,

Welcome Adventure Treks Students!

It’s been an exciting week greeting new and returning students in California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, North Carolina, and soon Alaska! Our regional directors Josh, Dmac, and Erica have been flying back and forth, with one of us joining each instructor team in welcoming every trip.

By Tuesday, June 28, we will have 186 students and 53 instructors on 10 different trips in 9 different locations. Meanwhile, instructors for California Challenge 2 and Alaska 2 are currently in orientation at our west coast basecamp in southern Washington.

Below is a video from our two-week orientation earlier in June to give you a feel for the people and substance behind our rigorous and fun 2016 staff training.

We feel this is the most experienced, capable, and hard-working team of instructors we have had in our 23-year history. Most important, we feel they are tremendous, yet realistic, role models. We are all very excited that the summer has begun and that our first round of  students are finally here! Our job is now to facilitate incredible experiences filled with a myriad of growth opportunities.

Besides the people, we bring a lot of outdoor equipment! Having high-quality gear makes every outdoor experience just a little better. This year at orientation, we counted out…

  • 21 brand-new 2016 Ford Transit vans
  • 12 trailers
  • 6 2016 minivans (Alaska trips)
  • 376 sleeping bags
  • 376 sleeping pads
  • 320 Deuter and Osprey backpacks
  • 170 Big Agnes tents
  • 170 MSR stoves
  • 75 first-aid kits
  • 70 cases of fuel
  • 27 van boxes
  • 27 van first aid kits
  • And much, much more…

Here’s to the summer ahead!

/by
,

Video: Faces of Adventure Treks 2016

We couldn’t be more enthusiastic about the quality, capabilities, and leadership of our 2016 Adventure Treks instructors. On Wednesday, June 15, our 62 instructors transitioned from our large orientation site in southern Washington into our six-person trip teams. Vans filled with instructors are now on the road, exploring their trip destinations as we continue training in smaller groups for another full week.

Our instructors are studying their trip notes and learning their itineraries, mastering the tiny details that make an Adventure Treks experience unique. They will scout trailheads, practice driving, refresh backcountry camping and hiking skills, plan menus, shop for food, and study student and parent questionnaires and health histories to prepare for our students’ arrival. Most important, as role models, they will build a kind, close, and caring community which will form a model for our students.

During orientation, we apply recent trends in youth development to our outdoor environment, with a focus on a growth mindset, 21st century skills, and our “Great Eight Outcomes.” We also refreshed our medical skills, reviewed policies and protocols, talked extensively about risk management, spent an intensive day on van-driving training, and exchanged ways to develop the inclusive communities that are the hallmark of Adventure Treks.

We also played a lot of games! If our instructors are having fun, so are our students! And there is actually research to back the impact games can have in group development. We are working hard to create an incredible summer for our students. This is a very special team of instructors, and we can’t wait for the summer to begin!

/by
,

Adventure Treks Instructor Orientation Starts Today!

The 2016 Adventure Treks instructor orientation begins today! Our 65 instructors converge from 28 states for two weeks of training as we prepare for the arrival of our students. This has been preceded by our five-day trip leader retreat in Oregon, where our leadership team gathered in a cabin near Mt. Hood, next to the Salmon River, for senior staff training.

The first week of instructor orientation will be spent together, camping as a large group in southern Washington. Here we learn Adventure Treks’ safety policies and procedures, build a close community of kindness that will trickle down to our students, and talk about how the learning our students acquire through an outdoor adventure experience relate to life at home. This “big group” orientation will be followed next week with trip-specific training, where each six-person instructor team learns the details of their specific trips, bonds as an instructor team, and eagerly prepares for the arrival of their students.

Our senior staff team—11 trip leaders and four regional directors—hails from 10 states, averages 28 years old, and has 107 collective years of Adventure Treks experience, with an average of 7 seasons of AT experience each. (Two were even former Adventure Treks students!) I’m proud to be a part of this group of mentors who will be training our new instructors at orientation and overseeing the success of our trips.

So what did we do at trip leader retreat? Besides forming our leadership team community, we apply leadership theory, current child psychology, and brain theory to Adventure Treks. We also focus on the specific details of each trip itinerary, and we use this time to review safety and the policies and procedures that lead to successful trips. Together, we share the tips and tricks we’ve gleaned over the years as we work hard to make every trip consistent and exceptional.

I also wanted to share what we have been reading this winter. It’s our job to stay on top of the latest youth development trends and literature so we can make sure that the Adventure Treks program remains relevant to parents. Besides being a ridiculous amount of fun, as your partners, we want Adventure Treks to be a tool that helps kids develop the skills, mindset, optimism, confidence, character, and resilience that will help them become happier and more capable adults.

