Fostering Females’ Confidence through Outdoor Adventure

teenage girls hiking in colorado with backpacksDuring my childhood, I often watched my dad, uncles, grandfathers, and male cousins head off for weekend camping trips and annual deer camps. They spent their days outside or in a rustic cabin, building fires, cooking meals over a fire, using outhouses, and “roughin’ it.” My brother taught me the knots and outdoor skills he learned as a Boy Scout. I watched movies like Jeremiah Johnson, Old Yeller, My Side of the Mountain, Far From Home, Cast Away, and Alone in the Wilderness—movies featuring men and young boys who freely explored the land around them, possessing the skills to survive in remote wilderness areas.

As a teenager and throughout college, I badly wanted to experience that freedom to explore, to have the confidence to have adventures, and to thrive in the exciting, unknown outdoors. Movies like Touching the Void, Grizzly Man, Into the Wild, The Way, 180 Degrees South, 127 hours, and The Grey—another handful of films featuring men exploring the outdoors—gave me pangs of desire, made me feel that I must do or be something more than I was at the time, and take grandeur adventures and truly “live.”

I’d never seen a female lead one of these movies’ plots, and none of my friends were having these experiences. At the time, I felt incapable of any type of outdoor adventure.

teenage girls hiking in colorado with snowballs

Imagine if that’s where my story stopped. Really—take a moment to think about that. A female-identifying child who grew up watching movies showing only men in the outdoors, telling us only men were capable of this type of survival and independence. She had only men as her role models. She was telling herself she was not capable of achieving a goal, of obtaining adventure in the outdoors.

Unfortunately, that is the reality for many young girls and teens. Thankfully, my family recognized the positive power of the outdoors, and throughout my teen years, I attended a summer camp and went on backpacking, kayaking, and canoeing trips led by female counselors. I was a sponge, soaking up their skills, resilience, strength, and independence. My confidence grew by leaps and bounds, and I realized how capable I actually was by facing challenges in the outdoors—bad weather, taking wrong turns, minor injuries—and I learned how to adapt and overcome.

Those early female role models inspired me to become a trip leader for that summer camp. When I graduated college, I set out to complete another goal: a solo thru-hike of the 2,186-mile Appalachian Trail (read about what I learned during that hike here). After my thru-hike, I settled into an office job I thought I was supposed to have, the kind your parents want to tell their friends about, and I got comfortable. Then professionally removed from the outdoors, I used all my paid time off on backpacking trips, seeking that feeling of confidence and fulfillment that I lacked at work.

teenage girls rock climbing in colorado wearing helmets

Eventually, when the realization hit that I was happiest working with youth in the outdoors, I came to Adventure Treks. This is what has made me happy and provided fulfillment: helping create an environment where confidence grew in a way that is difficult to find amid all the pressures of teenage life.

I came across this great article by J.S. Kovach at Utah Valley University recently, :

“The potential benefits of participating in physical activity in the outdoors are known to be highly therapeutic and empowering. The last two decades have seen an increase in outdoor recreation research focusing on the social, mental, and physical implications for women in particular (Bosteder & Appleby, 2015). Inequities regarding participation in outdoor recreational activities exist between men and women, and women face constraints unique to their gender. These constraints include but are not limited to: societal and behavioral expectations, perceived low body image, self-consciousness, misrepresentation in the media, and a lack of appropriate gear designed for women…”

“… When women are able to overcome these barriers or even simply dare to step into a canoe in the outdoors (as an example), research has found that positive outdoor recreational experiences dramatically increase a woman’s self-valuation, self-confidence, and belief in her ability to lead.”

teenage girl cooking on camp stove in the outdoors

Other studies have shown that the majority of individuals who engage in outdoor recreation, regardless of their initial level of perceived body image, experience an improvement of self-value and positive body image. In Kovach’s study, “persistence in making and pursuing personal goals can influence potential implications for a female participant, including a recognition that her body is strong, that she is capable and competent, and that positive body perception is important.” In other words, outdoor activity makes a huge difference in empowering women and girls and how they see themselves and their abilities.

At Adventure Treks, we see this firsthand in our students; in fact, it’s one of the best parts of being an instructor. We get to see a total transformation in spirit and mindset as students start to believe in themselves as they rock climb, backpack, or mountain bike for the first time. Of course, we see this in all of our students, but it’s especially impactful in our female-identifying students in a male-dominated industry.

Beyond witnessing their growth, seeing students recognize that transformation in their end-of-trip evaluations is simply incredible. Year after year, student say they:

  • realized they were more capable than they thought,
  • were surprised at how much they enjoyed being out of their comfort zone,
  • felt more confident in their ability to go back to school and try to stay true to themselves,
  • were excited to try new things because of their newfound confidence,
  • and felt much stronger, both physically and mentally.

Without a doubt, participation in outdoor recreation (and an Adventure Treks trip!) increases a girl’s self-confidence. As a result, these girls develop a belief in their ability to attain and excel in new challenges and leadership roles. Most important, they dare to believe in their ability to succeed in other aspects of life for years to come.

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Former AT Instructors’ Year-Long Trip Report


For former Adventure Treks instructors Todd and Meghan Beer, life with their 4-year-old daughter Lila has been anything but boring. In June 2019, the family deposited their belongings into a storage unit in Chicago, and then set off on a year-long trip around the world. As of early 2020, they’ve visited 16 countries on three continents—with plenty more to come. We recently caught up with them for a quick Q&A to hear more about their adventures and how their AT experiences are helping them along the way.

AT: What do you both do professionally, and how did the idea for the trip come about?

Todd: Meghan runs her own non-profit consultant business, and I’m a professor of sociology at Lake Forest College. After I was awarded tenure as a faculty member at Lake Forest College, we knew we would have an opportunity for me to take a year-long research sabbatical. My research site is currently in Kenya, so we figured we would travel and explore on our way to Kenya and do the same on our way home. After collecting new data in Kenya, all I needed was my laptop for analysis and writing. We thought, why sit in Chicago and do that? Meghan was able to temporarily wind down and take some work on the road, and Lila was not yet in kindergarten, so it was a perfect time and opportunity to take the year and explore the world.

