ECOEEian Saga: Part 6

Bob Schnoes

September 30, 2017

Waking up this morning it was a sad day, for it was time to say goodbye to the Badlands. I admit at first, they did not seem that great to me, but slowly I learned to love them. They will be missed, but on a positive note, at least I got to shower last night. Departing the Badlands, we headed to a nearby missile silo visitor center, and it was here I thought we stumbled onto our next mystery. Upon picking up a red phone a voice started talking to me, this was strange because the phone was attached to nothing. Questions started racing through my head, how was this strange man and what does he want from me? Could it be that villainous looking bus driver. Well after investigating deeper it turned out just to be a recording of a man giving information about the missiles. My bad, no mystery here. Leaving this disappointment behind we stop for a short break to gather supplies and eat lunch before heading to a place called Mount Rushmore. This place had mystery written all over it, I mean a steep path leading u to a gate house that guarded for giant heads. It was like something out of Narnia. My first question was, who were these giant heads? Great Warriors? Alien? Gods? I did not know. The answer to this question came from a little man who looked like a malnourished cowboy. He said he name was Sean and he spoke in great length s about one of the heads. He called it “Teddy” and told tales of its accomplishments. It was then I realized what this all was, it was a temple to these heads and this hungry looking cowboy must be one of its priests. Its best to trend carefully and show no disrespect, who knows that those heads might do it they get offended. Breath fire on us, or even devour us whole. So as soon as we politely could we made our get away and carried on to ur next destination, Wind Cave. We set up camp on its outskirts and fed well. For tomorrow we will delve into its depths and see what mysteries lie within.’

The ECOEEian Saga: Part 5

Bob Schnoes
September 29, 2017

It has been two weeks since the quest for the One Van has been successfully completed and the promise of salvation has not been granted. Instead we loaded up in the One Van and continued our journey, this time going west. We have no overall goal in mind, it is more like each day is an episode of Scooby-Doo, exploring new places and revealing their mysteries. Our first destination was the Badlands in South Dakota and this was where we discovered our first case, the mystery of the vanishing shower. Upon first arriving we were informed that there would be no showers at this location. This was told to us by our crotchety old bus driver, Jeff the Grey. Based upon how he looks I am sure he will turn out to be the villain in this mystery and probably many more to follow. After his proclamation of no showers, rumors and whispers of one nearby arose. And this cased everyone one to start speculating. Last night there was an eerie glow off in the distance that one said looked like a giant candle. Then the mirage effect took hold of a couple of my companions and they said it was an outdoor shower and they can see people in it showering. Poor souls, the desire to be clean seems to have effected their minds. A couple of them even started acting different and stop responding to their own names. Instead they started calling themselves Sheila and Miranda. All hope for these two may be gone. However, with the rising of the sun the truth was revealed, it was a sign post with a light on it. Not a hug huge candle or people showering. We spent the next part of the day at wounded knee where we met the favorite wife of Chief Big Foot, she gave us information on what happened there and how it had an impact on her people. She then led us through a ghost dance and said a prayer. She invited us to partake in this dance, but no one did. Guess no one ever told her that white people don’t dance.  After that we visited a couple more centers dedicated to the Native Americans before making our way back to camp. Upon returning to camp the rumors of a shower returned as well. It was Austin that wise that gave us our first lead, he suggested to go ask the gate attendant if there were any showers nearby. This man confirmed that there was and the mystery was solved and the villain was revealed. Surprising the villain was all of us and our ability to just accept the first answer we get as truth and not investigate further. Guess the crotchety old bus driver was innocent… this time.

