Virginia Garlic Festival and Wine Tasting Member Social
By Barbara Pemberton, Member since March 2007

When I think about ways I enjoy spending Saturdays in Central Virginia, festivals and other outdoor events always come to mind. I was lucky enough to organize and enjoy an Ageless Adventurer’s outing to the Virginia Garlic Festival on October 13th in Amherst, Virginia. One of the best aspects of this social/adventure was that I got to know and spend the day with some new people. As a “hit-or-miss” member, I wanted to meet some other members and take-in this event at the same time. Our group, I think there were about ten of us, traveled down in several cars and then went on our way once we got there. Some of us stuck together, and some of us took off looking for food, music and a plethora of wine-tasting options on our own. Almost all of us managed to get together for the last hour to enjoy one of the several bands and to watch Kim’s son move and groove. The time it took to organize the event was minimal, but the benefits of being able to enjoy the company of so many great people made the entire day worthwhile. We all had so much fun that we’re already talking about doing it again next year! Maybe you’ll join us-Ageless Adventurer or not!

Editor's note:  Thank you Barb for posting this creative Ageless Adventurer Member Social!  All Members are able to post Member Socials and invite fellow club members to fun events.  There were well over 100 Member Socials (in addition to the over 800 club adventures) posted in 2007, and we'd love to have even more in 2008.  Thank you to all those who posted them, especially to those who posted them as Ageless Adventurer activities.  The more, the merrier!
 

A Tale of Cold | A Tale of Hot

A Tale of Cold
By Daphne Lincoln, Member since February 2006

The OASC provides plenty of opportunities for folks like me who have always wanted to try a sport, participate in an event, or visit a location that we may have been curious about, but never had the ability to coordinate ourselves. And we all have those friends and family members who subscribe to the “You Know What Curiosity Did to the Cat” philosophy who beg off of these opportunities.

Granted, I’m a bit of a scaredy cat too, but the OASC has many activities that are suitable for the beginners amongst us. In my case, the January 2007 trip to Snowshoe Mountain, West Virginia, offered a chance to give skiing a shot. Although I spent most of my formative years in New England, I had never set my foot upon snow in anything but a regular boot. I’d always wondered about the fun and challenge that led avid skiers to go on pilgrimages to the mountains in the areas near where I lived.

I was concerned I’d be a little out of my league at this event which has historically gathered a large group of members who are veteran skiers, snowboarders, and general winter sports enthusiasts. However, when my novice status was established, other OASC members were reassuring and gave me some insight regarding rental equipment and beginner class sign-up at Snowshoe Mountain.

Speaking of rental equipment, never having put my feet IN actual ski boots before, I was surprised by the Frankenstein-esque quality it added to my walk. Then there were the skis and poles. I had forgotten that you actually had to transport these things around with you. They do not magically appear once you reach the slopes, nor do they disappear as you attempt to navigate your way around the ski facility. I admire the OASC members who permitted their cars to be loaded down with these pointy, jabby, metal/wood things that could have easily taken out a window.

After being delivered to Snowshoe Mountain slopes entrance via OASC caravan, I made my way through the throngs of people to the class sign-up desk, then to the beginner slope with other newbies. We were introduced to the art of getting your feet in and out of the skis themselves, which was not as obvious as I had thought. We spent some time learning how to control the direction of our skis through the distribution of our body weight. We learned not to distribute all our energy into our upper body through the poles, which the instructor noted that men have a tendency to do. He advised the class to utilize our legs to maximize control and balance.

Then comes stopping. “Hmm, maybe next time I’ll get an extra-padded ski suit,” I thought to myself after landing flat on my back in the snow. “And maybe,” I thought as I continued sliding down the slope, “I’ll get one that has brakes in it somewhere.” I finally came to a thudding stop courtesy of a fence along the side of the slope. Apparently, that is not the preferred method of stopping, according to the Snowshoe Mountain ski instructor who followed me and helped pull me back up. I guess it was useful to have an example for the rest of the class who were all in various states of slipping and sliding along the novice slope.

