Road Trip USA (Summer 2017)

One year ago Chris Magee and I found ourselves sharing a homestay in Cuidad Sandino, Nicaragua doing the fieldwork portion of our Global Competency Certificate Program. During this time we learned that we each liked exploring the outdoors. He then suggested that we go fishing and portaging in Minnesota in the Boundary Water (portaging means canoeing across a lake, then carrying your canoe and gear to the next, and then repeating). 

I said yes, and one year later I found myself facing the dilemma of how to get to Minnesota - plane, car, train, bus, bike, rollerblade (jk) ??? After the presidential election and feeling like I didn't understand our country very well, in addition to wanting to see many of the USA's national parks to make a (car) road trip out of it. 

It would last 32 days, cover 6,700 miles, and require 5 audio books. It was long, at times it was lonely, it was very hot, but it was so worthwhile!

I spent most of my time in the geologically-interesting parts of the Western USA i.e. Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, and then spent a bunch of time in Oregon visiting my aunt and uncle who live on the Mackenzie River in Vida, and then camping with friends at Diamond Lake thirty minutes north of Crater Lake.

You can see the route I take from the picture below (blue means outward bound, and orange means homeward bound).

Here is a link to pictures from the places I went. Enjoy!

Outdoor Summer Fun with Students and Friends

I am truly blessed. During the second half of summer vacation I was able to be in the outdoors in three different settings with three different groups of people: the first was a week-long backpacking and outdoor skills camp with 7th & 8th graders located in Santa Rosa; the second was a 5-day running camp with 19 high schoolers located on the west side of Lake Tahoe; the third was a backpacking trip with three friends on the JMT trails located in Sierra Nevada Mts. between Mammoth Mountain and Yosemite National Park.

The 7th and 8th Grade Backpacking and Outdoor Skills Camp

The purpose of this camp was a to equip handful of pre-teens with the skills and confidence to be able to venture into the outdoors on their own.

We hiked up Taylor Mt. to get an idea what physical exertion feels like and how to stay protected from the sun among other things.

Jim, another teacher at Sonoma Academy, came and gave a guest lesson on the geology of Taylor Mt.

We put out backpacking skills to the test at Sugarloaf Ridge State park where we completed 4 or so mile loop with all our gear on our backs. 

I was proud of how our crew handled it.

They set up their tents on their own.

Had some fun slack-lining,

and even cooked for themselves. In fact they had to plan and purchase their own food for a dinner, break, lunch and snacks during out overnight.

Ramen with broccoli ... not too shabby!

My friend Bill also came in and did a lesson on orienteering. 

High School Cross Country Camp

Going away for camp to kick off the cross country (XC) season is annual tradition of many cross country teams. Sonoma Academy's XC team goes up to the west side of Lake Tahoe for its camp. It is 5 days of a wonderfully simple agenda: run, swim, eat, repeat, hangout, and sleep. I don't have a ton of photos but here are some.

This is the eat part.

This is more of the eating part. What would you expect from a group of high school athletes?!

John Muir Trail: Part II

To finish the summer I had the opportunity to do another section of the John Muir Trail with three friends over the course of four days. Here is a link to pictures of that.