Leaders School 2007 Trip Program These trips are designed to challenge you at every level. You have the opportunity to follow a sequence of trips that develop a deeper understanding of the skills needed to enjoy the Maine woods, rocks, and rivers. There will be four different tracks: Rock Climbing, Hiking, Whitewater, and All-Around. Each skill-specific track (Rock Climbing, Hiking, and Whitewater) will consist of trips that build on the experiences and skills you learn from your previous trip and the All-Around Track consists of trips from each track that provide a wide range of knowledge. First Year Leaders As a first year leader, you will learn the fundamentals of outdoor recreation and then each following year you will learn incremental skills. At the end of each trip description, you will find the trips that you must complete before choosing that trip. Do not sign up for a trip you have already been on. First Year Leaders This trip is intended for first time Leaders School participants who will be entering 7th or 8th grade in September 2007. You will have an opportunity to learn hiking, canoeing, communication and wilderness low impact camping fundamentals such as fire building, shelter building, and camp cooking. You will camp under the stars at Camp Jordan and hike Bald Mountain, canoe on Branch Lake, and, time permitting, work with your peers to conquer the Ropes Course. Hiking boots and raingear is a must! There are no pre-requisite hikes for this trip. If you are a first year leader who will be entering 7th or 8th grade September 2007, you have already been assigned to this trip and this counts as the Beginning Hike for the Hiking Track. After your First Year Leaders Hike, you can choose from the following Tracks: Hiking: After the First Year leaders Trip, you must complete an intermediate and advanced hike to complete this track. Rock Climbing: You must complete a beginner and advanced rock climbing trip to complete this track Whitewater: You must complete a beginner and advanced Whitewater Canoeing or Kayaking trip to complete this track. All-Around: You must complete an intermediate hike as well as a beginner rock climbing and whitewater trip to complete this track Hiking Intermediate Hiking Our intermediate hikes will take place in one of the most beautiful parks on the East Coast: Acadia National Park, as well as the beautiful Bigelow Preserve in western Maine, and the downeast Bold Coast area. We have designed three hikes for different fitness and hiking levels. Acadia Light The first day you will go for a short hike and set up camp in Acadia National Park. The next morning you'll be off to an early start to hike different peaks within the park. Hiking boots and raingear is a must! Bigelow Mt./ Flagstaff Lake This is an intermediate level hike up one of Maine's highest mountains. Our 1st day will begin with our arrival at our campsite on Flagstaff Lake. We will explore the local area and perhaps take a dip into the shallow lake. Next morning we will hike — rain or shine — as we take the Strafford Brook trail to the observation tower at Avery Peak. We will traverse terrain which goes from level woods roads to fairly vertical stretches with great views. At the summit, the views of Sugarloaf, Flagstaff Lake, and Mt. Katahdin are spectacular! Bold Coast Hike New in 2007. This hike is a moderate, 10+ mile hike along one of the most rugged and scenic parts of the Maine coast, in Washington County. The hike offers steep terrain, cliffs, rocky coast, as well as woods trails. Over 4 miles of the hike is directly along the coast, with spectacular views of the Grand Manan Channel. Advanced Hiking (You must complete an intermediate hike before signing up for either of these trips) Bigelow Backpack Trip This trip is a strenuous backpacking hike which takes us along part of the Appalachian Trail in the Bigelow Reserve. This 12-mile hike is a true "backpack" trip--we will carry all of our gear, food, tents, etc, so a small daypack is NOT sufficient for this trip! The trip starts at Stratton Brook Pond, then to the campsite at Horns Pond. On day 2, we will proceed along the AT to the Horns, West Peak, and Avery Peak (4 summits!) traversing the entire "Indian" ridge that is seen from Sugarloaf Mountain. The descent along the Fire Warden's trail is very steep and strenuous Extreme Acadia This classic 14 mile loop includes 7 peaks on the East side of the Island including Gorham, Dorr, Champlain, and Cadillac. This is a very strenuous hike and meant for leaders with good to excellent fitness levels. The first day will also include a warm up hike. Rock Climbing Beginning Rock Climbing Rock climbing I You will learn the basics of Rock Climbing at both Eagles bluff and Parks Pond Bluff in Clifton. Rock climbing is challenging but appropriate for all ages and physical abilities. This experience includes history of the sport, equipment identification, and will also teach the skills of belaying. Participants should be in decent physical condition and be prepared for the emotional challenge as well. Climbing is a BLAST, give it a try! Advanced Rock Climibing Rock Climbing II This will be a great trip for those who are ready for the next level. You will enhance the skills you learned in Rock Climbing I. Rock Climbing II will climb at Eagles Bluff and Parks Pond. (You must complete Rock Climbing I before signing up for this trip) Whitewater Intermediate Whitewater St Croix Canoe and Kayak: This is a chance to learn kayak paddling skills and enhance your canoe skills while navigating the St Croix River. The first day will be spent learning paddling and emergency skills and the second day will be spent canoeing and kayaking a beautiful stretch of the St. Croix River. Mostly class I water with a few class II sections. Advanced Whitewater Advanced Canoe: Use the skills you learned on the St. Croix to navigate class II and III rapids on one of Maine's challenging rivers. The river will be chosen at a later date depending on river levels. Probably the Kennebec River (Kineo Trip). (You must complete St. Croix Canoe before signing up for this trip) Seboomook Whitewater Kayak: The Seboomook section of the Penobscot River is an excellent environment to be introduced to the techniques required for whitewater kayaking. You will be exposed to one of the most pristine and lightly traveled sections of the entire Penobscot watershed. The first day will be spent covering rescue techniques, use of throw ropes, defensive swimming, and river anatomy. The second day will consist of navigating the 4 mile run. You should be strong swimmers and prepared to be challenged through Class II and III rapids. Class III is very strong current and waves up to 3 ft. high. Each rapid on the Seboomook has a large recovery pool below so paddlers need not fear an extensive swim. In addition, each rapid will be thoroughly scouted and analyzed with a strong emphasis on "Challenge by Choice" where portaging is a welcomed option. (You must complete St. Croix Kayak before signing up for this trip) Biking Acadia Bike XX: Join Pete and Micah on this spectacular bike trip. 2 days: 100 miles. Not for the beginner, but if you have the drive, you can do it! Your bike needs to be 100% up-to-speed, and your lungs should be a close second. You should start training early in the summer for this one, folks! Rental bikes are available for $75.00. This will be on a limited availability basis; we strongly recommend that you have your own bike, which is 100% ready for this grueling trip!