Although I believe I was the only OASC member taking a class, I encountered others throughout the day who were in the midst of various adventures themselves. Everyone I met was able to provide some pointers or cautionary tales of their own. By the end of the day, when most members returned back to the rented houses that made up the OASC headquarters for the event, there were stories traded, trail condition observations made, and ideas for future events pitched as we dined together and celebrated the night away.

Now one ski class does not a skier make, but it’s enough for me to check off the “Tried Skiing” box on my life list. And while I may not be heading for the slopes anytime soon, I have gained some perspective on what’s happening on those snow-covered trails and the excitement it holds for many. However, on my next winter sports trip, I may focus on checking off the “Drank Cocoa and Watched from the Observation Deck” box on my list.

Editor’s note: Our trips to Snowshoe, WV are some of the biggest and most fun adventures all year. We organize the trip so it’s easy to find and spend the day with other members in the same skill range (novice, beginner, intermediate, and advanced). In addition to downhill skiing and snowboarding, there are cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snow tubing available; as well as the option to spend the day relaxing to a good book in one of our historic river-front rental houses, awaiting the return of everyone for a delicious meal and evening festivities.
 

A Tale of Hot
By Matthew Rosefsky, Leader and Manager since March 2004

“Mild, please.”

Yes indeed, I have spoken these words, which come as a surprise to those who know me well. The last time I uttered them were back in the awkward days of middle school, when I was out with friends at a pizza and wings place and like my father, could order no spice. An embarrassed teenager, I felt wimpy, and vowed to devote my future to the pursuit of all things spicy.

Fast forward two decades. Here is my OASC adventure posting for November 27, 2007:

Title: “Thai Restaurant Dinner Social: Watch Matt And Others Cry?”

Description excerpt:

“Join us on our return to Downtown Thai's "Wall of Flame," where you get your Polaroid picture posted if you completely finish an entree of spicy hotness level 10 or above. I think levels 10 and higher are when they break out the fresh hot peppers as ingredients. Their menu says the spiciness levels range from zero or one to five [their menu, which maxes out at 5, labels a 5 as ‘Native Thai’]. They don’t tell you unless you ask, that the actual range is up to 50.

I find a 15 to be pleasantly hot, and that’s what I’d order on a typical visit to this fine establishment -- the only one in our area that doesn’t discriminate against me for being a white boy (at all other restaurants, even despite my asking them to make my meal so hot that my head literally explodes in flames, they won’t serve me true Asian or Indian hot because they’re afraid that I’ll send my dish back -- perhaps others non-natives have done so in their establishments). I probably will order a 15, unless someone else orders a 50 and challenges me to do the same, which I shall do!”

Since my days as an awkward teenager, I gradually embraced spice in my adventures in dining. While I believe I now can eat hotter foods than most, I make no claim to be the most spicy-hot-tolerant person around. The thought of joining the several other Charlottesvillians whose Polaroid pictures on the Wall of Flame celebrate their having conquered a 50 has both excited and scared me for a few years. Here is a further excerpt from my 11/27/2007 OASC adventure posting:

“At my last OASC adventure to Downtown Thai, I ordered and conquered a 30. It was dang hot. I got through the meal fine though, and then decided to go an extra step and put rice in the pool of sauce that was left in my dish, let the rice soak up the sauce, and finished all of that off. Yeah, that was painful! WOW that was hot, much hotter than the food dish itself. We got ice cream afterwards to cool down, and then I had to go get a second ice cream at Chaps a bit later to continue my cooling down!!! Here are the pictures from that adventure: http://oasc.smugmug.com/gallery/665742#28699521
The white napkin is in the picture to try to show if our faces are red! The last picture in that series shows who successfully finished a 10 or higher. Our combined score was an 80. I look forward to seeing our picture on the Wall of Flame again!”