AT: What is the end goal for this trip?

Meghan: Several things. We wanted to take full advantage of this time. It is a rare, maybe even once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We wanted to expose Lila and ourselves to the learning that occurs when you explore new places and cultures. Travel allows one to learn SO much about other people and ourselves. We explored all kinds of options: Should we pick four places and live in each one for three months? Should we visit as many countries as we can? In the end, we’ve found balance between staying longer and diving deeper into some places, and seeing a lot of different areas in a “quick hit” fashion.

In each place, we try to learn as much as we can about the culture, but we also have often left places with more questions than when we arrived. The world is full of absolutely amazing places and natural beauty. We are inspired by and excited to see so much of it. We spend as much time outside as possible, whether that is going on a hike in the woods, going to the beach, paddle boarding, eating a picnic lunch, exploring the streets of a town, etc.

Also, in the end, this trip was about us having a year to spend as a family. We love spending time together. Life can be overwhelmingly busy; disrupting that with travel has allowed us to gain perspective on what we really spend our time doing. There is still some stress when traveling, but it’s different than that caused by the schedules and deadlines we get used to at home. In part, travel is a way to disrupt routines and give you time to reflect.

Oh… and our goal is to eat as much amazing and different food as possible!

AT: What countries have you been to so far, and where do you plan to go this spring?

Todd: So far, we’ve visited England, Scotland, France, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Morocco, Egypt, Kenya, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. We’re currently in Vietnam. Next, we’re planning on Malaysia and likely Indonesia, and then New Zealand and Australia before heading home in June 2020.

AT: What have the highlights been?

Todd: This is a tough question because it has been such an amazing trip. The ones that pop into mind are hiking near the dramatic spires of the Dolomites in northern Italy, paraponting high above the French Alps, attending a climate change protest in Barcelona, getting lost exploring the maze of streets in Fez and Marrakesh, seeing the Taj Mahal, seeing three leopards in one day in Sri Lanka, rock climbing at Railay Beach in Thailand, a mountain village homestay with a family in northern Thailand, four cooking classes, five food tours, seeing African and Asian elephants in the wild…

AT: What does Lila think of the trip? What have been her favorite parts?

Meghan: Lila is so adaptable. Whether it’s spending a night in a hut in rural Kenya, sleeping in a tent in a Maasai village, or making friends with kids who speak no English, she has been extremely engaged. She learned how to say thank you in Thai, has tried so many new foods, helped cook chipati over the fire in Kenya, tried standing on a surfboard in Sri Lanka, tried rock climbing in Thailand, and more. Everywhere we go and hear local musicians, she LOVES to dance. She doesn’t care if nobody else is dancing—she dives right in. As a 4-year-old, she has amazed us at how present she has been in whatever we are doing, even though that changes ALL the time.

AT: You’ve been Instagramming the trip. Tell us about the public engagement through both of your accounts.

Todd: We started the @go_the_long_way_around Instagram account to stay connected to our family and friends, but it has certainly helped connect us to other travelers out there. There are many more families doing something like this than we initially imagined. We have even met some of them in person when we realized we were in the same place. Instagram has been a great place to figure out where to go next and what to do there. We have also used the @inspiringsustainability account to document ways that people and organizations around the world are trying to lessen humans’ harmful impact on the ecosystem.

AT: How has your Adventure Treks experience influenced this trip?

Todd: First and foremost, Meghan and I met leading trips at Adventure Treks, so that has had a BIG impact on our life (we both worked for AT in the early 2000s). Outdoor experiences certainly prepare people to be better travelers, especially if they are going to developing countries or rural areas. Like in the backcountry with AT, when traveling you often have to know how to treat your water, sleep in less-than-comfortable conditions, find your way when lost, push on when tired, pack light, use the bathroom in different places, and eat new foods. And of course, still have tons of fun even if you are out of your comfort zone!

There is no doubt that our years of experience with AT made us better travelers and the kind of people who can pull off a year-long trip. The planning that goes into AT trips is similar to what it takes to travel around the world. We see other people traveling who struggle because they lack the AT experience.

AT: What advice do you have for others interested in a long trip?

Todd: If you are lucky enough to have the opportunity to do this in some form, do it. Some of your friends or family will think you are crazy and try to dissuade you, but once you begin traveling, you will meet people who share that love of exploring new cultures, places, and experiences. People think we are on vacation for a year, but it’s not that easy. The amount of planning we have to do (nearly every night) to figure out the logistics of where we are headed next is much more than we imagined.

We planned the first few months in some detail before we left, but since then we have been planning as we go along to allow for some flexibility. It is good to find a balance between planning and leaving room for adventure and discovery. We also think it is important to be aware of our negative impact as travelers. We have carried a SteriPen with us to treat water and avoid using plastic water bottles; we carry washable cutlery to avoid throwaway forks and knives; and we offset our carbon emissions from the flights we’ve taken through Gold Standard to decrease our contribution to climate change. And we have certainly taken fewer showers and done fewer loads of laundry compared to when we are at home.

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Nice Kids Finish First

teenagers hiking in british columbia with wildflowersWe often hear students say after arriving home from Adventure Treks, “Everyone is so nice at AT… why can’t it be like that in the real world?!” Of course, we’re thrilled to hear the feedback, because it means we’re doing our jobs in providing the close, inclusive communities we promise to everyone. The culture of kindness is a key part of our program design, and the cornerstone of the community we’ve been building for 27 years.

Everything we do at Adventure Treks emanates from a place of kindness and respect. But being kind is more than just a good way to live; research shows that kids who are nice actually finish first, in that they become more successful adults.

teenagers throwing snowballs in summer in yellowstone national parkA 2015 study by Damon Jones, a senior research associate at the Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, tracked kindergarteners’ success over 20 years in four major U.S. cities based on the prosocial skills they exhibited in kindergarten. It found that children who demonstrate more “pro-social” skills—those who share more, demonstrate more empathy, and who are better listeners—are more likely to have good jobs and stay out of trouble as young adults. Furthermore, generous people have higher incomes and get better performance reviews than those who are less generous.

