Here we are at the trailhead. Everyone is smiling because we have no idea what we are all in for!  

Day 1, still some hint of hygiene. By day 9 people were throwing up in their mouths when they smelled us.  

I LOVE HIKING! 

Faith, Brandy, and Esther in their outdoor kitchen. expert chef's by the end of the trip.  

we hiked next to this great river for the first part of the trip 

This was one of the most beautiful spots on the trail. We would stop along the way for some "refreshing". Faith already had some crazy blisters by this point. (day 2 ) This was our last long break before the neverending uphill hike. 

A great spot for camp we found in the tall pines.  

Taking a break at the rock climbing site. Spencer was teaching on keeping a biblical mindset in times of suffering or trials. Very practical as we were struck by lightning the day before and were about to have our second close call about an hour after this picture was taken. (The biblical mindset is that God is using all things to make us Christians like His son Jesus.) 

Check out Michaels's sweet rain gear. This was a water refill. We had to get all of our water from creeks or rivers, then purify it. It was a really cool experience having everything you need to live for a couple of weeks in your backpack. We could have been dropped off almost anywhere and as long as we had a water source we were ok. 

Erika, D'nae, Michaela, eating some tasty backcountry food they whipped up. (Esther was checking to see if they had any left overs) 

A shot of our kiva's (the type of tent we used). We became pro's at setting these things up. They are 5 sided, held down with stakes or rocks and only have one pole in the middle (no floor). Simple, lightweight, they keep most of the rain out, and you get to learn about all sorts of insects and slugs through out your stay!
 

We did some serious mt. diking at a place called tsali (saulie). We rode some world class trails, (sometimes too fast) winding through the trees around a beautiful lake with only inches seperating us from a long fall down some steep cliffs! (Erika and Chad forgot to look tough for this picture) 

Our last day in the woods. This was after two epic runs on the pigeon river and our first day of sun in a long time.