11/27/2007, 7pm: 11 Outdoors Clubbers arrive at Downtown Thai, including six intrepid dining adventurers. Keeping in mind that ordering a “10” is twice the maximum written on their menu – twice what their menu labels as “native Thai” – and is the threshold for getting a Polaroid picture of oneself on the restaurant’s Wall of Flame if one completely finishes their dish, here are what the intrepid diners indulged themselves in:

Margo S.: 10
Steve B.: 15
Patrick H.: 20
Andrew W.: 20
Amy M.: 50
Your humble servant Matt Rosefsky: 50, because Amy decided to go for the 50.

Margo finished her dish like a champion, much more quickly than the rest of us, earning her spot in the Polaroid picture. Steve’s eyes became and stayed glossy, and his facial expression continuously expressed such shock and surprise that food could be so hot. At one point he had to get up and take a break, for one or two others noticed and pointed out to him that he wasn’t breathing effectively any more, but then he returned and conquered his plate. Patrick made a valiant effort but the hot shock proved to be unconquerable. Andrew took his time, vowed to come through, and did so in shining colors (red face, that is). Amy impressively devoured at least half of her large-portioned, seemingly bottomless bowl of drunken noodles, which we surmise had soaked up all of the level-50 hot sauce. And then there’s little old me, what tales do I have to tell?

My first bite didn’t seem too bad. Vinnie, who ordered a 5, had a taste and didn’t think much of it. It’s not an instant hot, though – it’s the type that builds. And builds. A few bites later, and perhaps between bites #5 and #15, I realized that this dish was WAYYYY hotter than the level 30 I conquered a few years ago. I felt humbled by this 50. I expressed to my comrades that I didn’t think I’d be able to finish the dish.

Between bites 10 and 30 or so, I actually felt loopy. Remember that Simpsons episode when Homer at the world’s hottest pepper, and started hallucinating and floating around Lala land? I wasn’t feeling it to that extent but I was on that path! As I continued the push, tears keeping me company all the long way, the adventure became “Come Watch Matt Squirm” as I literally could not sit still. Each bite made my muscles feel restless, and I could do nothing to keep myself from squirming about in my chair. By this time I had passed the 50% mark on my dish though, and had gained confidence and felt determined to reach the finish line. As I continued down the fiery path, at one point I felt my arms start to tingle a bit, and then for the rest of my dining my hand visibly shaked as I raised the chopsticks from the plate to my mouth. Finally I achieved what I had set out to do, and high-fived a few of my fellow adventurers. The Polaroids were taken, and as an unexpected bonus our waitress gave me a very nice Downtown Thai tote bag, a gift she said they give to all those who conquer the 50.

Was this the hottest dish I’ve ever eaten? Tough to say. The only other contender: about 10 years ago (perhaps my spice tolerance was not as strong then as it is today) at a sidewalk café in Taipei, Taiwan, I ordered spicy-hot shrimp. I think there were six or eight in the order. I could only eat two.

Have I fried all of my taste buds? I heard (second-hand) from an MD-PhD who studies the tongue that that our taste buds have a protein (?) or something on them which are a critical part to sensing a particular taste, and the more of that taste you subject your tongue to, the protein (?) is pushed away or dissolves or something like that – so in my journey to be able to eat hot food, I gradually eliminated many of the proteins (?) of my spicy-hot-sensing taste buds, and so it takes more spicy-hotness for me to feel the same hotness because I have fewer functioning spicy-hot taste receptors. This is similar to some people who have a sweet tooth – if they have been eating lots of sweets for a long time, some of those proteins (?) form their sweet-sensing taste buds have gone away and so it takes a larger or sweeter portion of sweets to get the same sweetness sensation on their palates. I was told not to fear, however, for if I abstain from spicy hot foods for a long time, the proteins (?) will grow back and my tongue will return to more normal.

