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WildLink
would like to thank the Richard Iglehart Wilderness Foundation
for their generous support for making this expedition possible.
It is the third of four Richard Iglehart memorial expeditions
slated for this year.
Nine students
and two adults from Delta VISTA Academy joined us for the second
Richard Iglehart Memorial Expedition (the eighth WildLink expedition
this year) in the beautiful high country of Yosemite. With gloriously
comfortable weather (not too cold, not too hot), we traversed
forests, meadows, creeks, and two mountain tops!
The first day our hike began after a snack, a lesson on how
to be comfortable with a backpack, and a Route and Description
(RAD) plan. Leaders Ariel and Patrick determined the hiking
versus break time, and the group chose to hike the first 1.5
miles with only one rest break. Patrick kept asking if anyone
was tired, but no, we kept walking. The number of creek crossings
was not equal to the ones on the map, so we “found”
ourselves on the map after 1.5 miles and then continued to be
“found” for the rest of the day. The dumping lesson
was a hit, based on the amount of giggles it received and the
tent construction lesson also went well. Camp looked GREAT!
Shelby and Anthony cooked a mean batch of macaroni and cheese
and we played a fun game before having smores for dessert. Goodnight!
Day two, Anthony and Shelby started the day with the RAD plan,
which included a hike up to North Dome before breaking camp
and moving on. The peak ascent included awesome views to sketch
during a solo sit with writing about the meaning of wilderness.
We also had a dance party on top and boogied to the beat of
the mountains. Breaking down camp took a little longer than
expected, but it was our first time. The hike to Yosemite Creek
also felt longer than expected. The view overlooking Yosemite
Falls seemed to perk everyone up, though. Burrito dinner was
a hit and we all went to bed after clean-up.
On the third day, the bear scat was the talk of the morning.
Our overnight bear visitor had knocked over our bear cans in
the early morning and left us a great big “present”
in our dining room. We climbed Eagle Peak with Jessica and Demetric
as our leaders. Shelby said it was the best view she had ever
seen. We sang songs on the mountain top and scurried back to
camp for solo time, dinner, and a closing ceremony. During solo
time, students reflected on what they had learned, what they
liked, what they were challenged by and what they appreciated
as a result of the expedition experience. These were written
in the format of a thank you letter to the Richard Iglehart
and Lisa Patton scholarships. In the sharing circle, grateful
tears where shed and the evening’s tone was set with an
openness of heart. After dinner we sang songs and more songs
and then sang them over again. The group loved to sing together!
We had an appreciation circle and the appreciations flew across
the circle for two hours. It was a beautiful closing to an impactful
experience.
On our final morning, we booked it down the Yosemite Falls trail
on a hot, hot day, dreaming of food and showers. Everyone was
grateful for the experience and eager to get home too.
To
learn more about Richard Iglehart, click here.
To
learn more about the Richard Iglehart Wilderness Foundation,
click here.
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