Powder Alert - Grab Your 42" Snorkel!

Wyoming and Idaho's Teton backcountry has gotten a whopping 42" of mouth-watering powder in the last five days. That's right, NOLS' Teton Valley Branch is awash in puffy, face-splashing, white nirvana-from-the-sky.

It's been a great snow year so far, with more on the way. That means it's also a great year for our snowboarding, backcountry skiing, alumni telemarking and winter outdoor educator courses. Check out the recent photo by instructor John Fitzgerald.

Isn't it time you grabbed your boards and cut some turns with NOLS? Better wear goggles.

Cook Caitie whips up another delicious treat!

As instructors for ADO 8/4 began their first day of briefing yesterday, our Kitchen Manager Caitie prepared a special treat for them. Caitie, who is well-known in the kitchen for such delicious dishes as "Thai Coconut Chicken Pasta" and "Sundried Tomato and Mozzarella Risotto", presented them not only with delicious, homemade banana-molasses bread, but also with a specialty that she calls "Tahitian Yum-Yum Smoothies". In the following interview, Caitie reveals to you and me the secret behind this tasty treat!

Kristen: Caitie,  you're the kitchen manager and cook here at NOLS TVB -- how's the summer been for you?
Caitie: The summer has been surprising. I've encountered many challenges as well as many successes, one of them being my Tahitian Yum-Yum Smoothies.
K: Mmm! Sounds delicious! (Caitie nods in agreement.) What exactly is a Tahitian Yum-Yum Smoothie?
C: Well, Kristen, Tahitian Yum-Yums are more than just a smoothie. They start with an entirely vegan-friendly base, the star ingredient of which is coconut milk. After the base, you can add whatever you want -- various fruits, vegetables and supplemental protein poweders -- you are NOT limited to the produce of Tahiti. I like to stick to the bare essentials -- bananas and berries.
K: So why call it a Tahitian Yum-Yum if the produce is not native to Tahiti?
C: When confronted with the decision of what to name this unique blended drink, I called upon the memory of my favorite childhood beverage, Tahitian Treat (a.k.a. Hawaiian Punch). The sweet yet tangy experience I deliver with my smoothie is reminiscent of the delicious, exotic flavor of Tahitian Treat.
K: That's fantastic! I tried a Tahitian Yum-Yum myself this morning, and man was it yummy!
C: This pleases me.
K: Do you have any more culinary surprises in store for the rest of the summer?
C: Well, Kristen, due to a high number of dairy alleries, my most exciting entree has been postponed -- Ten Cheese Macaroni, as requested by Scott Palmer, our Issue Room Manager. This dish will definitely make an appearance of at the Teton Valley Branch before the end of the summer.
K: Thanks so much for your time and your delicious food, Caitie! I can't wait to see which chesses you choose for Ten Cheese Macaroni.
C: My pleasure.

Cook Caitie with her Tahitian Yum-Yums!

Tahitian Yum Yums! (Serves 4)
Base:
1 part soy milk
1 part coconut milk
1 part Orange Juice

Blend together in a blender:
2 cups base
4 frozen bananas
2 cups fruits and vegetables of your choice*
*If using  all frozen fruits/veggies, you may need to add more orange juice to thin out the smoothie.

NOLS TVB Going Strong!

Phew! The TVB is gearing down for a bit of a break for the next 5 days, but that's not to say that there hasn't been a lot going on here! As the WFR students finished up their course and headed back home, the in-town staff here at NOLS TVB got right back in the game and welcomed 2 adventure courses to town: ADO 7/17-1 and ADO 7/17-2! The courses are going hiking for two weeks in the Wyoming Range and the Pallisades, respectively. We also have the students from the NOLS/Orvis Wilderness Fly Fishing course staying the night as they pass through on their way back to Lander -- it sounds like they had a GREAT time! (After a month of fishing and backpacking with some of the best instructors, curriculum and gear, how could you not have a good time?) For the next week, though, many of the in-town staff are heading to various locations across the country in search of fun and adventure, so things will (hopefully!) be pretty quiet around the branch. But don't despair! Until the next entry is published, you can get your NOLS TVB fix on our Flickr! website: http://www.flickr.com/groups/nols_teton_valley/ !

Students and instructors from ADO 7/17-1 -- it's a good thing they'll be getting lots of orienteering practice in the field...

ADO 7/17-2 getting ready to drive to the Pallisades!

ADX-6/14 Returns!

This evening, the four river instructors from ADX-6/14 and their 12 students returned from the river section of their month-long wilderness expedition! They were all happy to arrive after a 12.5-hour long drive from their take-out at Carey Creek to warm showers and a hot dinner. The students left the TVB on June 15 for their two-week hiking section in the Beaverhead Mountains, and then met up with their new river instructors at the Salmon base for their two-week rafting section on the Main Fork of the Salmon River. The entire group was in high spirits, and all of the in-town staff were thrilled for their safe return. On behalf of everybody at NOLS TVB, Congratulations ADX-6/14 on a job well done!

Instructors Travis, Meesh, Liza and Mani posing for the camera in front of a beautiful Teton Valley sunset.

Students from ADX-6/14 happy to be back at the TVB! (Top row: Brad, Simon, Max, Gabby, Jeremy, Lexi; Bottom Row: Tim, Lloyd, David, Charli, Nick; Not pictured: Olivia)

ADX 7/8/2007 On their way!

    The instructors of ADX 7/8/07, Jim, Chris and Brendan were all excited to head off for the mountains this afternoon! They're heading out for the next month with their 11 adventure students for a month-long backpacking and rafting adventure course -- first up: 2 weeks of backpacking in the Beaverhead Mountains! Their students arrived last night and began their day early this morning to prepare for the next month in the field.
    Meanwhile, WFR students continued to conduct many gruesome-looking scenarios on the lawn outside (all with great outcomes so far!). Their extensive supply of popsicles and cold water seem to be getting them through the long, hot days so far -- we're all looking forward to their BIG scenario day next week, so stay tuned!

In this photo: Instructors Jim, Chris and Brendan just before leaving for the Beaverheads!

And in this photo: Adventure students (from left to right) Simon, Hannah, Cooper, Emily, John, Diana, Abbie, Wilton, Roscoe, James and Chris all smiling for the camera before going out in the field -- Good Luck, everybody!

New NOLS TVB Blog!

Hello to everybody checking out the new blog for the NOLS Teton Valley Branch!  We're pretty well into our season here at the TVB, but we've got a couple of months left for us this summer, and we hope you'll check in from time to time to see what we're up to here.

So far this summer we've already seen five courses come and go, and we've still got one hiking and rafting adventure course in the field. Wow! Now we're gearing up for the rest of the summer and getting excited to meet the rest of our students and instructors!

In other news, the TVB is hosting a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course through the Wilderness Medical Institute for the next 11 days. Today was their first official day of class, and instructors Erica and Iris have lots in store for their 30 students for the next week and a half!

In this photo, WFR students check the vitals of a patient during a scenario on the front lawn. What a classroom!

 

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