Our first week back is rolling right along; we all returned well-rested and excited to be back among our friends. We spent the first four days at Dave’s place in Fayetteville, getting back into the groove while some kids scurried to finish up those homework assignments that never got done over break.
Perhaps our biggest change this quarter is that we are again cooking for ourselves! Each cooking team consists of a teacher and two students, who are responsible for three meals on rotation. I must say that my favorite meal of last week was my own teriyaki chicken and twice-baked cheesy potatoes, but it’s possible that I’m a bit biased. Andy Kirby, Alex Anderson and Matti Hill also did an awesome job on their homemade, grilled pizza. Although this is my first quarter cooking with the staff, I have already heard rumors of Tino’s famous “mancakes” – apparently it’s the only thing he makes for breakfast. But, they are delicious, and as Tino says, “at least they’re consistent!”
Aside from food, the kids had a blast playboating on the New. There are two playwaves, one is a wave, one is more of a hole. The students were able to spend a lot of time on both, throwing loops and other tricks from their seemingly endless bags. Many of the students are thrilled to be back in a quarter mostly dominated by playboating.
This weekend is certainly going to be the highlight of this week- we are currently in Suwanee, Georgia, staying at Ken Cote’s house. We are so thankful to Taylor and her dad for letting us crash here, it is super relaxing to be able to stay in a comfortable house while on the road. Everyone is out running the Tallulah today. This is an extra special event, because the Tallulah runs only by scheduled release five or six times a year. The Tallulah Gorge is a unique feature in the Southeast because of the impressively deep gorge and granite riverbed. Many claim it to be the most strikingly beautiful whitewater run in North America. The put-in is accessible solely via 500 Forest Service-constructed stairs.
Tomorrow, after back-to-back runs on the Tallulah, we will head north to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, where we will set up camp for a week. The highlight of our stay at NOC will be perfecting our moves for an upcoming freestyle competition.
Callie.