Concern for others also promotes supportive relationships and reduces the chance of depression. Students who care about others tend to see their education as preparation for contributing to society rather than making money, an outlook which encourages them to persevere even when studies seem dull.

These pro-social characteristics (empathy, cooperation, perseverance, and self-control) are malleable skills that can be taught. While we naturally attract nice kids at Adventure Treks, it’s nice to know that our environment and culture can actually help already nice kids improve these social skills, continuing to help set them up for success.

Our emphasis on kindness is important because data shows kindness is in decline in the U.S. (though not in Canada). This matches a long-term decline in empathy, community affiliation, group membership, and use of words like “love,” “gentleness,” “kindness,” and “goodness” in modern discourse. Use of these words have declined 50 percent in the modern age as have conversations about purpose and morality (Journal of Positive Psychology, 2012).

teenagers climbing and summiting mt. olympus in washington

Some of this decline in kindness may be an unintentional change in our parenting styles as a result of trying to prepare our children for participation in a competitive global economy. From a December 2019 Atlantic article about the Making Caring Common Project: “If you survey American parents about what they want for their kids, more than 90 percent say one of their top priorities is that their children be caring. This makes sense: Kindness and concern for others are held as moral virtues in nearly every society and religion. But when you ask children what their parents want for them, 81 percent say their parents value achievement and happiness over caring…

“Kids, with their sensitive antennae, pick up on all this. They see their peers being celebrated primarily for the grades they get and the goals they score, not for the generosity they show. They see adults marking their achievements without paying as much attention to their character.”

Annual surveys of American college students also show a substantial drop from 1979 to the present in empathy and in imagining the perspectives of others. Over this period, students grew less likely to feel concern for people less fortunate than themselves—and less bothered by seeing others treated unfairly.

As parents, we know that if we want kindness to be a key value, we must give it support. The Road to Character author Dave Brooks talks about two sets of virtues: résumé virtues and eulogy virtues. In life, the skills we need for the job market, the attributes “essential” for our external and financial success, are often at odds with the virtues that we hope others would attribute to us at our funeral.

teenagers crossing a river in alaskaThese are the elements of our character, our virtues—the relationships we maintain, our kindness, humility, gratitude, sacrifice, concern for others, morality, integrity, responsibility, and resilience.

When kids are praised for helping others, they are more likely to continue this behavior. Teaching children to care for others helps them live a more fulfilling life. This is what we do at Adventure Treks! Every day during evening meeting, we make space to praise people who helped others out. We create numerous opportunities to volunteer and make sure good deeds are noticed, appreciated, and praised. Kindness is contagious. Our culture builds on itself, and in an outdoor community, the competition changes from who can achieve the most to who can be the nicest kid!

Besides the fulfillment AT kids get from being a contributing part of a close, caring, and kind community, it’s great to know that they are building skills that will help them finish first!

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Podcasts We’re Listening To and Books We’re Reading

All of us at Adventure Treks are continually striving to learn more about the world around us, whether it’s reading up on the the latest in youth development or attending professional development conferences to further hone our skills. Below, we’d love to share the latest books we’ve read and podcasts we’ve listened to and our takeaways from them!

tribe of mentors

Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss (Dmac’s pick)

Tim is the author of The 4-Hour Workweek and host of the Tim Ferriss Show podcast. In Tribe of Mentors, the author found himself asking existential questions after experiencing several personal losses in a short time. Rather than mull himself into a hole, he reached out to more than 100 people he considers his idols and asked each of them the same 11 questions; in short, he crowdsourced the answers and compiled them in his new 600-page tome. A few of his questions include:

  • What is the book (or books) you’ve given most as a gift, and why? Or what are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?
  • What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months (or in recent memory)?
  • In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life?
  • What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the “real world”? What advice should they ignore?

Advice comes from Kelly Slater, Jimmy Fallon, Maria Sharapova, champion weightlifters, grandmaster chess players, and quantum scientists (to name a few). Not all 11 answers are published for each person; sometimes it’s only one, other times it’s all 11. Tribe of Mentors is a quick read and filled with unique ideas about what these people do with their time and money and how they stay focused (or what they do if they lose focus).

What I really appreciate about Tribe of Mentors is that it shows several ways “successful” people do things. Not everything resonates, and some answers are in direct contradiction to other people’s answers. But that is part of the point; there isn’t any one way to be successful. Approaching life and careers your way and being authentic to yourself and your style are key to discovering the endurance to succeed.

win friends influence peopleHow to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age by Dale Carnegie (Dmac’s pick)

In Warren Buffett’s office hangs a certificate of completion for taking the “Dale Carnegie Course in Effective Speaking, Leadership Training, and the Art of Winning Friends and Influencing People.” He said this class changed his life and improved his interactions with business associates, friends, and his spouse. If Warren Buffett says this was one of the best things he ever did, I figured I should try to glean some of that knowledge myself.

Upon first glance, this (updated) book offers fairly standard advice:

  • Don’t criticize, condemn, or complain
  • Give honest, sincere appreciation
  • Be genuinely interested in others
  • Smile
  • Remember a person’s name (as it is the sweetest sound in any language to that person)

The book is a very easy read with easy concepts, ones I have been trying to put into practice daily. I’ll admit, it is a challenge, even for things that seem so simple.The steps and concepts are as old as time, and all seems straightforward. How hard can it be to not complain? This one concept is harder than it sounds. Recently, Will Bowen, created the 21-day “no complaint” challenge. You wear a purple bracelet and for 21 days try to not complain or tell others they are complaining. If you do either, you switch the bracelet to the other wrist and start over at day 1. Come to find out, there is a six-month wait list to get a bracelet!

When I first started at Adventure Treks, Dock’s desk was right by the entrance. Every day, when someone left, Dock would thank them for something they did that day. This always made me feel good and made me want to work hard the next day. Giving an honest compliment to a coworker can seem awkward, but the pay-off from doing that has been huge. I can honestly say I don’t practice everything in this book or even half of it, half of the time. But doing even some of it, some of the time has been paying off. Can I directly attribute other people’s actions or work ethic to my compliments? No. But did doing these things help? Perhaps, and it certainly doesn’t hurt to implement them.