Topics from these and other books will permeate our instructor orientation sessions as we facilitate the best possible learning and growing experience for your child. Below are our 2016 suggestions for those who share our obsession in helping teenagers experience personal growth.

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

Helping Children Succeed – What Works and Why by Paul Tough

Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World by Tony Wagner

The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness – Edward Hallowell

T-minus two weeks until our first trip opens!

/by
,

Introducing Our 2016 Instructor Teams!

Summer is quickly approaching, which means students and parents are asking about who will be running their trips. Drum roll, please… We are excited to announce our tentative 2016 instructor team assignments! We have put a lot of time and energy into creating the most skilled and balanced instructor teams possible, and we’re looking forward to watching our staff teams facilitate safe, fun, and growth-filled experiences for every one of our students. We may make changes as we go forward to ensure the best instructor teams possible. Please click here and choose your trip to see your 20126 instructors.

On June 3, our directors and trip leaders will meet in the Mt. Hood area of Oregon for a four-day leadership retreat. The trip leaders are the managers of our instructor teams, and they have a large role in the success of each student this summer. After our retreat, all instructors will meet for big group orientation; there we set the tone for the summer and go over our risk management policies and procedures (and have some fun, too!). After big group orientation, instructor teams will head to their trips to scout, bond as an instructor team, and prepare for the trip.

And as we prepare for our leadership retreat and orientation, we know that you’re also preparing for the summer. Purchasing gear and packing can sometimes be overwhelming, so we prepared a brief video guide. The video addresses some of the most common questions we get about packing for a summer trip at Adventure Treks. If you have any questions about packing, or your adventure (or anything else for that matter) please give us a call and we are happy to help in any way we can.

 

/by
,

A Look at Our 2016 Global Community

Every year, Adventure Treks welcomes students from all over the United States and even the world. So far in 2016, our student population comes from a 41 states and 14 countries!

We appreciate having this diversity on all of our trips, and we know the students truly enjoy getting to know others from different cultures and backgrounds. Through the welcoming community and super-fun activities on the trips, the students easily find common ground and quickly make great, long-lasting friendships.

Check out the graphic below to see where our 2016 students come from.

Global community blog 2016 600

Our map may expand as we add our last few students.

Florida and New York are tied for our most-represented state. Next is North Carolina, followed closely by California. Regardless of your native country, state, or tongue, we are so excited to see you on opening day!

/by
,

Boots: How to Buy and Break Them In

Boots 1

By Dave “Dmac” McGlashan, director

One of the most frequently asked questions we receive is about hiking boots. Because we spend so much time on our feet during trips, it’s crucial to make sure your feet are happy. Here are a few tips in picking out the right boots and breaking them in.

What is your favorite boot?
If you ask 10 Adventure Treks instructors what their favorite boot is, you’ll get 10 different answers. We all have different feet: arches, forefoot width, toe length, heel shape, and many other factors. This is why I always hesitate to tell someone to buy a certain boot. Some will fit my foot perfectly out of the box, and some will give me blisters every mile that I wear them.

Getting the correct fit
When you are shopping for a pair of boots, make sure you go to a store and try them on. Ordering online can be a little cheaper, but you don’t have access to a boot specialist from a store like REI or EMS. Bring socks that you will be wearing on the trip, as hiking socks are generally thicker than socks you wear to school or soccer practice. Make sure they fit well around your ankles and toes, meaning no pinches or painful squeezes. Feet tend to swell a little during hiking trips, so leave a little wiggle room. If they hurt walking around the store, try on another pair!

Low-cut boots or above the ankle?
Because you may not have experience in hiking with a backpack, we ask that you get a pair of above-ankle-height hiking boots. These will provide extra support as you carry weight in your pack, and you’ll be less likely to roll your ankle while hiking. Don’t try on lightweight hiking shoes; you’re looking for a mid-weight boot.

Boots2

What can happen when boots don’t fit

Breaking in your boots
Your boots will be a little stiff when you first wear them. This is completely normal! The more you hike in them, the more comfortable they will get. We recommend wearing your boots around your house and neighborhood as soon as you get them. Wear them for short periods of time over a few weeks; your feet will be much happier, and you’ll be less likely to get blisters. We do not recommend cramming the break-in period into a few longer sessions right before your trip. And remember, you are breaking the boot in as much as you are getting your foot broken into the boot.

Does it need to be waterproof?

