rubber cement and lake lovelywater round 2

I spent last week running about town looking for the elusive rubber cement (the only acceptable adhesive for serious poster-makers) and putting together my final project for Earth, Oceans, Space. Here is an insider tip: Garibaldi Graphics. The dollar store, the hardware store, and Shoppers Drug-mart will only disappoint. And if you don't have rubber cement, why are you even making a poster?

With my poster done I was free to take the weekend and gallivant off into the Tantalus Mountains across the Squamish River and visit, once again, the lovely Lake Lovelywater! The hike was moderately epic... there were giant cables to cross, 8-foot snowbanks to climb, backpacks (and boots, and socks) to soak, pasta and he-man chili to eat, and giant windstorms to experience. The snow was deeper and tougher to negotiate than last time, we used an alternate cable-crossing method, and we camped up at the lake. It was a full value little adventure, and today I think we're all feeling it (in a good/painful way). This is one of the most awesome things about Quest - I can find a group of kids who want to spend the weekend hiking up and down giant snow-covered mountains.

time flies...

Only one week left of Earth Oceans Space! Then I have one more class (Chemistry 2... which currently has only 4 students enrolled) before summer vacation! In just over a month I'll be back in Alaska.

Spring is doing its best to emerge here in Squamish - last weekend was beautiful, and although I was trapped inside learning "Workplace First Aid" (exciting, I know) on Saturday, I got out to the Smoke Bluffs Friday afternoon and threw down some sweet climbing with Jonathan and Shandel. "Neat and Cool" was probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing routes I've ever enjoyed! I'm toying with the idea of joining the brand-new Quest sailing team in April, but the truth is my adventure-funds are quickly running out and if I choose to sail I'll be left with little time to enjoy the world-class climbing of Squamish. We shall see. Speaking of adventures, I'm off to Tofino for block break, to be pounded by very cold, very salty water. Hooray!

With all these sweet plans and activities, it might be a little tough to leave at the end of next block. However, I was recently accepted into a guide school program in central Alaska in May, so that ought to take the sting out of leaving Quest (that, and the prospect of yet another fabulous summer in Juneau, Alaska).

return to classrooms and the pacific northwest

The last two months have felt like a wormhole - I was in Indonesia just over a week ago! Speaking of which, our final documentaries are now online! My group's documentary is called "Perjalanan" ("Journey" in Bahasa Indonesia) and you can watch it here: http://ethicalexpeditions.ning.com/video/perjalanan-part-i

Surprisingly, I've re-entered the world of nine-to-noon class and real homework with relative ease. This is in part because my new course, Earth Oceans Space, is pretty fantastic. We spent our second day of class learning about the formation of stars and solar systems... just like elementary school (in a very academic and university-appropriate way, of course). Our professor, a visiting astronomer named Jeff Hester, invited us all over on Friday night to learn about time-space relativity and nearly half the class came. On the first Friday night back at school! Quest is truly a place of academic magic (also, free snacks).

In addition, I'm enjoying jeans, sweaters, comfy rain boots, reuniting with Quest friends, and hearing about everyone's incredible adventures over the past two months. On my flight back from Borneo I was a little jealous of the people who were taking a block off to spend some time at home before returning to Squamish - but as soon as I got back on campus, I realized I was ready to be back, and while I'm excited to go home this summer, I'm stoked for the many Quest adventures that will no doubt take place before then.

Tantulus Mountains camping trip next weekend?