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.