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On the second expedition undertaken by the NORSA, Ben Williams took Steve Maczynksi's place as GPOC moderator. Still a high school club, membership was hard to come by, so once again there were only six crew members. Most of the crew were return campers from the first trip to the Monongahela. This trip had Adam and Tom, Manuel and Denis, and newcomer, Scott Umosella, in addition, to "Uncle" Ben Williams.
The trip was a two night expedition with a hike in from the trailhead planned
for the first day. At the trailhead, the hike began smoothly and by late
afternoon the backpackers were pitching their tents and preparing dinner and the
fire. Base camp was a beautiful little site about 400 feet from a crystal clear
stream. After some much needed rest that night, the crew awoke to begin the day
hike planned for the second day. Using Denis as a packmule to carry the food and
gear, they set off downstream in search of natural waterslides. After about four
and a half miles of easy hiking the came upon a beautiful area where the river
forked and had some gorgeous waterfalls. The guys played in the waterfalls for
most of the day, taking advantage of the cool winter-melt-water to get relief
from the heat. After a delicious lunch of mackerel, oyster, and peanut butter
filled tortillas, they set out back upstream to the base camp. Once there, Adam
began to prepare dinner and Tom started another fire while Manuel and Denis
hunted crawdads to go with dinner. Paella and crayfish were served for
dinner and Adam made his usual cake-in-a-bag, this time blueberry/banana cake.
Delicious! The following day, the crew struck the camp and headed out to the
trailhead where the journey started. Everyone had a wonderful time, and it is
likely that they will never forget it.
 The crew poses before beginning their three-day journey into the wild. |
 A picture of the men heading down the trail toward the designated spot for base camp. |
 Tom leads the way along the trail while the crew follows close behind him. |
 "Uncle" Ben uses his personal walking stability device to balance precariously on a stepping stone. |
 The crew sits around the fire and tell one another stories from civilization. |
 Adam prepares bacon for breakfast the morning of the second day in the forest. |
 Adam enjoys Crystal "Meth," the camp drink of choice, while Tom pokes at rock-baked bread. |
 "Uncle" Ben leads the way downstream while Denis hauls all the gear for the crew. |
 Tom and Scott take a break to pose for a picture on the way downtstream. |
 Adam photographs the flow of the river while Manuel and Tom pose for a picture. |
 The guys take a rest to get ready for the cold water that's waiting in the stream. |
 This was a tricky path to follow the riverbank down to where the waterfalls. |
 Tom takes time out to contemplate the purpose of humanity while "listening to the river." |
 Everyone cools off with some swimming in the basin of a waterfall. |
 "Uncle" Ben plunges down one of the many natural waterslides the Monongahela has to offer. |
 Denis, Tom, and Manuel take a quick shower under a waterfall before going further downstream. |
 An anthropologist gets a lucky photo of a NORSA tribal meeting. |
 If these guys were in a band, this would make a great album cover. |
 Denis shoots a picture of the crew posing underneath one the many beautiful waterfalls. |
 The guys pile under an outcropping as the river flows over their heads. |
 Tom claims a cascade for himself after climbing up it. |
 Manuel and Tom put on their GQ look at the foot of this waterfall. |
 Denis and Adam go back upstream the hard way. |
 The NORSA co-founders pose under yet another crystal waterfall. |
 Adam and Benny D. play frisbee across the stream after lunch. |
 Denis and Manuel begin their hunt for crayfish to go with dinner. |
 The unfortunate critters meet their demise ... their tasty demise. |
 Manuel poses with his catch of the day before everyone digs in. |
 A display of the delicious meal from the second night out. |
 Benny D. enjoys Adam's blueberry/banana cake-in-a-bag. |
 The crew at the completion of their journey pose for another photo at the trailhead. |
Back to NORSA Main |  The guys load their gear into the van before returning to civilization after a great trip. |