Off Piste Expeditions

A view from 16,237ft

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High Camp at 12,000ft

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Tempting view of the summit from this nesting site. We ate many frozen things during the two nights we spent up here. Frozen, oil, cheese, hot sauce, and many others. I think the frozen tuna cheese wraps were my favorite.

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Heading up to our high camp at 12,000ft. As you can see, sunny weather continued to dominate despite the ominous sun dogs.

Pig Hauling

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We pulled the sleds up to about 9,000ft then cached them to head up to the summit lighter and faster. Good riddens to the pigs.

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Jedlicka, meat bomb that she is, tredding lightly across the snow bridges of the broken ice around 8,000ft.

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Mark "the Haus" Dalpes won the award for logging the most sled hauling time on the trip. This time includes many hours hauling uphill. Mark also volunteered to shralp Sanford with the sled, skiing mixed terrain including Sastrugi, ice, and extreme snowbridge crossings.

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Steve "needs to grow a butt" Southardt
Steve has climbed into thin air before. His pants, however, climb down as he has nothing to hold them, or his pack, up on his back. Eating lots of butter, oil, and cheese doesn't seem to work, so we wish him luck in that endeavor.

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Ryan "Mean Stache" Audett as you can see, this is the only nick name he needs.

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Cathy Fornaris AKA "Fornarnar"

other nicknames include "Mother Incredible" and "Forgnarly"

Greetings from Mt. Sanford, AK!

2008-04-27T11:15:00.004-08:00

Ouward Bound Staff Expedition to Mt. Sanford in the Wrangell Mountians

Cathy "Fornarnar", Ryan "mean stache" Audett, Steve "needs to grow a butt" Southardt, Mark "the haus," and Mik "the destroyer" flew one at a time in Dave's Super Cub (Copper Valley Air) to 5,000ft

Another total success, good times had by all

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Little Tahoma above and crevasse jumping below.

fixed lines and snow bridges

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Sometimes pictures are better than words.

Slowly, but surely...

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Sunrise, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Hood from the Emmons Glacier.

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Up Muir Snowfield to Camp Muir

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Rope team: Bre Hickel, Nathalie Gervais, Mik Jedlicka, and Mark Dalpes.

Mark and the ladies

Tahoma/Mt. Rainier, September 21-23, 2007.

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Route: Disappointment CleaverEmmons Glacier variation.

Lucky little critters with our weather we snuck up and down between storms.

Thank you!

2007-07-30T16:20:00.000-08:00

Again we would like to thank everyone who helped us make this trip a reality for us. It was the trip of a lifetime, not just a trip, but a way of life. Although we had to pull our boats out of the water for the last time on this expedition, many new ideas were born...

Day 79

2007-07-30T15:59:00.000-08:00

The last day was our biggest at 53 miles. We paddled in brilliant sunshine with the wind at our back, through a gorgeous sunset, and into the dark where we used our ears and our compasses rather than our eyes to navigate. 21.5 hours after launch we landed in Bartlette Cove to catch the ferry back to Juneau.

Sweet sun cupped sunset turns

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We watched the sun come up over the Johns Hopkins glacier and watched it set from an unamed peak. We combined our passions for the ocean and the mountains and we felt fulfilled.

2007-07-28T11:06:00.000-08:00

Exploring the freshly revealed terrain, plant succession, and making sure our legs still work. We ran into some curious soil with quicksand properties. The ingress and egress, although different, were both great adventures.

Time for a change of perspective

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Another spectacular kitchen view

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Johns Hopkins Glacier

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A bit of icy history

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In this place a person can watch one of the earths most fundamental geological processes in action as 12 tidewater glaciers calve into the sea. The bay was inhabited long ago by the Tlingits until the glacier surged forward forcing them across the Icy Strait to Hoonah. By the time Captain George Vancouver arrived in 1794, Glacier Bay was encased in ice, just a small indentation on the chart. The glaciers have receded 65 miles since Vancouvers time, although today some advance, others retreat, and a few hold their ground.

Playin in the rain

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Glacier Bay becomes especially mysterious when the clouds veil its wonders.

Marjorie Glacier, Glacier Bay

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Backcountry baking usually provides a stunning view and the best pizza in the history of the world. The recently ice free terrain lacks the trees to hang food so the park provides bear barrels, and we had fun building a fortress.

More than one way to move a boat

2007-07-27T14:27:00.000-08:00

The northern reach of Seymour Canal presented some opportunities for us to get out of the boats and move our legs a bit. We portaged the one mile across to Oliver Inlet just south of Juneau. The tram was really fun to use once we figured out how to avoid getting run over.