How did I feel afterwards and the next day? Well, cooling down right away to two portions of ice cream felt very good – coconut ice cream (super-tasty after the spice!) while still at the restaurant, followed by a brownie sundae at Splendora’s Gelato where a bunch of us went and celebrated afterwards (and where OASC Members get a 10% discount!). Later in the evening I felt a little abdominal discomfort, but truly just a little, not bad at all. I slept fine, and then the next day, Montezuma’s revenge was expected and tolerable (o.k., wrong continent for Montezuma, but you get the idea). Not a bad aftermath at all.

An identity-withheld aftermath email I received from a fellow diner:

“Don’t know about you but today is challenging to stay seated…if you know what I mean. You must be on a hot seat.”

It’s all good. Really. According to the BBC News, “Researchers say eating spicy food daily offers protection from cancer.”

On occasion, OASC ventures far from Charlottesville.  Check out what’s in store for 2008 so far:

Here is an adventure travel journal from the “Diamond Princess Cruise Alaska: 'Voyage Of The Glaciers' and Vancouver, BC” club adventure, 9/1 – 9/8/2007.

Travel Journal by Andy Clark, Member since June 2005

Alaska is certainly a majestic place. It is a land of superlatives; a land of contrasts. Small towns amongst 17 of North America’s highest mountain peaks. Alaska contains 1/2 the world’s glaciers, 580,000 square miles of land mass with a varied array of climate zones from temperate rain forests to arctic zones, and 33,000 miles of coastline all of which have been fished and hunted for thousands of years by the native peoples, including the Tlingit tribe that inhabited the Inside Passage. Within the last several hundred years as the white man come they have become transient intruders having only explored about 1/20th of the territory.

Ketchikan
As we pull into the first port of Ketchikan I think of the words of John Muir as he explored this land in his trip of Discovery in 1892 and 1912. As Muir traveled, this land was untouched by the hand of modern man. Those who explored risked harming a delicate ecosystem. Being a tropical rain forest it rained every day of our trip. It did not deter from the experience one bit. I could hardly believe this small little town set at the base of a towering snow-capped peak. Ketchikan is called the Salmon capital of the world. Outside the town is where the largest concentration of the Tlingit Indians settled. The Saxman Indian village, just outside the town had become a refuge for them as they were forced from their traditional lands not far from there. The village has since become a cultural heritage center for tourists. A short hike through the woods brings us to a native clan house where the Indians practice their native arts and dance. The dancing seems very simple but reflects centuries of history. Today these people wear American clothes but their native cloaks are colorfully beaded and knitted with stories and images of large animals indicating to which of the clans they belong. These are a people who are so closely linked to the land that their very existence depends on the very survival of the land itself. Their link is so strong they name their clans after animals of the land. Everything they do revolves around their land from their totem artwork depicting stories of man versus beast to their native dances paying homage to their ancestors. The village is the largest concentration of totem poles in Alaska. Some towering upwards of 30 feet tall, all surprisingly intricately carved for the use of such primitive tools. Nearby, a barn houses workers lecturing and demonstrating the process of an ancient art. With primitive tools, it’s such an incredible feat accomplished by a culture that has lived so simply, for so many years, with no worries of the modern life except the concern of keeping their way of life. After my excursion to the village I had one of the most tremendous salmon feasts I think I’ve ever had. Cooked on a campfire flame grill with native spruce woods and drizzled with the most delectable glaze. I can only describe it as a brown sugar, maple syrup concoction. It reminds me of the monkey bread my mother would make on Christmas morning. Anxious to set out and experience a little about how life might be like in these port towns a hundred years ago, I hurried back to downtown Ketchikan. I push my way through, trying my best to blend into as a traveling photojournalist, avoiding people in parkas with Alaska logos and sweatshirts and caps with embroidered bear and moose. Each port city in the Inside Passage of Alaska is overly commercial these days; with an average of 4 or 5 cruise ships and 20,000 tourists each and every day between the months of May and Sept. Old building facades that once held so much history and the pioneers of Alaska, now give way to shops to cater to tourists looking to experience the age if the Gold Rush and the rugged wilderness from the comfort of their cruise ship. These towns struggle to hold onto their history but successfully do so because of the change of economy from gold and services for prospectors to tourism. Creek Street and Dolly’s House in the brothel district had been providing services well into the 20th century. For well over a hundred years the boardwalk over a salmon-spawning creek had been a main stream of income for the town as well as the abundance of salmon that return to this spawning ground every year. Simple houses decorated as elegant manor houses to attract men of all professions.

