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Dear family and friends,

Our first trail layover was well appreciated and came at a good time. We got to rest and indulge in foods such as milk, yogurt and fresh vegetables that don’t get to come with us on the trail. We also got the surprise of pouring rain. The frozen stream that stood still when we arrived, melted and morphed into a rolling river only a day later. Our tent, which isn’t meant for the rain got quite the beating as the water poured down. But things out here seem to work out nicely, and the night before we left a storm hit bringing colder weather and some fresh snow. It felt good to get back on the trail and get moving again. With our packs re-loaded with food and the snow slightly sticky, the first day seemed a little harder, for me at least. But it also passed quickly and before we knew it we arrived at Moses Pond, and set camp on one of the most beautiful sites yet. We were tucked into the trees that blocked us from the wind and gave us a surplus of boughs and firewood. Before us stood a wide-open beaver flowage and the beautiful Peabody Hill in perfect view. From there on out the days seemed to become easier. Perhaps that was because we had a shorter distance to ski this leg, giving us more time to learn different skills such as fire building. Tom and Hannah taught us how to build a fire in any condition, and then put us to the test. Some fires set flame immediately, while others took a little coaxing. But by the end I felt we were all successful because we gained more knowledge than when we started. Learning to build fires is fun, but also useful and potentially lifesaving. That day we all pulled together to set up camp quicker and more efficiently then we had ever before. Our third day on the trail we set off skiing at our own pace and met up after a designated time. The day was beautiful and skiing was a joy, rolling up and down the twisted snow mobile tracks. After a few hours of skiing we all reconvened at a crossing road, and proceeded forth as a group. By the end of the day Chris gave us the challenge to find our own camp. As a group we decided to follow a crossing stream, north, hoping to find a beaver flowage that was supposedly nearby. We bushwhacked a little ways and soon came out the open land. We continued to scout for a good place to camp and after a lot of “Right here; No wait, how about over there!” We eventually found a suitable place to set camp.

Last day in Marlow, Taylor on food pack-out day!

It hasn’t truly been winter out here, the temperatures have been high, but on our 4th day skiing, old man winter finally decided to come. We camped on beautiful lake Nineveh, and the weather couldn’t make up its mind. When we arrived the skies were clear and blue and the sun was shining. An hour later it was a complete white out. That night the wind was howling and the tent was shaking “We’re living in the belly of a monster!” Joey said, and that felt quite true. The next morning we finally had a taste of cold weather, and it made us more conscious of keeping ourselves warm and dry. That day the snow was high and breaking trail brought on a whole new responsibility. We herringboned up bare mountain, and as our reward we had a glorious decent. The slopes were wide and groomed because it was a downhill ski resort, and conditions were ideal due to our fresh powder and the fact that the lifts were closed and the slopes left completely untouched. We literally skied off the map that day and found home in an unlikely location. The cold was nice and we came up with creative ways to keep the wind out. But too soon enough the temperatures started rising, and by the time we made it to Farm and Wilderness, it was raining once again. This rain at layovers seems to be a weird pattern, but it’s convenient that when the rain does come, we’re not on the trail.

Farm and Wilderness, once again, felt like it came at a good time, but living in a house with modern conveniences is quite a change than what we’ve been used to the last two weeks. It’s strange not having to deal with the weather, or work for your comfort. But I think we all felt appreciative of having this time to take a hot shower, call home, and enjoy the comfort of a house for a little while. Yesterday Chris took us out to a beautiful spot in the forest here. As we are learning to differentiate trees, we are getting to know them; we are beginning to become friends with them. These trees are really young in the scheme of things. Their parents, grandparents even grand-grandparents had been cut down not too long ago. Will these babes here be allowed to become mature or will they be cut down in their youth? Later we sketched three kinds of maple branches and read an article about wilderness and the use of wood in today’s world.

This last leg, our goal was to get into the flow of our routine. To learn how to set and break camp efficiently, and to work together well, so we could move on to learning other skills. We’ve been working hard and learning more with each day, but still, we have struggled with this task. The constant weight of trying to push ourselves to do better, has caused some stress and tension amongst the group. After coming to Farm and Wilderness, however, we felt a huge weight lifted from our shoulders.

Suddenly we had this time to interact freely with each other, and we had more time to spend learning about different things. This group has its very own dynamic and goal for our journey, and maybe, skiing the length of Vermont to Northwoods in our allotted amount of time, is not our ultimate goal. Chris brought this up at an evening hula. He proposed the idea that maybe we should let go of this superficial goal slightly, and look to what’s real. What’s real is not the amount of kilometers we ski and how fast we ski it, but it’s what we’re taking out of the experience along the way. He has a new vision for the group, and that includes having more time to stop and observe. More time to learn skills of living in the bush, and to study the animals, trees and land around us. And more time to build relationships, and learn about each other. We should not have to sacrifice these things due to always being on the go. We’re still going to ski hard, and we’re still getting to Northwoods, but to achieve this new goal, we’re going to have more trail layovers. And to accommodate for those days, we’ll be skiing a little less.

Personal updates: Eric’s good nature and attitude towards situations was a model for the group this week. Nick has taken one for team by hauling our tent, and has become our honorary spice girl, spicing every meal to perfection. Jed bombed Bare Mountain in a strait shot without falling once. Solina took on the big task of organizing our food pack out for our upcoming 14-day leg. Unfortunately, Celeste had foot pains and a broken pole throughout the majority of our leg, but has still managed to crank out impressive telemark turns and held an optimistic view towards skiing without poles. Joey has entertained us time and time again with his epic crashes, hilarious comments and mad ninja skills. Jesse’s newfound love is the sled and he’s pulled it up and down and though all different terrains. William fertilized fourteen “facili-trees” in 24 hours, setting the ‘08 semester record, and still managed to keep high spirits throughout the day. With our new position of daily navigator, John has shared his knowledge with us all, and despite such things as lines and trails not matching up, and us skiing off the map at one point, he has continued to lead the way. Oh, and by the way, Eric and Joey both got Mohawks.

I feel that right now the group is in a better place then ever. This layover has given us more time to understand each other, and recognize our needs. I feel the new decision for our next leg is best for the group, and we’re ready to take the next thing that comes to us. With that, wish us luck on our next leg, our longest one yet, and you’ll hear from us once again in fourteen days.

For the Vermont semester, this is Taylor, the scribe.