How to Win Friends is a great read for anyone—middle or high school student, college graduate, or even retiree. There is something easy and digestible for everyone inside. Just think, if we all practiced these simple concepts, what would our society look like?

power of habitThe Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg (Stacey’s pick)

I’ve recently become fascinated by the topic of “habits,” but many self-help books these days are too dry or focus only on what seems obvious and logical but not the most helpful (“just wake up an hour earlier and you can change your life!”). I wanted to learn some science behind habit formation so I could better understand my own behaviors. Most often, when we talk about habits, we’re talking about negative ones. But Duhigg’s book helps us understand that habits are a part of our brains’ necessary operation. Without habits, our brains wouldn’t be able to digest and store new information.

Duhigg, an award-winning investigative reporter for The New York Times, brings a conversational and journalistic approach to the subject. He dives into the research done by scientists that led to the discovery of the habit loop, helping explain the neurological processes that occur in our brains every day in a way that even a non-scientific brain can understand. Duhigg’s laid-back style makes it easy to relate the concepts to your own life, giving you the tools you need to analyze your own habit behaviors, whether you want to reconstruct a current habit or create a new one. He guides you through the habit loop: the process of what triggers the habit (the cue), the routine performed (the actual habit), and the real reward (the end result you’re trying to achieve).

By understanding this, you can then better adjust the cue and/or the routine in order to get the same reward, whether it’s ditching an unhealthy personal habit, creating a more efficient workflow at the office, or marketing a new product (did you know toothpaste wasn’t a thing until the founder shifted our dental hygiene habits? I didn’t, either.).

He also looks at specific examples of how understanding the habit loop has helped small and large companies shift behaviors with longer-lasting results than previously experienced. If you’re looking for a laundry list of tips to change your habits, this isn’t the book for you. But if you want to understand why you do what you do, then this New York Times bestseller shouldn’t disappoint.

she explores podcastThree new podcasts (Stacey’s picks)

Speaking of habits! About a year ago, I decided to spend my commute to and from the AT office listening to a variety of podcasts. I set a goal of listening only to podcasts for one month. That turned into three months, then six, and while I’ve allowed myself to occasionally listen to my favorite Pandora stations, I’ve spent the majority of my commutes in the podcast world ever since.

Some of my favorites include She Explores, How I Built This, Hidden Brain, By The Book, and Armchair Expert. Hosted by Gale Straub, She Explores focuses on telling the stories of women who are inspired by time spent outside. NPR’s How I Built This is one of my favorites. Guy Raz sits down with the people behind some of the world’s best known companies, exploring how they got where they are and lessons they’ve learned along the way. Hidden Brain, hosted by NPR’s Shankar Vedantam, looks at the unconscious behaviors that shape our lives and the science behind them. Fair warning, there’s some “barnyard” language in By The Book, hosted by Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer, but it’s worth it. These humorous hosts take popular self-help books, live by them for two weeks, and give their take on the experience. There’s also some “barnyard” language in Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert episodes. He sits down with many of his celebrity friends and explores all the things that make us human (If you love Sam Elliott’s voice as much as I do, check out that episode). In each of these podcasts, you’ll hear stories of grit, resiliency, creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, optimism, and collaboration—many of the outcomes we strive to teach on Adventure Treks trips.

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Nature is the Antidote to Video Game Addiction

The sun rises above the snow-capped mountains in brilliant hues of pink, orange, and purple. You get off your horse to take in the breathtaking scenery, hear the roar of a river below, and see the outline of a herd of elk in the distance. The birds begin to chirp louder as the sun rises higher. A golden eagle flies overhead. You take a deep breath, feeling accomplished for making it so far in this rugged terrain.

BEEP BEEP BEEP! The sound jolts you out of your peaceful daze. “REMOTE CONTROL BATTERIES LOW” flashes on the screen. The tranquil scene vanishes from the screen as the video game warns of impending dead battery doom.

I recently came across an article from Outside that reiterated an article Dock wrote a few years ago about video games and what makes them so captivating. As technology, faster internet, and budgets continue to grow, “today’s games are cinematic artworks,” writes Outside’s David Kushner. “They enable players from around the world to share digital adventures that are so immersive, so full of surprise and delight and realistic living things, that they can fulfill the core human need to explore.” Games like Fortnite, Minecraft, League of Legends, and Red Dead Redemption 2 are more than multi-billion-dollar businesses—they are an entire way of life. (To put the games’ success in perspective, when Red Dead Redemption 2 was released, it brought in $725 million during its first weekend, beating the strongest film opening of 2018, Avengers: Infinity War, by almost $100 million.)

Dock’s prediction around virtual reality becoming our biggest competition seems to be coming true as studies have shown that the same parts of your brain that get stimulated during a hike can get fired up by screen time in a digital wilderness. The Outside article echoes this verdict: “New science indicates that digital adventure may be just as thrilling as the real thing. An emerging body of research suggests that these virtual worlds can stimulate the same brain activity and physiological response as offline exploration.”

While video games may not actually bring about the end of the world, it’s important for us to understand the power, appeal, and effects of time spent playing them. We must work to find a balance of enjoying video games along with physical activity in the (real) outdoors, as taking these offline journeys without ever stepping foot outside can come at a price.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the World Health Organization has included “gaming disorder” in its International Classification of Diseases. And predictably, too much gaming can lead to health problems. The Endocrine Society found that heavy screen time and snacking can increase risk of heart disease and diabetes in teenagers. The New York Institute of Technology found that gamers who played between three and 10 hours per day reported a range of ailments, like eye fatigue and neck, back, wrist, and hand pain, and that 40 percent of these video game players “did not participate in any form of physical activity.”

Remember when Pokemon Go exploded onto the scene? Its goal was to combine gaming with actual outdoor activity… and while valuable, it’s not enough and doesn’t provide the same value as spending screen-free time in nature. So how do we compete with the allure of the digital outdoors? Imagine if “being in nature” was prescribed by our doctors. Would this not only spread the message of the benefits of nature, but also improve the well-being of teens and society?