The Fortress of the Bears

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Admiralty Island is home to the highest density of brown bears in North America. The island is known to the Tlingit as Kootznoowoo (Fortress of the Bear). These little fellers outnumber human residents nearly three to one. Almost everyday of the journey north of Vancouver Island we hauled our food high into the air to keep it safe from curious critters.

Whale Waters

2007-07-27T12:59:00.000-08:00

Crossing Frederick Sound, our desire to paddle with the whales was fulfilled as we were surrounded by flukes, fins, and blows. The Humpbacks accompanied us across to Admiralty Island as we continued our tour of the Alexander Archipelago. We weren't sure we were going to make the 15 miles across as we kept pausing to watch and photograph the whales, and listen to them breath.

North to Wrangell

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North to Wrangell from Ketchikan we spent a weather day in the welcoming little community of Meyers Chuck. The wealth of generous people along the way continually renewed our faith in humanity. We paddled around the east side of Wrangell Island into grizzly country amid 6,000ft peaks and the murky waters of the Stikine River.

Paddling into the sunrise towards the Devil's Thumb east of Petersburg, AK

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Living by the tide we were able to see some spectacular sunrises and sunsets. 4:30am in the land of the midnight sun catching the ebb tide northwest in the waters of the Frederick Sound.

The mighty Stikine

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Our diet was occasionally supplimented by friendly seafarers offering halibut, salmon, and king crab, yummie!! The Stikine River, its name derived from the Tlingit name Shtax' Héen, meaning "cloudy river" empties its glacier fed waters into the ocean near Wrangell after a 335 mile long journey through the rugged wilds of BC. Evidence of the river was apparent to us long before we reached Wrangell as the water grew murky with sediment. This particular morning our challenge of the day was trying not to drop all of our stuff in the mud, we didn't win.

Southeast Exposure

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Our experience in Ketchikan was such a highlight thanks to our friends at Southeast Exposure. As you can see we were pretty excited about playing in the trees on your zip line and ropes course. Thank you so much for everything, we miss you guys & girls! Thanks for taking advantage of that 160 inches of fresh rain water/year to supply your operations.

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Rugged and beautiful, we are lucky to be paddling and playing in this amazing environment.

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Just a glimpse of the thriving culture and creatures of the Pacific Northwest.

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hello from ketchikan! This photo is actually in the Desolation Sound area of BC, but we've made it to Alaska! So many adventures living a celestial life by the moon, water, wind, and animals, making new friends and learning their culture along the way.

Greetings from the Inside Passage

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Wing boys and girls

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Our good friends Jesse Berube and Bre Hickel generously helped us pack and will be joining us for the first week or so, yay!! Thank you to the Kendall-Zee family for the use of their Sweet Earth Farm for our packing scene.

Food Pack

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workin hard, packin food,

what? beer thirty?

Shopping, shopping, and a side of shopping

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Thanks Cosco, we wish you had been one of our sponsors.

Road Trip 2007

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CO-WA

new sun hats to

go with new adventures

The Expedition: Paddle for Power

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Beginning from San Juan Island, Washington and finishing in Haines, Alaska we will kayak the “Inside Passage.” Not only will we kayak approximately 1300 miles, but we will also explore some of the coastal mountain ranges of British Columbia and southeastern Alaska by backcountry skiing along the way. We plan to use two distinct modes of travel. The kayak will allow us an intimacy with the cliffed, forested and beached coastline unmatched by any other oceangoing vessel. It allows for a closer relationship with the macro marine life of sea lions, seals and whales as well as the intertidal zones teeming with micro marine life. In honor of our shared passion for skiing we will carry skis on our kayaks as our second mode of travel. Similar to the intimacy of kayaking, this will allow us to explore the snow-covered peaks, which span the entire coast from Washington to Alaska.

The power behind the paddle

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As concerns about rising fossil fuel prices, climate change, and energy security increase, utilizing clean, local, and inexhaustible renewable energy resources can play a key role in addressing those concerns. We encourage you to help support renewable energy use and renewable resource development and awareness. Our upcoming expedition offers an outlet for you to support our sustainable, renewable energy powered future. One of our goals is to raise money and awareness for Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP.) REAP is as coalition of over forty organizations from across Alaska including urban and rural utilities, businesses, environmental groups, consumer groups, Alaska Native organizations, and State and Federal agencies, all working together to increase the development of renewable energy in Alaska. REAP believes that for economic and environmental reasons, Alaska, the United States, and the Earth will benefit greatly from the rapid development of renewable energy resources and that Alaska can and should be a leader in such development.

Expedition Members

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Name: Mark Dalpes
Hometown: Idaho Springs, Colorado
In one word: Peace
Call Sign: Dr. Booty
Personal motto: Make decisions out of inspiration not desperation

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Name: Mik Jedlicka
Hometown: New London, Minnesota
In one word: Vibrant
Call Sign: Pinito
Personal motto: Break your own trail