|
2012 Summer Backpack Adventures
Walden West Backpack Adventures was created to extend a wilderness experience to junior high and high school students in the summer. The participants learn backpacking skills that include following a topographical map, campsite setup, backcountry cooking, and leave no trace ethics. They also gain cooperation and communication skills as they face and overcome obstacles as a small, self-reliant group.
Select a trip
Lost Coast (6-Day)
The "Lost Coast" is a small strip of land jutting into the Pacific, located in Humboldt County. The Lost Coast is unique because it represents one of the few coastlines in America where human impacts are light. This 25 mile hike will give an excellent opportunity to view sea lions, tide pools, spectacular spring wildflowers, and will give plenty of time to relax on the beach. The Lost Coast is truly a spectacular meeting of land and sea.
Big Basin (3-Day)
This trip is a perfect opportunity for beginners to learn backpacking skills in our local mountains. The group of 12 students, 2 instructors and 1 assistant leader will start at Jay camp in Big Basin, where they will sleep beneath giant old growth redwoods. The next day, after hiking 6 miles out to our camp, we will relax while enjoying the gorgeous water falls and everything else this magical place has to offer.
Walden West to the Sea (5-Day)
This hike is a wonderful opportunity to explore the Santa Cruz Mountains on the Skyline-to-the-Sea trail, a 35 mile journey to the ocean from the Walden West Center. On the first night, we will camp in Castle Rock State Park, enjoying its sandstone cliffs and ocean views. The next day we will descend to Big Basin State Park. After enjoying the beautiful Golden, Silver and Berry Creek Falls, we will hike the final stretch to the ocean and relax on the beach, celebrating our accomplishment.
Kings Canyon (9-day)
Kings Canyon begins with a scenic drive to Cedar Grove campground along the south fork of Kings River. There we will acclimate for a night at elevation before beginning our 8 day loop. Our journey will take us up and over the 12,000 ft. Glen Pass via Bubbs Creek passing numerous high elevation lakes along the way. Cresting over Glen Pass will surely make you feel as if you're on top of the world. One destination where we will spend some time will be the Rae Lakes area that words fail to describe. The views are epic and the jumping rocks and swimming are hard to beat. Bring a fishing pole too, if you are able, as the fishing can be equally rewarding. We will finish our loop, exiting down the pristine Woods Creek, keeping a sharp eye out for one of the legendary broken down shacks of Shorty Lovelace, a midget fur trapper (no joke!) who spent his winters in the backcountry. Participants on this trip should expect a strenuous but extremely rewarding adventure, sure to create memories to last a lifetime.
Yosemite (9-Day)
Our trip to Yosemite National Park begins with a volunteer work project in the valley. We will spend our first 2 nights car camping in the Yellow Pines volunteer campground. When not on duty doing our project, we can relax in the Merced river and spend our nights chatting by the campfire. On day 3, we will get an early start to catch a one way bus to Tuolumne Meadows. Once dropped off, there is only one way to get back to the valley! Our backpacking journey takes us up Rafferty Creek to the picturesque 10,000 ft. Booth Lake. From there, we descend and follow the Merced river, stopping for a leisurely layover day at Babcock Lake. One night will be spent in the lesser known area called Echo Valley, a little gem we like to call "the perfect camp". Depending on the flow of water in the Merced, there are numerous natural waterslides to take advantage of along the way, not the least of which known as Bunnell Cascade. The trip tops off with an ascent of Half Dome, followed by a final hike down the glorious Mist trail to take in Nevada and Vernal falls before reuniting with our van and heading home.
Sequoia National Park (5-day)
This is a beautiful out and back adventure designed as a beginner trip to the sierras. The first day will be spent acclimating and exploring awe inspiring giant sequoias and the famous General Sherman tree, the largest giant sequoia tree on earth. Then we will make our way above tree line to Heather, Emerald and Pear Lakes where we will set up a base camp to day-hike the beautiful Tablelands and Moose Lake area. Distance of daily travel can and will be flexible to the needs of the participants. Memories of giant trees, beautiful granite bound lakes, and stunning vistas will be etched in your mind forever.
Guide to choose your trip EASY pack wt. 25 - 30lbs on day 1Mileage between 4 - 8 mi/day | Altitude below 2000 ft.
Mileage between 5 - 9 mi/day | Altitude: below 8000 ft.
Mileage between 5 - 11 mi/day | Altitude: anywhere from 5000 - 12000 ft.
Forms and Resources Participant Forms to Fill Out and Return:
Equipment Lists:
More information RegistrationTo sign up for a trip, you must register using our online system. We will begin accepting online registrations starting March 7 at 7:30am. Before you are able to sign up for a trip, you must CREATE A USER PROFILE and have a user name and password to sign in. Once you are signed in to your Walden West account, then you can officially register for a trip. For those of you who want to be ready for the 7:30am start time, you will want to create a profile in advance. If you already created a profile to sign up for another WW program, or have an account from last year, you do not need to create a new account. Automatic confirmation letters will be generated for each registration received. If the trip you register for is full, or spots are being held for some reason, you will receive an email saying you have been placed on a wait list. You will be notified by us directly if a spot becomes available and, with your permission, we will add you to that trip. If you don't wish to be on the wait list for a given trip, send us an email and we will remove you. Full payment is expected at the time of registration and does include a non-refundable $100 deposit. Keep in mind that space is limited on these trips and they often fill quickly. In an effort to promote a gender balance on trips, we do hold 2 to 4 spots on each trip for girls or boys only. We will hold those spots for 1 month after registration begins, then open them up to both boys and girls. If, for example, we have 8 available spots on a trip and 8 boys sign up in the first month of registration, we will place the last 2 boys on a wait list until the 1 month deadline, then invite them in if no girls sign up. We have learned through our years of trip leading experience that a good balance of boys and girls promotes a positive trip dynamic.
If you need to cancel a registration for a backpack trip, please submit it in writing to us via fax, mail or email (best). If your cancellation occurs prior to 2 weeks before the trip start date, you will be refunded your trip tuition less the $100 deposit. If you need to cancel within 2 weeks of the trip start date, we cannot issue a refund.
Backpacking is physically challenging and students must have a positive attitude and be prepared for a strenuous adventure. In preparation for the trips, we will hold an overall Orientation Meeting for all registered trip participants near the beginning of June, specific date TBA. The orientation meeting is optional, however all participants and their families, especially new ones, are highly encouraged to be there to learn more about the program. There will also be mandatory individual 'Gear Check Meetings' held about a week prior to the start date of each trip to visually check gear and answer any questions. Trip leaders will plan these meetings and let participants know their dates and times. Parents or guardians must be available for the duration of their child's trip to be contacted in case of an emergency and may be asked to drive to the course area to pick up an evacuated participant.
Walden West offers a limited number of camperships based on economic need. You can download an Campership Application, or call us for more information. For more information contact: wwba@sccoe.org An equal opportunity service provider
For more information call Walden West Science Center at (408) 573-3060 or email us at waldenwest@sccoe.org.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
No previous experience required
Previous experience recommended
Previous experience required!