Doctors have been encouraging their patients to go outside for millennia. Hippocrates called walking “man’s best medicine.” Han dynasty physicians encouraged outdoor “frolicking exercises” to ward off aging. And until the mid-1940s, tuberculosis patients were sent to mountain retreats to take in the “magic airs.” There’s a grassroots movement permeating doctors’ offices across America today: Along with prescribing necessary medications to cure ailments, doctors are also prescribing spending time outside as part of their patients’ care plans. Most credit the concept to Parks Victoria in Australia, which began to link the outdoors and human health through initiatives with medical providers in the early 2000s. Soon after, the first mainstream, provider-based outdoor programs in the States started to tackle common diseases.

“Exposure to nonthreatening natural stimuli, scientists have discovered, lowers blood pressure, reduces stress-hormone levels, promotes physical healing, bolsters immune-system function, raises self-esteem, improves mood, curtails the need for painkillers, and reduces inflammation,” writes Outside’s Aaron Reuben. The theory goes that natural stimuli (like the sounds of birds and swaying branches, or the smell of pine trees, or a glimpse of a scampering chipmunk) active the “rest and digest” function, aka the parasympathetic nervous system. When children and teenagers are increasingly exposed to “threatening stimuli,” e.g. difficult homework assignments, bullying, or high-level athletic competitions, their health suffers. In this complicated and busy world, nature can actually shift our patterns of thinking, leading to a more restorative state and thus increased well-being.

Since the mid-aughts, when the first nature-based program in the U.S. began, “the movement has exploded,” said Betty Sun, the health-program manager at the Institute at the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, whose mission includes coordinating knowledge-sharing within nature-prescribing programs. According to Sun’s most recent survey from July 2018, the U.S. now has 71 provider-based nature-prescription programs in 32 states, with the potential to reach hundreds of thousands of patients.

As the evidence grows, research institutes for nature and health will continue to open at major medical centers, and electronic health-record systems have begun to incorporate nature prescriptions just as they do pharmacological ones. If this continues, we may start to see more health insurance companies offering incentives for nature prescriptions. Those prescriptions take many forms, from general encouragement to get outside at least twice a week to specific instructions for activity, location, duration, and frequency. In a world where we increasingly live our lives indoors, says Robert Zarr, founder of the public-health nonprofit Park Rx America, “We are starting to think about nature not just as a place to recreate, but also as a social determinant of health.”

Hopefully we can continue to put a greater priority on getting outside more, whether it’s skating around the neighborhood, learning how to mountain bike, or joining a local hiking club. In fact, may we prescribe an Adventure Treks trip?

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Outdoor Recreation Resources in Your Community

If you’re ready to head outside on an adventure but have no idea what resources abound in your community, don’t fret—we’ve got you covered! From printed guidebooks to interactive websites, there’s a wealth of information out there to help you find outdoor activities right in your own backyard, whether you’re looking for a summer swimming hole or a day on the slopes.

Outdoor activity guidebooks

There’s nothing better than a well-thought-out, detailed guidebook, especially if you want a tangible resource that doesn’t require the internet. There are several publishing houses that specialize in guidebooks specific to the outdoor industry, offering tomes on activities from kayaking to rock climbing, from waterfall hikes to mountain biking for beginners.

Menasha Ridge Press is well known for its 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles, Five-Star Trails, and Best Tent Camping series. These books come complete with descriptions, directions, and all the details readers need to embark on an adventure. The 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles series includes versions for locations in New York City, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, St. Louis, and Boston—perfect for all of our big city families.

Falcon Guides are known for their full-color photos, detailed descriptions, and locations spanning the entire country. This publishing house offers options on everything from the best rail trails in the Pacific Northwest to flatwater kayaking in South Carolina and everything in between.

Quick tip: Before purchasing a guidebook, always check the publication date and make sure the book has been recently updated with the most accurate information possible. You can find guidebooks at stores such as REI or Barnes & Noble, directly from the publishers’ websites, from online retailers such as Amazon, or from most gift shops at state and national parks.

Outdoor activity online resources

There are a wide variety of options to peruse when it comes to online resources. Some websites are managed by professional organizations, while others, such as many regional websites, are run by a network of volunteers who update the information when they can.

hikingproject.com REI

www.hikingproject.com

REI’s hikingproject.com offers an abundance of information for trails all around the world. For instance, a quick search for Atlanta revealed more than 250 trails across the metro region. When you click on a specific trail within the area you’re searching, you’ll find an interactive map, photos, route description, local contacts, and other important information. There are also versions of this site for mountain biking, climbing, trail running, and skiing.

Another good site is alltrails.com, which offers users the ability to create an account for free and join a community of more than 10 million fellow explorers. With an account, you can save your favorites, keep lists of the trails you’ve completed, write reviews, and track lifetime statistics like mileage and elevation change.

For winter fun, onthesnow.com offers a variety of information for skiers. Browse articles outlining the “10 Best Ski Resorts for Kids & Families,” check snow reports and view webcams, and explore resorts by region from the Rockies to Europe. You can even compare resorts (including lift ticket prices, reviews, and trail statistics) and save your favorites.

rootsrated.com

www.rootsrated.com

A fun way to find hidden gems in your area and beyond is rootsrated.com. You’ll find articles highlighting everything from “The Top 12 Swimming Holes in New England” to “3 Epic Cycling Routes in the South” and from “Three Days of Adventure in the Beach Cities of Los Angeles” to “7 Excellent Spots for the Best Spring Skiing in North America.”

Regional websites are also good research options, such as the Mid-Atlantic’s hikingupward.com (which this author used almost exclusively when she lived in the Shenandoah Valley for nearly a decade). State trail associations, such as the Washington Trail Association, often offer a “hike finder” section. An easy Google search or a call to your local gear shop can help you find a similar resource in your neck of the woods.

