Each day we typically:
• Backpack 3-8 miles
• Have solo journal time
• Engage in one on one dialogue with staff
• Participate in group (Truth Circle)
• Do daily chores
• Participate in group activities
• Have fun
Each day a different youth is selected to be leader for the day. The leader is responsible for motivating and guiding the group through each step of the day. The leader learns to take a role in supporting the physical and emotional safety of the entire group.
While occasionally the group will layover for a day or two in one campsite, most days are spent hiking from one location to the next along a 120 mile itinerary. An average day’s hike is around five miles, but some days can be much longer.
After the group arrives at the desired camp location, there is much to do. The youth leader will make sure camp gets set up and everyone does their chores. Solo time, journal work, one on one time with staff, and free time follow. A cooking fire must be made (by friction), and the group cooks dinner.
After dinner is the time for Truth Circle. This is an opportunity to engage in conversation on a much deeper level, a time for the teens to discuss their challenges, struggles, hopes, dreams, families, and histories. Staff support and guide this conversation, but it is the teens who ultimately make Truth Circle a time for real personal growth and discovery.
We hope every day will provide a blend of challenge, fun, introspection, and meaningful conversation.
"Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another."
~Juvenal, Satires