In the outdoor world, nothing is 100 percent waterproof (unless you buy rubber boots). Buying waterproof boots adds an extra expense, especially if your son or daughter is still growing (and you’ll be buying boots again). It’s not necessary to spend the extra money to get waterproof boots for Adventure Treks. However, you can apply a waterproofing product like Nikwax to add an extra layer of protection. *Do not purchase boots with open mesh covering the toes, sides, or other areas.

For the best boot-buying experience, we recommend heading to your local gear store and talking with someone in the boot department. Let them know about the Adventure Treks trip and itinerary, walk around the store in different pairs to see what fits best. Happy feet = better backpacking experience. Feel free to give us a call at 828-698-0399 with questions about boots or any other gear!

/by
,

Introducing our 2016 Instructor Team

We know you’ve all been waiting to see who our instructors will be this summer, so here they are: Introducing the 2016 Adventure Treks instructors!

We are very pleased with this year’s instructor teams. Almost 70 percent of our instructors are returning for the 2016 summer. Every instructor has, at minimum, a Wilderness First Responder medical certification, with some trained as Wilderness EMTs.

Quick facts about our 70 instructors:

  • Average age of 27.
  • A collective 190 years of combined Adventure Treks experience (about 3 years on average).
  • Every instructor (except one who is finishing his degree) has a college degree, and 18 percent of our team currently have or are working on advanced degrees.
  • Eight of our instructors are former Adventure Treks students.
  • During the rest of the year, our instructors work as teachers, ski instructors, mountain guides, directors of outdoor programs, and for outdoor education and science schools.
  • Our instructors have all done incredible things: rowed the Columbia river, thru-hiked the Pacific Crest trail and Appalachian trail (or both), and hiked all the way across New Zealand.

 

 

We’ve had more than 500 prospects apply to fill our 25 new instructor positions. Every new staff has gone through a minimum of three interviews conducted by our leadership team, three reference checks, and a background and criminal check. We feel confident and excited about the new instructors we have hired, and we know they’ll help create phenomenal communities.

On June 3, our directors, trip leaders, and regional directors will begin a four-day retreat near Mt. Hood in Oregon. On June 9, the entire instructor team arrives for a seven-day intensive orientation. On June 15, we will separate into our six-person instructor teams for another week of trip-specific planning, led by our trip leaders.

One of the most important parts of orientation is bonding for our instructor team. These relationships typically last long beyond the summer, much like our students’. As role models, our close-knit, high-functioning instructor communities are directly tied to the success of our student communities.

In the coming weeks, we’ll publish the tentative staff teams assigned to each trips. Please note that instructor teams may change as we strive to create the best possible combination of personalities and skills.

Click here to see our 2016 Instructor team

We are excited for summer to begin!

Dock, Dmac, Josh, Kate, Amanda, Stacey, & Joan

/by
,

College 2016: Oh, the Places You’ll Go

Congratulations to our graduating class of 2016, soon to be the class of 2020! We are always impressed—but never surprised—at the remarkable colleges Adventure Treks students will soon be attending. Below is the list of the colleges our students have chosen.

How I spent the summer after junior year... in the North cascades on leadership Sumit

We feel privileged and grateful to have been a topic of many of your college essays. We know that navigating through the college “sorting hat” has been difficult, and we want to applaud every one of you for all the hard work you have put into your successful high school careers.

We’re so happy that our students have chosen schools that are a good fit for their personalities, abilities, and interests. We’d like to emphasize that what you will take away from your college experience has little to do with the prestige or rank of a given college, and everything to do with the mindset and attitude with which you approach your collegiate career. Success in college is about the effort poured into the experience, your desire to fuel your passions, the relationships formed with new friends and faculty, and your ability to thrive in new and sometimes ambiguous situations.

At a time when only 58 percent of students at four-year colleges graduate within six years and with more than a doubling over the past 10 years of freshman who need some kind of psychological counseling during their first year at school, we’re proud that the graduation rate of Adventure Treks students remains consistent at 98 percent! We believe the resilience, social confidence, collaboration, and community mindset skills you’ve strengthened through your Adventure Treks experiences will help you thrive in college (and the world beyond) and avoid the bumps so many students face.

Having talked to dozens of our graduates currently in college, here are some examples of how the Adventure Treks experience helped them prepare for college life:

If you can Summit MT. St Helens in Flair - College is easy!