Smartphone apps
chimani national parks app

www.chimani.com

The National Park Service is getting savvy with smartphones! National parks across the country have launched apps (available for both iPhone and Android) with a wealth of information about their specific regions. Currently, the NPS offers guides to Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park, and a few more. There are also third-party apps with exhaustive guides to many more areas; our favorites include:

  • National Parks by Chimani has information to all 419 U.S. national parks, including GPS-enabled maps (no WiFi or data needed to use) and detailed guides for more than 60 parks. And it’s free!
  • REI Co-Op Guide to National Parks (a part of hikingproject.com) includes descriptions, tips for family trips, live location tracking, and much more.

One of the best for finding people to adventure with is meetup.com. Once you create an account, you can use the app to find organized groups that host in-person events near you, including hiking outings, camping trips, nature writing workshops—you name it! And, if you don’t see a group that pertains to your interests, you can easily create one. Facebook groups are also a popular way to meet new outdoor buddies, both in your hometown and beyond. The organizations Women Who Hike and Hikerbabes Community offer chapters across the globe for like-minded women who are passionate about getting outside and offer outings for all skill levels on a regular basis.

Additional resources

Not a fan of downloading multiple apps? Mosey on down to your local visitor center. Most large cities will operate independent visitor bureaus, while more rural locations may offer joint city/county or regional centers. These all-encompassing organizations stock their brick-and-mortar locations with a smorgasbord of brochures, pamphlets, and maps of local outdoor gems—and they’re usually free. Many have in-depth information on their websites, such as romanticasheville.com, one of western North Carolina’s premier sources of tourism information.

Independently-owned gear shops, along with national chains like REI, are typically staffed by those knowledgeable in local outdoor resources, so don’t be afraid to pick their brains! With the amount of information available today, there’s certain to be a resource relevant to your hometown just a few clicks away. And think outside the box: Maybe your local college or university has an outdoor program that offers outings for the public.

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Adventure Treks 2020 Holiday Gift Guide

One of the great things about an Adventure Treks trip is that you can outfit your teen with the clothing he or she already owns—you don’t always have to buy extra gear. However, we know the packing lists for our trips are long, and our goal is to make shopping and packing a stress-free experience. This year, we’ve created an Adventure Treks holiday gift guide with products that are Adventure Treks–instructor approved! These are items we personally use and pack on every trip, and they provide functionality both on and off an Adventure Treks trip. We recommend the following products because of their quality and our positive, personal experiences with them.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you complete a purchase by clicking any of the following links, Adventure Treks will earn a small commission. We’ve decided to donate 100 percent of each commission to our 501(c)(3) non-profit Charlie Wellman Memorial Fund; this will help us provide more opportunities to deserving students applying for scholarships.

Marmot PreCip rain jacket

A rain jacket is not only a necessity on any AT trip; it’s also vital in most climates! At AT, we also use rain jackets to protect us against cold, wind, and annoying bugs. One of our all-time favorites is the Marmot Precip (here’s the men’s version, and here is the women’s); it’s a no-frills jacket that offers exactly what you need and nothing more.

Buff Original (multifunctional headwear and neck gaiter)

This is the most essential item you never knew you needed. Buffs are incredibly multi-purpose and can be used as a bandana, neck gaiter, hair tie, or headband—and it provides protection from UV rays. We recommend one for every student. Need a warmer option for cold weather? They also come in fleece-lined options. Bonus: there are a huge variety of colors and prints, and they’re machine washable.

Nalgene wide-mouth water bottle

These durable water bottles can be found in every instructor’s backpack, car, and even desk in the office. We love decorating ours with stickers of all of our adventures and trips. We recommend the 32-ounce and wide mouth option. (Wide mouth bottles are easier to fill with water than narrower mouth options.) Just like Buffs, there’s are almost endless color options.

Crazy Creek camp chair

These travel-friendly, padded folding chairs are a great way to sit comfortably while camping without the amenities of home. Not only are these perfect for evening meetings, but they can also be used at soccer or football, at the beach, on family vacations… you name it. Crazy Creek also offers a lightweight and more packable version that can be easily rolled up, allowing you to take this chair literally anywhere.

Black Diamond Revolt headlamp

These Black Diamond headlamps are a favorite among our instructors. They provide 300 lumens (translation: plenty of light for nighttime camping or hiking) and a red light option (useful when reading in your tent without being blinding to your tentmates). There are a few other settings for distance and proximity, and we like this particular one because it takes regular batteries; headlamps that require recharging by USB are difficult to use on AT trips, because we rarely have access to outlets.

Darn Tough hiking socks

Everyone’s dream gift! As “boring” as socks sound, you cannot go wrong with Darn Tough. Having non-cotton socks for outdoor ventures is essential: They keep your feet warm even when wet, and they dry quickly. Darn Tough makes some fun colors and patterns, and they have a lifetime warranty.

Osprey day pack

Please know that you do not need to buy an expensive day pack for an Adventure Treks trip; a non-technical school backpack will be perfect. However, if your son or daughter enjoys outdoor pursuits beyond their AT trip, a day pack will make those adventures safer and more fun. While packs can typically be used for either gender, most brands make male- and female-specific versions. The Osprey Tempest 20 for females and Osprey Talon 22 for males have plenty of room for both water bottles, a bladder, extra layers, and snacks; trekking pole attachments; zippered hip belt pockets (the perfect place for keys or lip balm); and a waist and chest strap to evenly distribute the pack’s weight.

Hydro Flask water bottle

Another popular water bottle, these stainless steel options are also vacuum-insulated to keep your water cold (or coffee hot) and handle the rugged outdoors flawlessly. They are heavier than Nalgenes but just as durable.

Carhartt beanie

There are a bazillion beanie options out there; we like this Carhartt one because Carhartt items last forever. Beanies are lightweight and easily packable, so they should always be tossed in a pack in the spring, fall, or winter seasons.

ENO DoubleNest hammock

Students LOVE these! We do, too. ENO hammocks are comfortable and fun to set up around camp, but, more important, they’re lightweight and pack up to about the size of a grapefruit. The answer is yes: Your student can bring an ENO hammock on his or her trip. (There are single-person versions, too.)

