8th Grade Revels on Mt. Rainier

The 8th grade fanned out to three different destinations on Mt. Rainier for early September backpacking: Owhyhi Lakes, Berkeley Park, and Glacier Basin. We enjoyed perfect weather, wildlife and blueberries galore, and spectacular vistas.
Mt. Rainier is absolutely teeming with wildlife! Our early fall sightings included black bears, mountain goats, marmots, pika, a doe with it's fawn, and elk. And we heard coyotes howl!

As usual, the trips sought a balance between the outdoor skills of packing, hiking, tents, cooking and safe, leave-no-trace wilderness travel, as well as the human skills of self-care, cooperation, leadership, and communication.





Diagramming glaciers, journals, group games, solo sits, solo hiking, and talking stick councils were valuable activities.




And no Explorer West adventure is complete without some SERIOUS fun -- like a boys versus girls costume contest!
We look forward to our winter adventures beginning in January with snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, alpine skiing and snowboarding!