2006-08-23
UCLA Trip (Aug 9 - 15)
My trip to UCLA consisted of two separate parts. The first part was the Wilderness Welcome which entailed backpacking at the Kern River. The second part of my trip was the UCLA orientation.
Day 1
The Wilderness Welcome started off with guides and kids sitting at benches at the Rec Center at UCLA. Nine kids and four guides were going rock climbing. Six kids, including myself, and two guides were going backpacking. That night all twenty-one of us slept on the dry patch of dirt between the sprinklers.
Day 2
The next morning the two groups parted our ways. We had a five hour drive to the Kern River ahead of us. This consisted of the game "Two Truths and a Lie" for much of the way. I also found out dried shrimp is one of the worst Mexican treats to buy in a gas station. After arriving we realized we had forgotten propane. The two guides split up so Sheela could go back and buy propane while Regina lead us down to a camping spot. The five-star rating system was tested out on the first night by many of us (you probably don't want to know). The view of the stars that night were twenty times better than the view in LA.
Day 3
In the morning we made pancakes. We hiked 5.5 miles to the Big Kern and set up camp there that night. There were bugs at this campsite during the day but they settled down by sunset. We made hummus, pita, falafel, and onions for dinner. Regina and Sheela brought cheesecake mix for us to prepare a surprise dessert. We used a shallow part of the river to "refrigerate" our cheesecake. I ate all the leftover pudding-like cheesecake mix out of a Nalgene bottle with a knife. Both of our water pumps also broke this day and we had to boil river water to make it drinkable. The dinner was delicious. We spent most of the night solving riddles.
Day 4
On the last morning of our adventure at the Kern River we almost had oatmeal for breakfast. I say "almost" because our propane ran out so we couldn't boil anymore water. We hiked back all 8 miles that day. I drank my two cleanest water bottles first. I saved the one with the most sediment for the last two miles of the journey. We each hiked the last 2 miles back individually. I made it back first but only because I convinced myself there would be clean water at the top. We stopped for ice cream and In N Out on the way back. Once we got back to campus the three of us were staying for orientation tried checking into our rooms early so we could shower and change. They said we'd have to wait an hour and come back. It's a good thing this happened because if it hadn't I probably wouldn't have found four computers which turned out to be very useful throughout the week. After the nights activities I met my roommate and went to sleep instead of trying to stay up till 1am to see a meteor shower through the LA pollution.
Day 5
The first day of orientation consisted mostly of introductions and meeting people. I was in a panic for a while this day because I wasn't sure how my math course would transfer, but everything turned out better than I expected. The day ended in a Cabaret performed by the orientation counselors. I walked into Westwood with some kids I had met during the first day at orientation and during the Wilderness Welcome. I love that there is an In N Out burger so close to campus.
Day 6
I slept in on the second morning because I didn't need to take any placement exams and the morning workshops did not interest me. This day and night consisted mostly of trying to find which courses I should take and what times and days were available for me. After everyone finished selecting their classes we all participated in Carpe Noctem, a late-night scavenger hunt. Afterwards I was very tired and used a vending machine for a late-night snack. I think I finally went to bed at 3am.
Day 7
The next morning we signed up for our classes. I didn't get the times I wanted for my classes but I'll probably get better luck next quarter. The Wellness discussion was awesome. A three hour tour of campus followed after lunchtime. I was glad to be heading home but I already miss UCLA.
Day 1
The Wilderness Welcome started off with guides and kids sitting at benches at the Rec Center at UCLA. Nine kids and four guides were going rock climbing. Six kids, including myself, and two guides were going backpacking. That night all twenty-one of us slept on the dry patch of dirt between the sprinklers.
Day 2
The next morning the two groups parted our ways. We had a five hour drive to the Kern River ahead of us. This consisted of the game "Two Truths and a Lie" for much of the way. I also found out dried shrimp is one of the worst Mexican treats to buy in a gas station. After arriving we realized we had forgotten propane. The two guides split up so Sheela could go back and buy propane while Regina lead us down to a camping spot. The five-star rating system was tested out on the first night by many of us (you probably don't want to know). The view of the stars that night were twenty times better than the view in LA.
Day 3
In the morning we made pancakes. We hiked 5.5 miles to the Big Kern and set up camp there that night. There were bugs at this campsite during the day but they settled down by sunset. We made hummus, pita, falafel, and onions for dinner. Regina and Sheela brought cheesecake mix for us to prepare a surprise dessert. We used a shallow part of the river to "refrigerate" our cheesecake. I ate all the leftover pudding-like cheesecake mix out of a Nalgene bottle with a knife. Both of our water pumps also broke this day and we had to boil river water to make it drinkable. The dinner was delicious. We spent most of the night solving riddles.
Day 4
On the last morning of our adventure at the Kern River we almost had oatmeal for breakfast. I say "almost" because our propane ran out so we couldn't boil anymore water. We hiked back all 8 miles that day. I drank my two cleanest water bottles first. I saved the one with the most sediment for the last two miles of the journey. We each hiked the last 2 miles back individually. I made it back first but only because I convinced myself there would be clean water at the top. We stopped for ice cream and In N Out on the way back. Once we got back to campus the three of us were staying for orientation tried checking into our rooms early so we could shower and change. They said we'd have to wait an hour and come back. It's a good thing this happened because if it hadn't I probably wouldn't have found four computers which turned out to be very useful throughout the week. After the nights activities I met my roommate and went to sleep instead of trying to stay up till 1am to see a meteor shower through the LA pollution.
Day 5
The first day of orientation consisted mostly of introductions and meeting people. I was in a panic for a while this day because I wasn't sure how my math course would transfer, but everything turned out better than I expected. The day ended in a Cabaret performed by the orientation counselors. I walked into Westwood with some kids I had met during the first day at orientation and during the Wilderness Welcome. I love that there is an In N Out burger so close to campus.
Day 6
I slept in on the second morning because I didn't need to take any placement exams and the morning workshops did not interest me. This day and night consisted mostly of trying to find which courses I should take and what times and days were available for me. After everyone finished selecting their classes we all participated in Carpe Noctem, a late-night scavenger hunt. Afterwards I was very tired and used a vending machine for a late-night snack. I think I finally went to bed at 3am.
Day 7
The next morning we signed up for our classes. I didn't get the times I wanted for my classes but I'll probably get better luck next quarter. The Wellness discussion was awesome. A three hour tour of campus followed after lunchtime. I was glad to be heading home but I already miss UCLA.
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