The most important thing first: The Starliner launch at Kennedy Space Center has been pushed from May 21 to May 25. This means there is no way I can see it (I'll be out of the area) so I cannot contort the ride schedule to get to the Cape two days early to watch the launch.

Up and out pretty early. It was already heating up. I rode past several promising breakfast joints, but they weren’t open yet. Ah, a Waffle House! I just couldn’t. I needed something else.

I'm still getting up later than I want to. I was up late last night as I banged out the daily blog. I'm afraid I'm getting a little long with these. To paraphrase Mark Twain, "I'm sorry I wrote so much. I was too tired to write less."

Last night I was gently rocked to sleep by lightning, thunder and rain sheeting against the windows. So calming! Why, because the storm came early, at bedtime, instead of a few hours later, after midnight. It was moving faster than predicted, which means it would be well past me sooner than predicted. Furthermore, the winds following it would be veering to the southwest, which means...tailwind!

Upon completion of Backcountry Leadership Training, you will be ready to lead a weeklong backpacking trip in the Cascade, Olympic or Rockies mountains.

You’ll learn core technical backpacking skills required for wilderness travel and camping through a combination of classroom sessions, field days, and overnight trips.

We’ll provide you with the planning tools for backcountry trips, with a special focus on how to work with teenagers and to facilitate groups. We’ll teach you the strategies for decision-making and risk management in backcountry and in low angle environments (that is, not climbing).

Upon completion of Mountaineering Leadership Training, you will be ready to lead an ascent of a glaciated volcano in the Pacific Northwest.

You’ll learn core technical mountaineering skills required for glacier travel and camping through a combination of classroom sessions, field days, and overnight trips.

We’ll provide you with the planning tools for alpine trips, with a special focus on how to work with teenagers and to facilitate groups. We’ll teach you the strategies for decision-making and risk management in alpine environments.

Upon completion of Sea Kayak Leadership Training, you will be ready to lead a weeklong kayaking trip in the San Juans Islands or South Puget Sound areas.

You’ll learn core sea kayaking skills required for safe open water travel, camping and trip management in inland marine environments through a combination of classroom sessions, field days, and overnight trips.

We’ll provide you with the planning tools for sea kakaking trips, with a special focus on how to work with teenagers and to facilitate groups. We’ll teach you the strategies for decision-making and risk management in inland marine environments.

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We’ll provide you with the planning tools for whitewater rafting trips, with a special focus on how to work with teenagers and to facilitate groups. We’ll teach you the strategies for decision-making and risk management in a Class III reiver environment.