Expedition V

Twelve students from Berkeley, Sunnyside and Franklin High Schools participated in WildLink's 5th expedition for the school year. The first day the students got aquainted with Yosemite in the Valley, doing mapping activities and team building challenges. The group also bonded with various "educational learning activities" and finished up the day packing their bags for their two-night overnight.

Early Tuesday morning the students boarded a bus headed for Badger Pass ski area. After dividing the group gear, the students put on their snowshoes and embarked ontheir expedition, resting for lunch and Leave No Trace skits at Summit Meadow. After hiking for about 2 miles, the group reached their camp site located just off the trail to Dewey Point. The students set up tents in record time and formed circular benches and tables out of snow for the group to eat on.

The snowy weather on Wednesday and lack of sleep the night before left some wishing for the comforts of home, but all made it through the weather with positive attitudes. Although it snowed about 6 inches that day, the students completed a 4 mile hike to Dewey Point and built a snow quinzy that could fit all 15 of us for dinner!! The day was a success and a lesson in personal limits. The students hiked out on a beautiful, sunny Thursday and caught the bus back to Curry VIllage for the night. A wrap-up discussion was had in the reading room of Curry that night, and all had valuable lessons that they had learned from the trip to share.