Glacier Bay
Glacier bay is certainly a rugged place. As you enter the bay it appears as any open ocean scenery. Further in, the shoreline towers jaggedly above the ocean. At 30 degree temperatures and 20 knot winds it’s a perfect climate for humpback whales and stellar sea lions, but too inhospitable for humans. Sea lions use the glaciers as breeding grounds until late Aug, mid September. During that time small encampments of biological researchers endure heavy winds, freezing temperatures and 65 miles or more from the nearest supplies, all in the name of science to protect these wonderful creatures. Out of a couple of dozen glaciers that make the bay, we visit one of the most magnificent of them all. Marjorie glacier is 250 ft high, above water, a mile wide and runs for many miles into the Alaskan range. I still can’t get over the shear contrast of size and scale. It towers above our cruise ship it’s so massive. As the captain approaches within about a hundred feet he turns the ship both port and starboard for the best view as if the ship were a car on a showroom floor. For 30 minutes, spectators flock to side railings to catch a glimpse hoping to see ice calve from the glacier and plummet to the water. It was so quiet you could hear the glacier crack and rumble under it’s own weight. Some glaciers move upwards of 5 ft a day. It’s hard to imagine that the 62-mile bay was once covered by ice no fewer than two hundreds years ago. The glaciers are indeed incredible. At Marjorie there’s more the beauty than just the glacier. In the distance towering peaks loom 12,000 ft above the ocean surface. Both ominous and beautiful it’s no wonder that modern explorers climb these alpine mountains and that the native peoples revered and worshipped beneath these gods that reach to the heavens.

Juneau
Juneau has been a mining town since around 1898. Out of the 4 mines within the area the A & J mine was estimated during the early 1900’s to be one of the largest mines to be found anywhere in North America. Shut down in the mid 1950’s, the economy of Juneau had shifted from mining to tourism and operational costs started to outweigh profitability of continued mining. Politics also became a factor, imposing environmental restrictions that most mining companies could not meet due to the nature of the business. In the early days if you had a strong back and a shovel and could find a vein of gold, it was yours for the taking. Containing over a half a billion dollars still underground, the town has tried to reopen several of the mines. They have tried for 10 years, but cannot obtain the proper permits, because of governmental red tape.

When tourists come to Alaska they want to see glaciers and bears. One of the most popular destinations and most accessible to see both is Mendenhalll glacier [near Juneau]. Tour buses run by the dozens a day from the docks to the visitor’s center. The parks service has built a portico perfect for tourists to gather and take pictures of the glacier. All around us, bear are topping off their bellies with the many fish that fill the rivers that surround the lake in front of the glacier. Most spend about 5 minutes taking snapshots of their travel companions standing in front and then take the elevator to the geologic exhibit. I find it hilarious that anytime a bear shows its head nearby, people flock to check it out as if it were a movie star. Sure I’ll admit that I took my obligatory paparazzi shots, but I much rather decided to enjoy the experience of watching such an animal. To get away from the crowds I took a little less tourist-traveled path down by the lake to get an unobstructed view. In the distance, I see helicopters air lifting those fortunate enough to pay the hefty price to walk around on a moving, living piece of ice. It must be a dramatically different experience to see it up close.

