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By: Rowan Winston
When the Wyoming Warriors returned from their second expedition, they were all treated to a delicious dinner prepared by our mentors Dylan and Ed. They roasted a whole chicken and stuffed it full of apples and onions! After that R&R, they had a better idea of what a base phase should look like. The Gappers started with a thorough check of all of their gear (they had forgotten some important gear last ex), spot cleaning of the van, and a nice long shower. Exceeding everyone’s expectations, the Warriors had an extremely productive day of Ex planning on Sunday. They figured out their route, their stops, and how long they would spend each day at their destinations. They cranked through it so well and so quickly that they had time to watch a movie in Jackson Hole!
The Warriors lived up to their name on the fourth day of base, by going to the local riflery range. The goal that day was to be precise, not accurate. Accuracy is trying to hit a certain spot on the target. Precision is consistently hitting the same general area and getting your shots close together. The more precise a gapper was with their .22 the more shots they got with the Mosin-Nagant. This can be applied to being consistent in life, and not just hoping to occasionally succeed while not being consistent.
The Warriors got to use the local town gym this base phase. Some people had workout plans made with Ed, to help them achieve their fitness goals. The team learned how to use gym equipment properly. If the gappers could not go to the gym after their volunteering or college classes, the team would go to the local park and toss around the football or play a game of basketball.
College classes this phase were all about finances and insurance. In the first class, an insurance saleswoman taught the gappers about car insurance, health insurance, and renters insurance. They were taught about how to get the best deals on insurance. The second class taught the group about mortgages, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, loans, and banks. The third class was a money-saving game, where the gappers had to save $690 with an income of $300 a month. They also had to get 92 health and social points which could be achieved by writing down that they saw a movie, hung out with friends, ate out, or saw a concert. Some people didn’t save enough, but they got the health and social points. Others saved more than enough but did not get to the goal of social and health points. Their final exam was also that day, and the Warriors rocked the test!
The Warriors had a very relaxing time at base this phase. They chose to stay on base during the weekend, and rest up after so much driving during our previous ex. To celebrate Grant’s birthday weekend, Grant chose to take the crew to the aquatic center to swim and hang out in saunas and steam rooms. His family also treated the whole group to dinner at the Cowboy Cafe! The group brought pies from the cafe back to base too.
The gappers had a “plan your own day” on the 16th of November. Half the group chose to stay at base and participate in an archery tournament and the other half went to the aquatic center. For the rest of the day they had the choice to be productive in their own way, and they could have some nice personal time. Hopefully, this will be a privilege that the gappers get to continue using throughout the year.
In the next phase, the gappers will be exploring caves in Great Basin National Park, taking a college tour and volunteering in Las Vegas, hiking in Death Valley, backcountry climbing in Joshua Tree National Park, cooking a thanksgiving meal in Valley of Fire, and soaking at Meadow Hot Springs.
That’s the end of this blog post! The blog post for the third expedition will come out in two weeks. The Warriors are very excited for their adventure!
About the Author
Rowan Winston made this blog. He is 18 years old and he loves nature, meditation, and animals. He has been at SOAR since 2014. He is from Los Angeles, California.