, Ruben, and Matt hopped in after the long, hot hike, and pretty much jumped out of the ice-cold water immediately. We had a great lunch, cruised back down the mountain, and played some games before dinner.
On our third day, we took the morning off from vigorous activities and enjoyed the serenity of Turquoise Lake. Jill and Eliana led some great games before lunch and Luke helped keep the group moving as our first Leader of the Day. After lunch, we drove down to Ruby Mountain Campground, which is south of Buena Vista where we set up camp. We then set sail for the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs. Everyone enjoyed a nice, relaxing soak in the hot springs, and the showers that we all had afterwards.
Yesterday we had our first day of climbing. We met our guides- Mike, Ashley, and Cory- and then made our way out into the middle of nowhere, to some of the most beautiful country we could imagine. We realized after roping up that our group, like Lauren and I had previously thought, really are monkeys and we expect that they will return home with tails swinging out of their backsides. Fitz surprised everyone with some amazing rock skills, Hayden fought off an impending rainstorm to nearly summit the days hardest climb, and Ilana wowed us all with some fancy footwork. Taylor led a great meeting with some hot cocoa and cookies after a great mac and cheese dinner.
Today was also spent on the rocks, except now the kids had a chance to belay one another. Faustine and Sahmad, despite being quieter than the other campers, showed solid climbing skills and jumped in at every opportunity to either belay someone else, or do some climbing by themselves.
We are currently sitting down to have our first dinner out- pizza! We travel tomorrow for a few days on the river and then we’re off to our service project. We’ll try to check in when we get a chance.
Also, if you sent something in the mail for your kid, that is awesome. They will be sending out mail either tomorrow or the next day. Our next mail pickup is coming up soon and the kids really love receiving mail (or goodies) from home.
We are having a great time and the group is doing awesome. The next two days are going to be great and the trip only continues to get better after this. You’ll be hearing from us. Take care and take it easy.
Lucas
Surf Camp Rocks!
Posted by admin in : General AAVE Trip BLOG, Surf Camp , 3 comments
Hola SSS Familias!!
Since our safe arrival in San Diego we have been on the road heading south and more south stopping at some of the best surf spots in Baja staying in some of the most beautiful locations the peninsula of Mexico has to offer. Life is very, very good! Surf Scuba Safari Rocks!
We spent our first couple of days learning the basics of catching waves and popping up on our surf boards at a surf locale known as Punta Cabras. Stephen, Ben, and Paulo already had some surf experience and were riding the bigger waves in and inspiring our beginners. Our free time was spent relaxing on the dunes, playing soccer and ultimate frisbee, and taking in the sunsets around an evening fire. We roasted smores that Morgan, Olivia, Zoe, and Stephanie especially enjoyed!
We then tore down our camp, stuffed it in the van, and drove to the a 300 year old Hispanic Mission in the desert town of San Borja. Cirios cacti and yucca saturated the desert scape and providing a Dr. Seuss-like atmosphere. There we learned the daily life of the native family who lives at and runs the mission, digging pits for garbage disposal, carving out irrigation canals around plant life, and removing cacti to cultivate the land. We cleaned up in volcanic hot springs and took a dip in the pool to cool off. Alec won the race across the pool! Carter’s laid back attitude lends itself to the Baja lifestyle. Adam was cracking jokes the whole day. Francesca, our Italian camper was nervous about bathing in the pool but eventually got in and loved it! The Mexican boys who live at the mission guided us through caves decorated with 10-12 thousand year old pictographs. That night Meghan relaxed and studied her PADI book while listening to David’s awesome guitar playing.
After thanking the family for their hospitality and giving a wave “adios” we made our way to Mulegé, a desert oasis located along a river that drains into the aqua waters of the Sea of Cortez. Our 5 day residence is in a campgound speckled with date palms, hooded oriols, white winged doves, and bathrooms with showers!!! Alysia, Val, and Ashley were excited to see the stores with authentic Mexican gifts and crafts. Some of the boys picked up hammocks to string between palms at our camp site.
During the day we will partake in classroom and ocean exercises pursuing our PADI scuba dive certifications. We are fortunate to have 3 more days here before we hit the road again to help with a sea turtle restoration project. That’s all for now! We’ll send you more news of our adventures when internet is available.
We love your kids, the love the trip, we all get along great, we miss you and thank you for sending these spectacular kids on AAVE!!
Surf Scuba Safari 2, 2006
Ryan Hurley-Niezgoda
April Ollivier
Mark Alvarez
Mike Bosse
July 26, 2006
Peru#2 Teen Trip: Saying Hello
Posted by admin in : General AAVE Trip BLOG, Peru & Machu Picchu , add a comment
Dear Friends and Families,
Chris, here, leader for Peru #2. The trip got off to an incredible start at the airport in fact simply meeting one another. There are only 10 of us so everyone has already gotten a chance to know everyone else. This is a really mature, laid-back, and intelligent group of people. Thank you so much for supporting your kids in coming down here. Everyone is really into the experience and loving every minute of it so far.
Right now we are in Arequipa and about to head out to Colca Canyon, kind of like the Grand Canyon of Peru but deeper I believe. We spent yesterday white-water rafting in the cold, cold, cold Chile River but everyone had a blast. We had some free time shopping in the city and visited the famous monastary there. After leading a trip in Equador for the first session, I am able to say with a great deal of certainty that the food here is much more tasty and diverse so we have all been eating quite well.