Skagway
Skagway is the gateway to the Yukon territories and the Canadian gold. A sleepy little town of about 700 nestled between two very large mountains. It is the last stop for many of the gold miners and prospectors in 1898, before making the journey up one of two paths, the White Pass, a narrow 3-foot-wide rocky path that wandered 40 miles up a treacherous and cold mountain, and the Chilkook Trail a shorter, but much more dangerous trail where many people and animals lost their lives. The Canadian Mounties fearing famine and disease required that all prospectors take a year worth of supplies, which meant at least a metric ton of gear. After that it was a long journey by boat further up into the Yukon Territory. Today you can take the White Pass railroad along a narrow gorge to the very top of the pass. With huge mountains on both sides and a hundred of feet down to the bottom, you get a real first hand sense of the harsh cruel weather that most would have to endure. During some parts of the train journey I was there the first week in September and the entire train ride was rainy, in the upper thirties, with fog so thick I couldn’t see the other side of the gorge. One small town outside of Skagway called Liarstown made up wild stories using their own press that people could get rich by grabbing handfuls of gold nuggets out of the Canadian streams and be back in Skagway in 12 days. Liarstown was basically a tent city, 2 miles long and the last flat place before making the journey up the mountain, with all the services that one could need including supplies needed for mining. The reality was that with a ton of gear and having to travel on foot many miles, carrying at most 100 pounds at a time, the journey could take six months or more. Out of those that did make the incredible journey fewer than 2% struck it rich. A few ran large corporate operations with tons of machinery and had many employees to help mine large veins of gold. The ones that did make wealth weren’t necessarily prospectors. The town of Skagway offered many services to those wishing to strike it rich. One man from Sweden brought pack mules to rent to gold miners. Others provided entertainment of all kinds. One such entertainment spot is the Red Onion Saloon. Libations and dancing girls downstairs, girls to tend to the personal needs of men upstairs. The establishment is still in existence after a little more than a century with a saloon downstairs and now a museum to the “ladies of the night” upstairs. With many of the rooms still the way they were, elegant dresses, beautiful bed linens and refinements of many kinds, these ladies provided the classiest of services. The bar had doll mock-ups of each lady. Men looking for companionship would come in to the saloon and ask for their favorite lady at which time the bar keep would lay the chosen doll down to tell others she was occupied. After the transaction was complete the lady would drop the money down a copper pipe that lead to the bar and the bartender would stand the doll up to let others know she was back open for business.

Got the travel bug? Many OASC members have enjoyed Intrepid Travel’s inexpensive, small-group, non-touristy, deeply-cultural international sightseeing adventures to foreign lands throughout the world. Club members have traveled with Intrepid to China, Japan, Egypt, the Galapagos, Peru, and Vietnam. Testimonials include “This trip was great. I love Intrepid's culture-consciousness, and the way in which they included activities rarely made us feel like ‘tourists.’ It was well-planned and the free time was great. I would definitely use the company again.”  OASC members receive a 5% discount on most Intrepid trips. Contact us for further information and brochures.

Land of the Rising Sun
By Khara (Pence) Turnbull, Member since club day #1 in March 2004

Most people probably wouldn’t consider taking a trip to Japan with Intrepid Travel for their honeymoon, but as two long-time members of OASC, you would really have to work hard to convince us that a better choice existed. Intrepid offers a large variety of trips on several continents ranging in their degree of physical exertion, culture shock, included activities, etc. Our trip – Land of the Rising Sun – had a pretty minimal physical exertion rating (2 out of 6) and a moderate culture shock rating (3 out of 5). Doug and I really liked the idea that after deciding on our destination, we could narrow our trip choices by comparing not only the physical exertion and culture shock ratings, but also the feedback ratings from previous travelers and the detailed day-by-day itineraries. We were pretty impressed and booking our trip was just the beginning.

Although we enjoyed many aspects of our honeymoon… for the sake of space, I will mention just a few. First, we loved our fun-loving, energetic, and knowledgeable leader. Hiro, like all Intrepid leaders, is a native guide who knows his homeland well. He helped us to experience what would have been impossible to experience traveling alone. For example, Hiro escorted our group into one of Japan’s “love hotels” and helped us gain insight into this increasingly common part of the Japanese culture.