“AT did a phenomenal job preparing me for the transition to college. I had the ability to adapt to new and changing situations. I knew how to meet friends and how to work with different kinds of people. I have seen many of my friends struggle with the transition, but it’s been easy for me.” — Christopher, University of Richmond

“AT made me more comfortable in my skin; when I got to college, I didn’t have to try to be anybody but myself. It was refreshing and empowering.” — Max, Stanford University

“At AT, you learn how to help out and look out for others, how to thrive when things aren’t easy, and how to see a bigger picture beyond yourself. AT gave me the confidence to lead a school organization my freshman year, and it means I am always the one doing more than my share in project groups.” — Jake, University of Nevada, Reno

Here’s where many of our 2016 students have landed:
1. Elena Press, Stanford University
2. Mike Schaja, Georgia Institute of Technology
3. Teresa Heise, Purdue University
4. Allie Klass,  Appalachian State University
5. Laura Gaines, North Carolina State University
6. Adam Hirsch, Bates College
7. Ally Russell, Kenyon College
8. Lexi Russell, University of Richmond
9. Lucy Kates, Georgia Institute of Technology
10. Ethan Sigman, Gettysburg College
11. Griffin Gildersteen, University of Vermont or Holy Cross University
12. Jarrod Gerstein, Hamilton College
13. Justin Burman, University of Colorado, Boulder
14. Carolyn Brager, University of Washington
15. Sammy Baum, Bucknell University
16. Sarah Griffiths, Vanderbilt University
17. Jared Cloutier, Grinnell College
18. Logan Schenkel, Widener University School of Engineering
19. Timmy Michael, Stanford University
20. Hunter Simpson, University of Vermont
21. Evan Douglas, University of Wisconsin, Madison
22. Sam Lincoln, Arizona State University – Barrett Honors College
23. Benjamin Shulman, Lewis and Clark College after a gap year with NOLS
24. Anna Berger, Washington and Lee University
25. Alex Uys, Deep Springs College
26. Jeremy Uys, American University or Bowdoin College
27. Colin Finnie, Queens University
28. Hunter James, University of Alabama – Rowing Scholarship
29. Ryan Katchiss, Indiana University
30. Risa Anczelowicz, Roger Williams University
31. Josh Haley, University of Cincinnati
32. Gabriela Garrido, Hult International Business School of London
33. Andrew Burns, Sonoma State University, School of Journalism
34. Tali Abkowitz,  California State College, Chico, School of Nursing
35. Lily Brice, Bucknell University
36. Pia Von Strasser, University of California -Santa Barbara
37. Aidan Birnbaum, University of Michigan
38. Morgan Keely, McGill University
39. Leah Pensler, Scripps College, UCLA, Emory University, or Wesleyan University
40. Sierra Weavil, University of North Carolina – Charlotte
41. Jarred Copley, Driver Institute of Technology: Underwater Welding
42. Mark Heiphetz, University of Idaho
43. Emma Pickard, Rhodes College
44. Olivia West, University of California, Davis
45. Sarah Crucilla, California Institute of Technology                                                                                                                 46. Jack Lane, Tulane University                                                                                                                                                    47. Mary Virginia Shook, gap year figure skating for “Disney on Ice” then University of Michigan                                  48. Hannah Call, College of William & Mary

2016 graduates: If we missed you, please tell us where you are heading so we can add you to this list and put you in touch with Adventure Treks students already at your new school!

Congratulations, Dock, D-Mac and the whole AT Team

/by
,

Staff Spotlight: Colin Hull

By Josh Goldbach, associate director

Instructor: Colin Hull

Seasons with Adventure Treks: 3 as an instructor, 3 as a student.

University attended: Colby College

Favorite AT Activity: Backpacking!

What are you currently doing? I am working for the Alzar School, a semester school for sophomores and juniors in high school. I am teaching US history courses and instructing whitewater kayaking. I recently traveled with the school to Chile where I led paddling trips in Patagonia and numerous other spectacular locations throughout the country.

What made you want to work as an outdoor educator? I’ve wanted to be an outdoor instructor since I was a student at Adventure Treks. I always was so inspired by my instructors, and I wanted one day to be at least half as cool, professional, creative, and fun as they were.

What’s your favorite AT memory? There are so many, but one from this past summer was playing our version of the Olympic games on the 4th of July near Port Townsend, WA, on my Pacific Northwest Adventure trip.

What’s your favorite AT meal? I always enjoy the Adventure Treks version of Thanksgiving dinner.

What keeps you coming back to AT? The friendships and community AT creates. It was particularly special to be able to go on an expedition with an amazing person like Kiko Sweeney as a student, and then be able to lead a backpack with her in North Cascades National Park as an instructor this past summer.

What’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever been to? Ensenada, Chile, is pretty high up there. It was incredible to paddle on the Rio Petrohue surrounded by volcanoes at any given time.