Hot Chillys Micro-Elite Chamois and La Montaña baselayers

There are myriad options for baselayers; we know shopping for them can be confusing. To simplify the process, take a look at Hot Chillys baselayer systems. They offer men’s, women’s, and youth sizes, and their color schemes will satisfy everyone from those who like patterns to those who prefer basic black. For a heavier weight (colder weather), look at La Monta‎ña; these poly items are warm with UPF 40 protection. For spring, summer, and fall, consider the Micro-Elite Chamois line. They’re another synthetic option with UPF 30 protection. Both have antimicrobial fabrics woven in to help prevent the dreaded “I haven’t showered in a week” stink.

Bonus: Hot Chillys gave us the discount code F19HCPRO; enter it at checkout for the wholesale price! 

Fun games, flair, and miscellaneous outdoor items

Ask your student how important flair is on every AT trip… you’ll likely get a resounding “I CAN’T GO TO AT WITHOUT FLAIR!!!” Camp games are also crucial to having fun in the outdoors. These fun stocking stuffers will provide just the trick.

Eco-friendly outdoor items
  • Metal straw
  • Reusable silicone sandwich bag
  • Leave No Trace bandana (10 percent of profits are donated back to Leave No Trace)
  • United by Blue bandana (this company removes one pound of trash from oceans and waterways for every item sold)
  • Ten Tree (sustainable outdoor clothing company that plants 10 trees for every item sold)
  • Parks Project national park T-shirts, sweatshirts, candles, and accessories (Parks Project works directly with more than 50 non-profit groups protecting, restoring, and cleaning up parks and public lands in the U.S. and Canada)

 

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Life Skills Learned from my Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike

The famed 2,186-mile-long Appalachian Trail winds through 14 states, starting at Springer Mountain in Georgia and reaching its terminus at Mount Katahdin in Maine. Its total elevation change is 464,464 feet—the equivalent of hiking up Mt. Everest 16 times. Attempting to complete the trail continuously is known as a thru-hike, which several thousand people attempt each year. And each year, the completion rate stays the same: only 1 in 4 people who attempt to thru-hike will complete the trail in its entirety.

Five years ago, I set out to hike the Appalachian Trail. It was a strenuous journey, and every day brought new challenges: finding water; eating and carrying enough food; persevering through the extreme weather; and pushing up and climbing down mountain after mountain. My expectations of having a unique adventure, physical challenges, and new experiences actually resulted in so much more: I realized that I learned and improved skills that have set me up for success in many aspects of life. I still draw from my experiences today as I navigate new challenges, jobs, responsibilities, and relationships in my life.

Remarkably, one does not need to fully live in the woods and carve out months of their time in order to gain these skills. As a trip leader at Adventure Treks, I see our students building the same skills I’ve learned—perhaps even more powerfully because of their age. Backpacking at Adventure Treks is a profound experience and one that impacts our students many years beyond their trip. I believe the following four life skills illustrate what students learn on a backpack trip and how they translate to life outside the trail.

You are capable of more than you realize

The inkling of doubt that emerges from reading the statistics of the Appalachian Trail is no different than the doubt students have at the start of their first (or even fifth) Adventure Treks backpack. The weight of the food and gear in your pack, the difficult and varied terrain ahead, uncertainty in their abilities both physically and mentally—they wonder if they can actually do this for four, five, or six days.

We see it all the time: Teenagers are capable of so much more than they know. It’s not unusual for us to hear about students joining a new club, applying for a job, reading several new books, signing up for a new sport—going out on a limb and trying something completely new—after arriving home from Adventure Treks. Remember: You are stronger and more capable than you give yourself credit for. When in doubt, go backpacking to see what you can accomplish.

Nothing teaches you the importance of adaptability better than spending a week backpacking with your friends. So much time, thought, and effort goes into planning the logistics of a backpacking trip—but maps, itineraries, and first aid kits can’t predict the weather, trail conditions, broken gear, or wildlife… nor can proper planning account for the people in your group (like unexpected illness, blisters, or attitude).

In the White Mountains of New Hampshire—a notoriously rugged, steep, and most difficult 100-mile stretch of the trail—sits Mt. Washington. This 6,288-foot mountain has the most erratic and dangerous weather in the world. As I hiked through the Whites, drawing closer to Mt. Washington, I was filled with both anxiousness and excitement. I had packed extra food in case the days were harder or the weather was bad and I needed to camp extra nights. I had also planned to pick up my winter clothes at a post office in a nearby town; but though I had mailed the box prior to starting my thru-hike, it hadn’t arrived. Instead, I was stuck with my summer clothes in late September—on the coldest section of the entire trail. On those 35-degree nights, I wore every single one of my layers, and my hunger had spiked while the temps plummeted… meaning my food supply wouldn’t last as long as I’d thought.

Adaptability is essential

Mt. Washington was a day away, and I had enough food to get me to a town on the other side where I could resupply. However, temps were dropping even more and a big snow was expected. If I didn’t push it hard, I would have no food or warm clothes to sustain myself. The morning I needed to summit I woke up extra early to get a head start on the storm. The clouds were dark and ominous, and the skies opened during the one-mile hike to the summit. The rain started turning to ice, and visibility was near zero. The rocks were so slippery that I moved more slowly than I wanted… I needed to get over this mountain to avoid the gathering storm. I put my head down and walked into the strongest winds I’d ever felt; you’d pick up your leg to take a step, and the winds would turn my entire body. Pushing through that cold, hunger, and physical and mental exhaustion is one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done, and summiting Mt. Washington was a truly epic feeling.

Can you imagine wearing only a T-shirt, capris, and lightweight rain jacket, with rime ice building on your hood and hair and temperatures in the 20s (but howling wind dropping it near zero)?! Neither could I, until it happened—because my planning had gone awry. I often reflect on this when I am doubting my capabilities to continue something. Backpacking teaches you that you can only control your thoughts and actions. And only you can control how you respond to often challenging situations. There is freedom to be found if focus on adapting to different situations, and a positive attitude goes hand-in-hand with this release of control. You can apply this to any aspect of life for greater adaptability and resilience. Life is not always comfortable, and it will throw challenges our way. When this happens, you have the power to make a choice on how you’ll react: sometimes we have to shoulder the burden, or stay positive, or accept the situation as it is. Backpacking teaches us to learn from things in your life that don’t go as planned, and it’s a skill that will serve you in many situations.