Also, we enjoyed the amazing variety of experiences Intrepid offered during our 14-day trip. Although we could opt-in and out of nearly every activity, Doug and I tried anything and everything we could, be it eating some “strange” raw meat and seafood at a conveyor belt style sushi restaurant or soaking in the outdoor public onsen [hot spring] with a group of locals. Many members of the group opted to relax or walk around at their own pace, but we usually decided to take advantage of Hiro’s expertise to lead us safely off the beaten path. Our experiences included eating a black sulfur-boiled egg after a cable car ride up to a mountain top vista in Hakone, near Mt Fuji, participating in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony in Kyoto, attending a baseball game with thousands excited fans in Hiroshima, and biking through beautiful rice paddies and visiting ancient shrines in a rural town outside of Okayama

Another great aspect of our honeymoon was that after participating in the 14-day Land of the Rising Sun trip, Doug and I felt confident enough to spend another week traveling on our own in a country where we could not read or speak the language. I doubt we would have learned as much about how to travel in Japan had we been part of a trip with an air conditioned bus to take us from door to door to all of the major “tourist” attractions. Instead, we had learned how to navigate well enough to travel independently to the southern tip of the island of Kyushu, to destinations that even many native Japanese persons have not visited. Although we don’t know when or where it will be, Doug and I are definitely looking forward to our next Intrepid adventure!
 

OASC Group Charters enable outside groups of children and/or adults to enjoy any and all of OASC's adventures, with team-building activities built in if requested.  A few 2007 adventure highlights are in the pictures below.  Plans for 2008 Group Charters are well under way, with a Richmond boy scout troop of up to 40 participants already booked for a caving / spelunking adventure in January. 

Would you like to have a tailor-made outdoor adventure for your scout troop, church group, business (corporate group flyer), family, non-profit organization, bachelor party, bachelorette party, wedding, or other group?  If yes, please contact Matt.

Backpacking Charter

In April 2007, a church youth group and their Young Adults Pastor chartered us to take them on a mountain-top backpacking retreat.  We brought them up into the Blue Ridge Mountains for a 2-day, 1-night adventure, and provided them with everything they needed:  backpacking / camping gear, food, meals cooked over a campfire, and an experienced, first-aid and CPR-certified guide.  Their Pastor made this adventure be a spiritual retreat for them, guiding the youth group through a spiritual journey, which perfectly blended and coincided with the natural beauty journey they experienced, and used their own religious reflection pamphlet during their explorations.  It turned out to be a growth and deeply gratifying experience in many ways, for all.  In a thank-you card, one of the participants wrote, "I just wanted to take a minute and thank you for everything you've helped us with these few past trips.  I hope your passion for the outdoors continues to grow and lead others as well as it has led us.  I feel like without you [Matt] leading us on these trips, we wouldn't have nearly an awesome experience as we do with you.  God has given you an amazing gift for leadership and fellowship."

Please click on the pictures or click here to see the full photo gallery.

Caving Charter

In June 2007, a camp chartered us to take their counselors on a pre-camp-opening adventure as a part of their camp counselor orientation program.  In total, 30 intrepid adventurers participated, divided into four groups entering the caverns that lie below.  The four trips were spread out over the course of a weekend, with one night of camping and enjoying each other's company in between.  OASC provided all of the necessary equipment and an experienced, cave-rescue-trained, first-aid and CPR-certified guide.  As with all OASC adventures, these were led on the challenge-by-choice philosophy; some opted out of certain places in the cave and took it easier, while others pushed their limits and experienced the thrills of small spaces and high-up places.  The head of the camp wrote to us afterwards, "Thanks again for the great caving trip.  Everyone enjoyed the trip and the camping out. Can't think of anything that needs improvement on.  It was an excellent trip."

Please click on the pictures or click here to see the full photo gallery.