To the Badlands: A Day of Sights

Emma Ngati

9/27/2017

                  I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect to see getting in the vans this morning. I started the day with relatively low spirits as the stresses of not completing all my homework over the summer bore a weight on my shoulders. Traveling through South Dakota however, changed my attitude. The puffy clouds and rolling hills filled me with peace. Visiting the Atka Lakota Museum and Cultural Center was really interesting to me. I appreciate the Native American way of life and their connection with the natural world. I think it is important for everyone to learn the true accounts of the Native Americans from their perspective, not just the whitewashed history we are taught in school. The next stop on our journey to the Badlands was the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center where I got a really cool Missouri River sticker. We stood on the ground where Merewether Lewis and William Clark themselves camped on their two year journey round trip to the Pacific Ocean.  Also at the interpretive center was a very large majestic statue of a Native American woman holding a quilt that glistened in the sun and shined brightly at night. Dignity of Earth and Sky is here to remind us of the sacred place we stand on and that each of us is sacred in our own way, however you would like to interpret that. As if I thought the views couldn’t get better we entered into the Badlands. The rocky land shaped millions of years ago by geological forces could only be described as extra-terrestrial. Kara said she felt like she was on planet Tatoine. After a really fun group hike with some breathtaking views, we set up our sleeping bags under the stars.  A great way to end a great day and begin our time here in the Badlands.

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks” John Muir

The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness

Kara Sahagian

9/26/17

I woke up this morning rather sluggish and tired. It wasn’t anything that a cup of coffee couldn’t fix. Once my java joy was acquired, I remembered that we were heading out west today. I was so excited to be heading out west so that I could see way more beautiful landscapes than what the Midwest has to offer. We had a rather long ride ahead of us but that was no problem when you have a monster energy drink, another coffee, and a playlist full of songs that you can jam out to. Having Tracy up front with me helped too, I guess. We made it to our alternate campsite where we found out that the campsite water source was infected with E-Coli and the air smelt like cow turds. It was also cold out so this Florida girl struggled all night trying to seem like she wasn’t shaking like a leaf but she was shaking very much so. It is currently 12:11am and that is early for me compared to the time I have been going to bed for the last two weeks. Peace out Minnesota, tomorrow we head for the Badlands in South Dakota.

New Beginnings

Austin Orr

9.25.17

Our days began all a little different from one another as we would be meeting up at 8:30, each waking up in a different location. When I awoke I almost forgot that I had spent the night at Shawn’s fraternity house.

As each of us returned slowly but surely, we got together and put out all of the food to pull rations for the Tetons. This being round 2 of ration pulling felt much better about what I was grabbing until I had to fit it all in a small duffle know I will as those are essentials to have, at least in my eyes. All the while Emily and Tracy were busy printing newsletters with a few complications

As that wrapped up Shawn, Kara, and Tracy all set out to the school with Boz and Jeff to talk to Dr. Yoder’s RPTA 111 class about ECOEE. They took along the video I created and I heard it all was a success. Plenty of questions were asked that seemed relevant as I was told.

While they were off at school talking in front of the class, the rest of us were back here in the blazing heat, cleaning the trailer, folding maps, inventorying food from the rations pull, and reorganizing the trailer. I stepped up on the organizing front but kind of left thinking I took it all a little too seriously.

Wrapping up the day the ECOEE men took all we needed to back to Horrabin, or so we thought. We returned to find 1 measly box still left.

Everything calmed down slowly and people started packing all of their stuff for the west bound trip. I’m excited and nervous at the same time but I know this will be the best experience of our lives.

“without hard work, nothing can grow but weeds.” - Gordon B Huntly.

Lorado Taft Campus

Julia Fetty

9/21/17

I woke up this morning and I couldn’t believe that I was waking up in a tent for the last time before heading back to Hornfield Campus. After having some delicious yogurt parfait, we headed to Lorado Taft Campus, where Boz was enthused to show us her previous stomping grounds as an outdoor educator. We had a very informative meeting with the staff and I learned that Lorado has an incredible amount of activities and programs to offer. Having opportunities visit outdoor education programs and being able to talk with programmers has been so helpful for me figuring out where I will fit in the future! Boz then gave a tour gave us a tour of the campus, which included the famous “Blackhawk Statue”, which is the largest concrete statue in the United States. Later during the day, we shadowed outdoor education classes which included pioneering and water ecology. My favorite part about the pioneering lesson was how excited the kids got while making their own candles. Being around kids and their enthusiasm makes me feel like a kid again. I truly never want this feeling to go away. I’ve realized overtime that I could definitely see myself working with kids. Sometimes I even wish I could go back and experience outdoor education as a kid again. After the pioneering lesson, I observed the water ecology lesson. I remember when I went to an outdoor education camp in 7^th grade and water ecology stood out for me the most. Seeing kids get excited just as I did was an amazing feeling. We ended the day eating cold burritos on the boardwalk of Caste Rock River. I know that I won’t forget that moment on the boardwalk. I love everyone here so very much.

