On Course in NC with Montreat

I feel high tech because I'm writing this post while I am on a course! Ok, so I'm not in the woods yet, but here's a peak into the course so far. (A reminder of what I'm doing: I am instructing a three-week Wilderness Education Association Course for Montreat College's Outdoor Education majors. Montreat College is Christian school in western North Carolina. The course will take place in the western mountains of the state in Pisgah National Forest.)

I arrived down here this past Friday. I had forgotten how beautiful this place is! There are mountains everywhere...


a quaint little town of Black Mountain...


a resort-like town and campus of Montreat College...



and an incredible old house where I'm staying.


I'll soon be leaving this all behind, but for now it's great.

We have been having class with students (in this photo learning about clothing use and selection)...


packing food and making other preparations...


When I'm not with the students I'm meeting with the instructors (Andrew, Katie, and Woody)...


and when I haven't been meeting with instructors I've been preparing lessons, updating my blog, making last phone calls and emails, and packing my pack! A lot of this has happened in my bedroom (the sweetest place I've ever stayed in course preparation)....


I'm getting to know the students because they live next to "my" house and I eat meals with them. Tonight one of the guys baked a cake, which spontaneously morphed into a decorated bunny/cat cake...

...and a frosting and Nutella battle! (This entailed trying to smear each other's faces with frosting and Nutella). With help from other participants, Julie got the raw end of the deal.)


Check out the slideshow for additional photos. I have to get some sleep tonight! A long day of preparation and meetings await me for tomorrow, then it's off to the field on Wednesday!