Hiking Charter

In August 2007, a groom and bride chartered us to take their wedding guests hiking in the mountains, to give their guests something fun to do and an easy, safe opportunity to explore the natural beauty of our area while visiting from various out-of-town places to attend the wedding.  As usual, OASC provided all of the necessary things, including hiking equipment such as a water filter to allow us to safely enjoy the pure mountain stream water, and an experienced, first aid- and CPR-certified guide.  On our adventure we got to see it all:  mountain-top views, beautiful water falls, a swimming hole, wildflowers, and colorful butterflies.  The groom and bride also participated, and enjoyed a great opportunity to have nature-background photo portraits taken by their OASC guide.  The experience, which occurred the day before the wedding, enabled wedding guests to get to know each other and have an even better time at the ceremony and reception the next day.

Please click on the pictures or click here to see the full photo gallery.

There seems to be a phenomenon going on sometimes, such that when some adventures are posted, a whole bunch of people instantly sign up without checking their schedules or being sure that they want to attend.   There comes to be a big wait list right away, however as time goes on and the adventure date approaches, people check their schedules or interests and withdraw from the adventure.  Often times so many withdraw that an adventure with a big initial wait list ends up having room for plenty more participants by the time the adventure begins.  This phenomenon has the following unfortunate side effects:

1. Seeing that there is a wait list so quickly after the adventure is posted, some members don't bother joining the wait list because they assume that they'll never get off of it ... and so they never find out that there comes to be space available on the trip as the people drop out closer to the trip date.  This is an unfortunate missed opportunity for these folks to participate in the adventure, and gives them the false perception that one can't get into adventures.  This can be averted by people not joining adventures before being sure that they can and want to attend.  In addition, once you have confirmed your availability and interest, if the adventure has a wait list, please be sure to join it as the chance is high that you will get off of the wait list and onto the adventure.  For adventures in January through November 2007 (inclusive), there was a 92% chance that if you joined an adventure, you got to attend it (there was only an 8% chance that a member got and stayed stuck on a wait list).  That's an "A" in most systems!  Even better, this statistic does not consider the waitlist-mitigating effect that some waitlisted adventures have by being held a second time, giving waitlistees from the first time another opportunity to join in on the fun -- reducing the effect of being stuck on the first waitlist.

2. For those members who do join the wait list and happen to end up being pretty far down the list, they often assume that they won't get into the adventure, and so they make other plans ... but had they stuck it out, they likely would have gotten in -- once those who joined without being sure / without checking their schedules got around to withdrawing.  So, unfortunately, these folks could have attended the adventure but the aforementioned actions prevented them from doing so.

3. When a Leader sees an initial huge wait list, s/he puts in a lot of work and sometimes extra expense to try to adjust his/her adventure to accommodate more people safely, but then those efforts end up being a waste of time and money because so many people drop out, that the adventure comes to have no waitlist (and quite on the contrary, plenty of room to spare).

Moral of the story:  please don't "game" the system and sign up for things right when they're posted just for the sake of signing up.  It has many unfortunate side effects causing unhappiness for a number of people.  We understand that Members didn't realize this before, as the Leaders and manager just came to recognize this pattern, and because the club is made up of such wonderful and thoughtful people.  Now that we know, thanks in advance for your consideration.  Your thoughtfulness and good karma will come back to you full circle, for other people's thoughtfulness will enable you to get right into the adventure of your choice.  If you still decide to sign up for adventures right away, please check your schedule and withdraw within 24 hours if you won't be able to come, so that waitlistees have maximum advance notice that they got onto the adventure roster and can plan accordingly.

One further note, a club improvement initiative the club Leaders and Manager are undertaking in 2008:  in December 2007 we performed some statistical analyses, identified which types of adventures were making the chance of getting into an adventure be 92% instead of 100%, and are working to expand the trip size and/or increase the frequency of those adventure types, so that we can raise our grade from 92% closer to 100%.