Tell us something unique about you: I am an expert on the history of Fort Halifax, ME. This is a particularly mundane wooden fort in the middle of nowhere Maine that I studied in college. I can talk for a long time about this subject if you get me going.

/by
,

Getting Through Airport Day (From a Mom’s Perspective)

My kids Sarah and Thomas spent six summers each flying to Adventure Treks. It can be nerve-racking to drop your child off at the airport, but one thing I have learned is 1) they can do it and 2) it makes them (and you!) feel great to know they can handle themselves. Here are a few tips that might help you stay relaxed until you receive the “Hi mom/dad, I am with Adventure Treks!” phone call.

First, be prepared. If you’ll be flying as a family on any trips before Adventure Treks, let your child take the lead, figuring out the flight monitors and finding the gate. This boosts confidence in navigating terminals while still having the support of parents nearby. You can also print out and go over the layout of the airport your student will be arriving in; this is especially helpful if there’s a layover, and if the connecting airport has trains running to and from terminals, like Atlanta or Denver.

It’s crucial to keep your child’s cell phone and charger easily accessible and in the carry-on bag. Remind them that not only will you be available should they need to call you, but they can always call the Adventure Treks office as well (and kids do call us on airport day!). Also, we highly recommend providing spending money for food or a book in case of delays or cancellations.

Second, rehearse asking for help with your child. I make my kids practice saying, “Excuse me, I am flying by myself,” at the beginning of any conversation with airline staff. As a parent, when you hear those words, it changes the way you listen and engage with teenagers. I also tell my kids to look for another mom traveling with her children when they need help and have trouble finding airline staff. Moms always stop and take the time to help your child get to where he or she needs to be.

Third, request a gate pass when you drop your student off at security. (This is different from purchasing the extra unaccompanied minor service, and is free.) A gate pass allows you to walk to the gate with your child and watch the plane depart. Getting a gate pass depends entirely on the security staff working that morning, but I’ve never been denied the privilege, and we’ve flown multiple airlines. Remember, you will go through security as well, so keep it simple: I bring just my car keys, ID, and a credit card.

Here’s the million-dollar question: What do you do when a flight is delayed or canceled? First, take a breath! It will be OK.

One year, my daughter’s itinerary to Anchorage, AK, was Asheville > Charlotte > Chicago > Anchorage. After arriving in Charlotte, Sarah found out her next leg to Chicago was canceled (the first time that has happened to us in a total of 30+ Adventure Treks flight segments). She stood in multiple lines and talked to several airline staff, but the information she received from staff and what I found online back in Asheville was conflicting. Sarah and I were in constant contact, and she did a great job at finding the right airport staff to clarify what was happening with her flight. Still, she really got the run around for a while, and we both started to get a bit unraveled—it was nearing midnight, and the airport was virtually shutting down. Being that my daughter had just turned 16, she could not get a voucher for a hotel.

I did learn that many airports have an unaccompanied minor lounge. Even if you have not paid the UM fee, your child can still access the lounge and sleep, watch movies, and eat until their rescheduled flight boards.

I called our marketing director, Amanda, who was our on-call Adventure Treks emergency after-hours contact that evening (even though I do this very job myself). It helped just to hear her calming voice and be reassured that she was also trying to sort things out, just as I was doing for my daughter. Rest assured, you and your child will always be able to speak with our staff, at any time, on airport arrival and departure days.

After a long evening, Sarah boarded her new flight and made her connection to Anchorage. The airlines had lost her luggage, but she had her carry-on backpack to get her by, and our director, Dave (aka Dmac, as students call him), was standing by to greet her as she landed. He figured out her luggage dilemma and quickly connected her with the rest of the group.

Once she was on the ground in Alaska, and we had a chance to talk, it was clear that she felt pretty good about figuring it all out. Yes, she was tired, and yes, it was inconvenient—to say the least—but she did it by herself, and she never felt unsafe. In hindsight, I’m glad she had this experience. It was an opportunity to learn resilience and think on her feet. (And it added a little excitement to an already-extremely-high point in her life!) As a parent, I was so appreciative of Amanda and Dmac that day; although they would say they were just doing their job, it was how they did it.

The best thing we can do as parents is prepare our kids and remind them that they can figure out these logistics and overcome any hurdles that come their way. And not only can they do it, but they are better for it. Chances are that everything will go just as planned. Direct, early-morning flights are recommended. Should a flight get delayed or cancelled, no matter what time your child arrives, we will be there to greet him or her—even if it is 3 a.m.! So take a deep breath and know your child can do it—and you can too!

/by