After an overnight train ride we will arrive in La Pine just south of Bend and in the shadow of Mt. Bachelor. We will begin our exploration heading south-west following the Deschutes River. We then travel from one beautiful lake to the next through the high desert forests. Once we cross the eastern Cascades we journey along the Rogue River to arrive in Ashland for the Shakespeare Festival. Our last days will be spent seeing A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Othello. The days are long here in the north and the plentiful rains this year has made the green even greener! It is magnificient country to behold! Bring your Pioneer Spirit!

Please review the pre trip check list, the trip itinerary, the trip details and reminders. You can also find the trip equipment list and Medication Authorization forms here too.

Excited for our journey!
Erin Finnegan, SBMS Outdoor Education Coordinator

Click here to download the PDF version of the expedition documents (Adobe Reader 8 required--free download):

• Expedition Letter with schedule and instructions (also below)
  
  
• Equipment Checklist
  
  
• Medication Permission Form.

TRIP ITINERARY:

Trip Details and reminders!

Gloves, odometers, bike booties, OH MY!!
Be alerted that a few items have been added to the equipment list. I have highlighted those items in Bold! Please make sure to bring the required items. We now require each student to have a pair of full finger wind proof gloves that fit over bike gloves. There will be rain and cold days on this trip and riding with frozen fingers is a miserable experience.

Another required item is a bike odometer. The riding teams will be working together to find their way, not just follow the adult leader. As we are out on dirtroads they will need an odometer to find their way!

An optional item that has been added to the list are bike shoe covers. They help keep your shoes from getting soaked and also block out the wind so if they do get wet at least you are minus the wind chill factor. They saved me many a day when I bike commuted to work in the cold and wet Seattle winters. They will make riding in wet cold weather bearable. We will also encounter mosquitos! Lots of them! Consider purchasing a mosquito net hat – it will make evenings around the campfire much more enjoyable.

ALL of your gear (2 duffel bags only) will go with you on the train. Your duffels will be put in the luggage compartment where you will not be able to access them. Therefore, you should bring a backpack on board with everything you will need for the train ride (sack dinner, snacks, CD player, book, tooth brush, comfy clothes, pillow, spending money). You will also need to bring your sleeping bag on board with you. It will be chilly on the train at night and they will happily rent you a blanket for a costly fee if you have nothing to keep you warm.

We strongly recommend you have your mountain bike tuned up before we leave. Plan ahead for this as local bike shops get swamped when we all try to get this done the week before the trip. The SBMS Bike Monkeys will also have a limited number of bike tune ups available. Email Jesse Kasehagen to schedule an appointment if you are interested.

We will be packing some of the bikes into the SBMS trailers and some into bike boxes for transport to Oregon.

IMPORTANT: All students, please bring your bikes to school by Wednesday, May 21 so that they can be packed up and loaded. Please make sure to remove your rack pack (racks can stay on) and pack it in your duffle bag.

We always try to do one special thing on a trip. We are ending this trip in Ashland where we will be attending 2 plays at the Oregon Shakespeare festival, Midsummer Night's Dream and Othello as well as an Othello workshop put on by the OSF actors. In the past we have asked the families to pay for any special addition to the trip. This year we are asking you to contribute to a portion of the play tickets. Please bring $60.00 to the office by Friday, May 16.

Students will need quarters to use the shower and laundry facilities. It might be helpful for them to bring a roll of quarters so they aren’t scraping around for them at the last minute when they need a shower or need to do laundry. You may want to consider purchasing a solar shower as showers are scarce on this trip.

We always take a copy of each child’s Medical Release Form on each trip with us. If anything has changed, please call the office to update your child’s Medical Release Form by Monday, May 12th. If your child will be taking any medication on the trip please fill out the enclosed Authorization for Dispensing Medication form and return to the office by Monday, May 12th. Also, if you will be out of town during the trip, please let the office know who to contact in case of an emergency.

Please be remined that the maximum tent size is a three-person tent (two students max per tent) and that all of the students gear must be able to fit in the tent with them. Remember, the tent needs to be carried in one of their two 28"x15.7"x15.7" / 6000 cubic inches duffel bags.

This is a wonderful opportunity for the students to be away from their families in a caring and supportive, yet challenging environment. Therefore, no cell phones are allowed. We want the students to learn to rely on us and each other to help them through any discomforts or homesickness they may experience.