Rocky Face Climbing, Valle Country Fair Set Up and Clean Up, and Trail Building

Rocky Face Climbing

Mountain Alliance took our first ever trip to Rocky Face Recreational Area to go climbing! "It was really cool to get to go to Rocky Face, as it was the first time Mountain Alliance has had a trip there." said junior Lucy Edy. "There were some really fun climbs that I got to do. I climbed three times, and the third was the hardest, but the most rewarding." Rocky Face is a man-made crag. It was a quarry in the early to mid 1900’s and has been turned into a really cool climbing site. Lucy said that she learned "what old fashioned climbing shoes look like (like elf shoes!). I also got better at climbing and belaying." The close proximity of the climbs to the parking area allowed for the group to get a ton of climbing in - we had a total of 6 climbs set up at once and had most of the area to ourselves. "Overall it was a really fun trip," said Lucy. "I got to do what I really love, which is climb. Climbing trips are my favorite."

Valle Country Fair Set Up

Some students traveled out to Valle Crucis to help with the set up of the Valle Country Fair. The weather was chilly, but they didn't let that stop them from getting the work done - the group worked so hard that they actually finished ahead of schedule! Senior Paul Wellborn said he "had a fun experience working with all the people that were on the trip, carrying table and chairs and tents." When asked what the most memorable part of the trip was, Paul simply answered, "Being with great people." There's rumor that there was a bit of dancing that went on during this trip, too. Dancing plus service makes for a great trip!

Valle Country Fair Clean Up

Hike to a waterfall, go to the Valle Country Fair, do some service. Sounds like a great way to spend a Saturday and that's exactly what a group of Mountain Alliance students did on Saturday, October 18th. "It was great," said freshman Isaac Maling. "We enjoyed a nature hike to a beautiful waterfall, got to tour the fair, and we provided some service to the community by helping take down tents, tables, etc." Some students even joined the group AFTER taking the PSAT. That's dedication! Isaac said the most memorable part of the trip for him was probably "how we used such great teamwork to take down the fair." The Valle Country Fair is donating some money to Mountain Alliance to thank us for all of the work that we did!

Trail Building

Our second group of the school year took 13 students over to the Boone United Trail to continue work on a section of the trail. This is one in a long line of trips to Boone United Methodist to work on the trail. They picked up the tool case about halfway up and set off for the top of the trail where they cleared the trail of leaves, sticks, etc and dug new sections of it. "I learned about an awesome trail behind the United Methodist Church and how to build trails," said freshman Elias Goebeler of the trip. "The most memorable thing from this trip was after we finished building a part of the trail, me and a few others ran full speed down the trail to the bottom." Elias also said that he accomplished his goals of community service and having fun.