Entries by Amanda Fox

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Staff Spotlight: Austin Coolidge

We are excited that Austin Coolidge will be joining us this summer for his third season as an Adventure Treks instructor. Seasons with Adventure Treks: I’ve been with Adventure Treks for two seasons (one summer and one fall), and I am returning for a third season this summer! University attended: University of Wisconsin at Whitewater. I […]

Adventure Treks Instructor Nabs Record on the Baja Divide

Leaving at sunrise on the morning of December 24, three-year Adventure Treks instructor Pete Basinger began his journey on the Baja Divide, an approximately 1,570-mile bikepacking route down the length of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. Pete, currently a resident of Durango, CO, is a fifth-grade teacher who lives for multi-day adventures on his mountain […]

Q&A with an Adventure Treks Alumna

Former student Amara Cohen, now a student at the University of Chicago, shares how her Adventure Treks experiences have helped her thrive in her first year of college. So, Amara, what was your “aha” moment when you realized the impact Adventure Treks has had on your life? During the orientation week, I was at a barbecue with […]

Kiko Sweeney: Why This Student-Turned-Instructor Keeps Coming Back

At Adventure Treks, we pride ourselves on creating long-term relationships with our families and students. Our executive director, John “Dock” Dockendorf, can recall every student we’ve ever taken on a summer adventure. Kiko Sweeney is a phenomenal example of how the Adventure Treks experience stays with our community long after their trips ends: Kiko was a […]

Cotton vs. Synthetic: Why Synthetic is Actually the Natural Choice

As we round the corner into holiday season, an age-old question for Adventure Treks parents often comes up as outdoor adventure clothing makes its way onto our students’ wish lists: Which material is best: cotton, wool, or synthetic? Given the number of choices you face at the store and online, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and have […]

A Little Boredom is a Good Thing

I grew up with six siblings, and when you said you were bored, you stood a good chance of having to get a job. We didn’t have cell phones, laptops, or more than three channels on our TV, which made unstructured playtime a completely different ballgame than what kids are used to this electronics-filled era. These days, we rarely hear “I’m […]

How to Create a Backcountry First Aid Kit

Before heading out on an outdoor adventure with friends or family, it’s important to obtain a good first aid kit (FAK)—and know how to use it! When it comes to finding the perfect FAK, there are two ways to go about it: purchase a pre-designed kit available at most outdoor stores, or create one from […]

Musings on the College Admission Race

We originally wrote this blog as a polite response to a parent who has decided that as much as her son loves Adventure Treks, next summer, he will instead devote his time to SAT prep courses and college essay writing clinics instead of returning to the mountains he loves. While we have seen many students […]

Student Trip Report: A Reunion in Yosemite!

By Harper Swing, currently a freshman at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Leadership Summit 2016, Alaska 1a 2015, California Challenge 3 2014, British Columbia 2 2013, California Adventure 2012 I always had a hard time leaving an Adventure Treks trip. Every summer, when I would step off the plane, back in my home […]