Archive for the 'BA' Category

Hello!

Lexie, Wes and Hannah are having an amazing time with their group of eleven on Berkshire Adventure 6! The leaders checked with me last night and filled me in on how their first few days have been going. On Sunday, the group had pasta for the first night of the trip with the option of either pesto or marinara sauce which everyone thought was really tasty. After some great day hiking on Monday, the group had a fun time at their campground decorating their water bottles then had some delicious strawberry shortcake and whipped cream for dessert which involved lots of sticky hands, laughter and smiles! They’ve also seen a lot of nature so far including frogs, newts and fish and they’ve haven’t even gone on their splash hike yet (which they’ll do today). Yesterday, the group biked down and back on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail and they did an awesome job – some students made it more fun by singing on their bikes along the 22-mile ride too. This particular Berkshire Adventure group is lucky enough to have 3 leaders which is “really wonderful” according to Lexie because everyone gets all of their tasks done more efficiently so there is more time to hang out and enjoy each other’s company. Overall the leaders said the group is engaged, they’re excited for the activities coming up (climbing Greylock and whitewater rafting) and everyone has really great attitudes! Here’s a picture which was taken yesterday too!

-Conor

Hello!

Berkshire Adventure 5 is off to a great start! I talked to Ben, Hannah and Ali last night and they were loving their group, nicknamed Team Survivor, and how smoothly everything has been going! The trip started off with a great day hike up to Lye Brook Falls in Vermont which was beautiful and really fun. They had tacos for dinner on Monday night and enjoyed lots of games at their campground like Mafia and Charades. Yesterday, the group tackled the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail and said that everyone in the group loved it and they did it really fast. As they finished the 22 miles, the clouds rolled in but they were back in the van before a short thunderstorm. They then stopped on the way to their next campground for some ice cream to celebrate! The leaders said that this group is really awesome at setting up camp, they’re all getting along really well, and they’d describe the group as “super energetic, really creative, and so unified already” despite the trip only starting a couple of days ago. BA 5 does their splash hike tomorrow on Sheep Hill with the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation and then start their two-day climb of Mount Greylock in the afternoon after getting mail! Here’s a group picture too!

-Conor

Hello!

I talked to Lexie and Wes last night and Berkshire Adventure 4 is having a wonderful time so far! On Monday the group had a day hike in southern Vermont and while it was a little stormy around lunchtime and everyone got a little wet despite wearing their rainjackets, they all loved it! The students were excited to hike in the rain and were even able to put all their wet stuff in the dryer when they got back to camp. That same afternoon, the clouds parted and the group had fun swimming in the sun at a lake near at their campground. On Tuesday the group biked all 22 miles on the Ashuwilliticook Rail Trail in record time and were also lucky to have two support staff – Caroline Costley and Adam Lang – join them for the ride. Adam snapped the below picture of the whole group too! When we talked on the phone, the group had just finished an excellent burrito dinner cooked by Wes and the cook crew which was “definitely a hit” according to Lexie. She also said this particular group loves capture the flag, has a ton of energy and they enjoy teaching each other games too. The leaders added that everyone has really great attitudes, they’re all willing to help out and they’re excited for every activity! Today the group does a splash hike, gets mail and then begins their two-day ascent of Mount Greylock!

-Conor

Hello!

I spoke with Sarah and Ben last night and things are going really well on Berkshire Adventure 3! On the first full day the group hiked up Lye Brook Falls and the students loved the waterfall at the end of the hike—they thought it was absolutely beautiful and had a blast there! After the hike, everyone came back to the campground and enjoyed an afternoon of swimming at the lake and playing some fun games in the water on an especially hot afternoon in New England. Yesterday the group tackled the Ashuwilliticook Rail Trail and while it was a challenge, everyone completed the 22 miles and they were “super-psyched” to finish and had a great time. On the way back, everyone stopped for ice cream, which was a nice treat after a long day on the bikes. When we were chatting last night, the group was preparing a Mexican dish for dinner and was also planning to have banana boats over the campfire for dessert. BA 3 has their splash hike this morning with the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation then gets mail before starting their ascent of Mount Greylock! They’ll finish up the week with rafting on Friday. Here’s also a group picture that Haley Greenberg, support staff extraordinaire, took of everyone today on the rail trail!

-Conor

Hello!

Berkshire Adventure 2 is off to a great start with Lexie and Wes! I talked to the leaders last night and they said they have a very lively group that’s having a lot of fun together so far. Lexie said “they’re having a blast, they’re very talkative, and there’s constant chatter and laughter during the day”. On the first full day of the trip, the group had a great time hiking the Lye Brook Falls trail and seeing a waterfall then they spent the hot afternoon swimming at Emerald Lake State Park. To celebrate the national holiday, Wes and the cook crew made a delicious American meal of hamburgers, hot dogs, watermelon, lemonade and pie for dessert, which everyone loved. The leaders also treated the group by taking them to nearby Bennington, Vermont, to see an “awesome” fireworks display in the evening. Yesterday the group biked the entire Ashuwillticook Rail Trail in Adams, Massachusetts, on a spectacular day. I was lucky enough to see the group when I was out on a bike ride myself and they looked great! Sara, one of Overland’s phenomenal support staff members, biked with the group today and also took the below picture which I hope you’ll like! All of the students are teaching each other games, chants and songs too. Today the group heads out on a splash hike, gets their mail and then starts hiking up Mount Greylock! They’ll finish their week of adventure with rafting on Friday.

-Conor

Hello!

I spoke with Wes and Lexie on Tuesday night and they said that Berkshire Adventure 1A is having a great time! They’re definitely a “high-energy” group but everyone is getting really involved in all of the activities. The group has been very open and talkative so communication has been superb, whether that’s telling stories throughout the day or reminding each other of safe bike riding practices. On Monday the group had a great hike up Lye Brook Falls where they had a picnic lunch at the waterfall before heading back down to Emerald Lake where they spent the afternoon swimming and playing in the sand. That night, the group saw a skunk in the campground which was a highlight for everyone–fortunately no one was sprayed and the skunk left the group in peace! On Tuesday the group was up early and everyone rode the entire 22 miles on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail where they had BLTs for lunch halfway through. After a long day of biking, the group headed to a campground in nearby North Adams where they were planning a feast of hot dogs, burgers, watermelon and vegetables galore.

-Conor

Hello!

I talked to Sarah and Ben last night and they said that Berkshire Adventure 1B is “having a great time!”. They had a “super-awesome” time on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail and went really fast. They saw a huge lake along the way with really pretty views and stopped at the end of the rail trail (after 11 miles) for lunch  before turning back. The group loved the bike ride and were all “super-pumped” that they did the whole 22 miles! On Monday night they had a delicious chicken fajita dinner and many students gave their props or thanks during dessert circle to the students on cook crew. On Tuesday morning the group woke up early to oatmeal and hot cocoa before heading up to Lye Brook Falls for a short hike to a waterfall, of which the students took lots of pictures. The group has also wholeheartedly embraced the Overland tradition of doing “cheers” before every meal, even for their small snacks they have during the day. When Sarah called on Tuesday, the group was playing games at a campground and cooking dinner. Sounds like a great time!

-Conor