We are about to take off on a 7 hour bus ride to Colca Canyon and will stop in Chivay on the way. Some killer hikes and soothing hot springs are waiting for us once we get here. More soon………
Cheers,
Chris
Pura Vida: Costa Rica Teen Summer Camp
Posted by admin in : Costa Rica Clasica, General AAVE Trip BLOG , add a comment
SOLO BUENO aqui en Costa Rica! The trip is off to a HOT start and I am so excited to be down here at Flamingo beach! Michel, our Tico Costa Rican guide, is one cool dude! We are a whole group, William made it in time for the first group meeting. I talked to him and then his mom shortly after he landed and then we called his mom together before going to host families. Today, we are beginning on our first surfing lessons.
Starting the trip out right, our first group meeting was held on one of the beautiful beaches of Flamingo, our new home for the week. While reflecting on the embarkment of our great adventure, mother-nature dazzled us with an unforgettable sunset. Although the drive was long to Flamingo, we were not bored. We visited Anita the Toucan at a Blue Morpho Butterfly farm and saw howler monkeys, crocodiles, iguanas, and more from our van. We are all feeling more comfortable after spending one night with our hospitable Tico families and finishing two days of Spanish classes. Nonetheless, learning to surf on Tamarindo beach has been the highlight. PURA VIDA!
PURA VIDA
-ALLY & MICHEL
July 24, 2006
Bike Amsterdam to Paris Teen Adventure
Posted by admin in : Bike Amsterdam Paris, General AAVE Trip BLOG , add a comment
Greetings from Belgium! Nearly a week has passed since we set out on our bicycles to explore The Netherlands, Belgium and France. After visiting the Anne Frank House and Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, we worked our way to the coast where we had our nightly meeting on the beach at sunset. Since leaving the coast we have covered a lot of ground, almost 400 km!!!!
The dunes were extremely challenging. We persevered and we are positive that the upcoming rides will not only test our skills but also bring us closer as a group.
The last two days we have been taking it a bit easier. Shorter bike rides and enjoying visits to Bruges and Gent. We surely tried our fill of chocolates and waffles, had a great dinner out of typical Belgian food, slept in a bed, and enjoyed the festive scenery of Ghent!!!
Only a few more days and we will be parking our bikes and hopping on the train to Paris.
Many greetings from the hardcore BAP bikers!!!
Erin Lewis says: Hey mom, Kimberly and John! I miss you a lot and it is almost as good as Kimberly’s trip.
Gabe says to dad: a por ellos oé!!!!
Courtney says: miss you guys and love you.
Alison says: I am hanging in here and trying my hardest and I think I am going to make it. I love and miss you all and have bought you all lots of presents.
More soon!!
Love,
Everybody
Getting Started: Australia #2 Teen Adventure
Posted by admin in : Australia, General AAVE Trip BLOG , add a comment
Dan, the leader dropping you a line from AAVE best trip, Australia!
Everyone arrived safely yesterday and we started dive training this morning. It’s a great group and I can’t wait to share the great barrior reef with them!
I just wanted to send a quick reminder that we have a mail stop coming up. You have no idea how excited these kids get when they receive a letter\ care package from home. If you have time to send one off it would make their day.
If you have any questions let me know.
Thanks again for your support,
Dan Zahn
dannyzahn@yahoo.com
Australia 1A Goodbyes
Posted by admin in : Australia, General AAVE Trip BLOG , add a comment
Wow.
The trip is over and everyone should be home by now. What a great summer! I am sure that you are getting a great rundown of all the awesome stuff we did. I just want to add to it and say that this trip was one of my best ever. The kids had so much energy (sometimes too much!) and kept me laughing the whole time. The meals the kids prepared were some of the best I’ve had on these trips and I will forever be spoiled by how quick the group was at getting things done!
Your kids made this trip one I will never forget and I can’t thank you enough for that. Hope to see them on another AAVE trip next summer,
Dan Zahn
July 21, 2006
Bold West Teens- July 8th
Posted by admin in : Bold West, General AAVE Trip BLOG , add a comment
Las Vegas was amazing! The city was hopping wtih lights and sounds. We stuffed ourselves at deliscious buffets and watched a Treasure Island show. It took us all night, but we hiked the strips entire length. It was fantastic. Everyone especially enjoyed the showers:)
From Vegas, we headed to Sequoia National Park in Southern California to gaze in amazement at the old trees. We visited the General Sherman tree (the largest tree in the world) and hiked to various waterfalls and swimming spots. Boy did it feel great to jump into mountain streams on those hot days.
We are loving it!!
BW1A
Bold West 1A Teen Adventure: July 4th, 2006
Posted by admin in : Bold West, General AAVE Trip BLOG , add a comment
July 4th, 2006-
Hooray! It’s Independence Day! Our first few days have been jam-packed with exciting adventures.
After picking up everyone at the airport, We headed out to beautiful Zion National Park where we were met wtih blue skies and high temperatures. We set up camp and bonded over dinner.
The morning, we woke up and geared up for a moderate hike called the Emerald Pools. Jeff, our leader of the day, helped organize and encourage our trail experience. After some cards and hacky-sack, we all saw an IMAX film about Shackltones epic adventure to Antartica. We went to bed with bellies full and smiles aplenty.
Joel did a terrific job as leader of the day waking everyone up at 6 am to preparre for out Angel’s Landing hike. The group’s morale and motivation conquered the strenuous 5 mile hike with ease. The view from the top seemed endless and was certainly gratifying. We enjoyed watermelon at the peak and headed down to reward ourselves wtih a trip to the river. We rented tubes and floated lazily for two miles. Our day ended wtih a deliscious dinner and a fantastic meeting. It’s now the 4th and we are headed into Las Vegas!!!
The journey continues……….