2010 Whales Crew = essentially the fastest forming 11 best friends on the planet.
This group is seriously in for a good time! I met up with the gang at Recompense Campground and their friendliness and good attitudes were impressive! Especially impressive is the spirit of service in the kids as they are quick to help with tasks... and offer assistance without even being asked!
Getting the lay of the land and a grasp of camp etiquette... the kids quickly established their campsite... tents, kitchen rope, and a delicious pasta dinner!
Yesterday they made their way to Balsam Cove Campground, a perfect staging location as their sea kayaking instruction begins today! They spent the afternoon in additional group formation exercises and swimming their little hearts out!
So excited for this group of fast friends and motivated participants!
July 30, 2010 The Whales expedition has been quite adventurous over the past couple of days. The ascended upon Old Quarry, an incredibly beautiful stretch of Maine coastline, complete with protected islands, lobster boats, snug fishing communities. After establishing camp, the Whales kids each hopped into a single kayak, and into a freshwater pond on site for their 1 on 1 introduction to sea kayaking. The kids learned paddling techniques, familiarized themselves with the rudders and perfected their “wet exit”. A wet exit involves an instructor tipping the kayak over and the student pulling their skirt loop off and swimming out of a boat. Fortunately, these were the only wet exits for the entire sea kayaking leg.
On Wednesday the expedition headed out to sea in single and tandem kayaks. The winds were mighty this day, but the young band of adventurers persevered. They were joined by at least one friendly seal that came in for a close up look. They eventually settled a shore on the eerily named island of Hell’s Half Acre. The group established a base camp and explored the island. They found sea urchins and cooked “lobstah” faces and fresh mussles in the surrounding tide pools. The also bravely went for a swim in the ocean, and according to trip leader Sean, “They still can’t understand why the water was so cold. “At some point in the island they dubbed themselves the “Islanders”, presumably not after the NY hockey franchise.
After spending the evening out on an uninhibited island, the expedition awoke to the notorious morning fog of the Maine coast. Yes, it was said to be as “thick as pea soup”. Led by their sea kayaking guides they paddled back to sure, took showers, and went to sleep much earlier than usual. Apparently, they were rather tuckered out from their time spent in the “backcountry”.
This morning the Whales expedition headed to Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island. They were headed to the Whale Museum this morning and then planned on a short hike and the rest of the afternoon at Bar Harbor. The town visit usually includes ice cream, souvenir shopping, and at least one kid getting a fake tattoo and trying to convince their leaders it is real. They are hoping to summit Cadillac Mountain tomorrow, the highest point on the eastern seaboard!
Expect phone calls home this evening. Overall, from our standpoint, the program is going extremely well. The group gets more connected each day, and the leaders are really impressed with everyone’s team spirit. They have said the group has an “all for one, one for all” mentality. Thanks for the great group of kids you have sent us!
After their kayaking adventure... the gang headed to the summit of mighty Cadillac Mountain! A challenging climb but having been fueled by steamy cinnamon rolls earlier that morning... they were full of energy and bounded to the top! Enjoying the scenery and trail conversation, the group headed back down the mountain and stopped for a quick swim at Sand Beach, an Acadia hotspot!
The next day brought one of the most perfect Whale Watching days Maine has seen in centuries!
Boarding the boat, the kiddos had their eyes peeled and it wasn't long before they were fin sightings! Altogether 7 Humpback Whales (adults and babies!) and 3 Finbacks! There's nothing like encountering something so glorious and large in nature. It had the kids in awe of the wide ocean as they saw other sea life that day including puffins, porpoises, and harbor seals!
Yesterday the gang headed to the MERI Institute and toured the research facility. Turns out we've got some future scientists in our midst! Juliet especially embraced the opportunity to soak in some learning! The tour ended with an interactive touch tank and a ton of questions from our group!
In the afternoon the group headed back our on the water on a legit Lobster Boat for their Eco-Tour! They learned TONS from the Captain as he toured the islands and shared the history of the area, including the Granite Quarries. They pulled up lobster traps and everyone even got a turn driving the boat (watch out kayakers)!
The day ended with banana boats and dinner theatre as Sofia and Chloe performed "Wash-A-Mia"... a musical spoof on Mamma Mia in which the girls enter a raffle for a dishwasher! So creative!
The gang headed out to conquer the rock faces of Eagle Bluff this morning! Will keep you posted on our upbeat and motivated adventurers.
It turns out... (almost) all the activities we do on Longacre are adaptable for the rain... some might even say the rain adds an element of extreme adventure and accomplishment to a hike or a paddle, that makes it even more fun!
Unfortunately, the ONLY activity we can't power through in the precipitation... is rock climbing. And wouldn't you know it... the gang had some serious storms rolling through on their scheduled climbing days.
The leaders were quick in supplementing the fun with a day of climbing at the indoor rock gym at the University of Maine, Orono. The kids learned their knots, harnesses, and climbing lingo and watched the belay system as they encouraged each other up the routes.
We have high hopes that we'll be able to squeeze in an outdoor rock excursion before the end of trip! There are several sweet climbing spots up by where the kids will be traveling to do their wrap up day. Fingers crossed the sun will stay out long enough for them to experience the granite on their palms!
Today the group is rafting the mighty Kennebec River up in The Forks, Maine. I am confident we will be hearing reports of some serious shenanygans soon!
Breakfast at the Recompense!