Tough Lessons

Austin Orr

9/19/17

Today was an amazing day. As we packed our gear and got ready to head onward to rock cut state park we soon realized the importance of sweeps. We almost left two stakes behind which would have put us down to four stakes total to use on the tarp. After the lesson/lecture from Jeff about how we shouldn’t ever lose a stake I feel like that will never happen again but who am I kidding we could barely remember our lefts from our rights while in Canada.

As we made our way south most of us worked on homework or at least tried to. I worked on my video for my interp for about 30mins before I got to stressed from the mouse clicking the wrong button as the car bounced down the highway. I then made sure progressed was saved and slept most of the remaining travel time.

When we stopped for lunch some folks decided to get McDonalds and soon regretted it. The initial taste seemed to be enjoyed but soon people were either craving more or they decided it wasn’t worth it.

Soon after we got to camp we got set up and dove straight into Emma’s book. After discussing environmental issues and what we have done to be actively aware Chris talked to us about black bears. Tracy and Boz both shared personal encounters with black bears and we learned to never store your stove with the food. After talking more about black bears Tracy indulged us in environmental ethics which made me think a lot about my personal beliefs with the environment.

As I look back over the last moth I am in shock at what we have done. We have traveled the Missinabi River, made two transitions, lost weight, and grew individually and as a group. We have learned so much and have barely scratched the surface.

“a creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve not by the desire to beat others” – Ayn Rand

September 18th

Chris Friday                                                                                                   

Today marked our final morning in Canada. We left Pancake Bay around 8 this morning for our assault on the Canadian/ U.S. border. Before we hopped over the border, we stopped at this gas station where I was once again reminded that Canadians are far kinder than Americans. I went a bit heavy on the snacks and drinks for the road and didn’t quite have enough Loonies and Toonies to make the purchase. The lovely women behind the counter said it was all good eh and sent me on my way. We left Canada exactly how we came in. With Emma and Tracy shouting, “Look! Canadians!” as we past people doing roadwork on our way to the border. We once again got over the border scot free. For some reason, I think we looked rather innocent to the border folk. Little do they know. Our first stop over the border was at a Walmart that personally, I was rather sad to see. The Walmartians were everywhere and the Canadian ehs I’ve come to know and love were nowhere to be seen. We are definitely back in the states now. Now that we are officially re-stocked with supplies for the next week, it was time for us to make our way to Northern Michigan University, where we are supposed to meet up with Scott Jordan. We had plans on going on a hike to a nearby mountain, but the lady that was supposed to meet us never really showed up due to a miscommunication on the email front. Instead, we got a lesson from Miss Bozman on the five stages of the Authority Cycle. We also learned that being 76 doesn’t mean you can’t deadlift almost four times your weight thanks to another Jeff story. Bob made an excellent dinner of lemon chicken and rice that was devoured  at a rather rapid pace. I tried to go for thirds, but the pot had been scraped clean. After a long while of waiting for Scott Jordan and the Northern Michigan University crew to show up for, what was told to be a bonfire and socialization, Scott Jordan and one other showed up rather later than was expected. Although I only met Scott Jordan briefly and never the women that came later, I heard stories of Patagonia and he had a rather cute dog with him. Tomorrow is promised to be another early start and long drive. As unpleasant as that sounds, we will be making it to Rockford back in Illinois and soon back to horn Field in Macomb.