Resilience and managing failure

Perhaps most obviously, backpacking teaches resilience. It’s essential to plan and prepare for a backpacking trip, just as we would for a vacation or school project. However, you can almost guarantee that even with the best-laid plans, something will go awry. That’s inevitable with the outdoors (and in life in general).

For example: One week during my thru-hike, the weather forecast looked pleasant and called for sun and mild temperatures. It was completely wrong—it rained almost the entire week. I slogged along the trail underneath a rain jacket and in waterproof boots, not exactly having a blast, but I persevered. I arrived at my campsite and found it completely flooded—there was no place to pitch my tent or set up a kitchen. With the continued rain, it was more dangerous to stay than it was to turn around and make a new plan.

I didn’t meet my intended goal of miles that day—did I consider that a failure? I might have thought so at that moment, but time taught me that I responded well to the situation: I formulated a new plan on the fly and had to hike extra miles in another direction, without having eaten dinner. But I did it, and I felt strong when I reflected on this “failure” a few days later.

This happens at AT all the time. Perhaps an unexpected front blows in, bringing rain or chilly temperatures with it. Perhaps the mosquitoes were much worse than the previous year. Perhaps we miss a turn and hike a mile uphill in the wrong direction. Perhaps someone lost a boot overnight (trust us, this has happened). This teaches us to ask questions, like “Could we have brought additional gear?” “Did we look at the right map?” We learn from mistakes or unexpected situations (the “failures”), and we move on. There aren’t many skills in life better to have than resilience.

Be present

One of the biggest surprise outcomes of backpacking is the liberation that comes with being unplugged—away from cell phones, laptops, “likes and snaps streaks,” Netflix, and the instant gratification that comes with all media. The mind fog lifts, making way for clarity and the ability to observe and appreciate small details. The drama of the world around you seems to vanish as you notice the shape of a leaf, the sound of running water, the taste of warm mac and cheese, and the deep belly laughs induced during a game of cards around a campfire. You understand what Ralph Waldo Emerson meant when he wrote, “To finish the moment, to find the journey’s end in every step of the road, to live the greatest number of good hours, is wisdom.”

Each step you take, each relationship you build, each experience you have—these moments teach you to slow down and stay present. There’s no need to always rush, even when the world moves at a breakneck speed around you. As Adventure Treks instructors, we try to model appreciating every moment we’re in, for whatever it’s worth, without expectation or impatience. This skill is truly valuable at any moment in life.

As I summited Mt. Katahdin, reaching the apex of my five and a half months on the AT, I felt a release of emotions: proud, relief, joy, scared of the future, ready for a real bed and running water, and a feeling that I could absolutely do anything I set out to do. Completing my thru-hike is, to this day, one of the best feelings of true accomplishment I’ve had. Unfortunately, that level of confidence fades over time as we are exposed to the pressures and reality of society. But when that feeling of confidence and accomplishment comes back, it’s always when I’m outside: When I’m hiking in the Talkeetnas in Alaska with fourth-year AT students, or when I’m playing mafia or camouflage with first-year AT students in Rocky Mountain National Park. The best part? I’m not the only one celebrating triumphs. So are our students.

At Adventure Treks, each backpacking experience is unique to each student. However, each of these lessons we learn from are easily transferable to everyone’s daily lives. I regularly reflect on the struggles, fatigue, goofiness, and beauty of my time thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. I’ve hiked the wrong direction, was lost, under-packed my food, and missed a water source a time or two. I danced and puddle-jumped in the rain. I made lifelong friends. These experiences are continually revealed throughout my life in profound ways. I hope your experience with Adventure Treks is just as impactful.

Sincerely,
Dairy Queen (aka Rachel O’Neil)

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Finale Ligure, Italy, Trip Report

My wife (our marketing director Amanda Fox) and I recently returned from a trip to Italy. We didn’t make the trip across the pond to see the regular sights, like the Vatican, Venice, or other hot tourist spots. Instead, we sought out the lesser-known Finale Ligure, a trio of beautiful villages (Finale Ligure, Finalpia, and Finalborgo) on the Mediterranean coast. We set up camp in Finalborgo, a medieval town of no more than 1,000 full-time residents, where the Spanish-built Castel San Giovanni sits proudly above the main square.

Finale, as it’s known locally, seems to be the European capital for rock climbers and mountain bikers. It’s a gorgeous region, whose green rolling hills (not unlike our own Blue Ridge Mountains) tumble right into the sea. It was an interesting drive from Milan: Driving south, with the white-capped Italian Alps behind us, most of our trip took us through farmland and plains (the Piemonte region). Then, suddenly, steep hills rising up to 5,000 feet in elevation appeared again as we neared the Ligurian Sea.

The geography lends itself to countless of limestone rock outcroppings, leading to the development of several thousand established climbing routes, many with a short hike to their base. Climbers flocked to Finale in the 1980s, ’90s, and aughts, and it remains a popular destination for Europeans today. And we haven’t even gotten to the watersports: The sea is conducive to swimming sailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing, diving, fishing, even jet skiing. There’s also hangliding and paragliding.

Finale remains a popular destination for all-around outdoor enthusiasts, but the main draw in the last decade or so has been mountain biking. Local riders have spent the last 30 years building a vast network (more than 250 miles’ worth) of world-class singletrack bike trails. The biking is so good, in fact, that the Enduro World Series has held part of its circuit in Finale the last several years. The mountain biking trails… this is what brought Amanda and me to Finale Ligure.

The trails themselves start high in the hills; we typically took a shuttle (Italians call it an uplift) to the trailheads, with our bikes strapped in on a trailer. One main jumping-off point is a decommissioned NATO base surrounded by active windmills; another is a pull-off next to a charming restaurant. The trails began as ancient footpaths, and they typically spit you out in a small village, where everyone stops for lunch or an espresso. Where in the United States could you ride miles and miles of singletrack, stop in a quaint village for a cappuccino, and then continue riding many more miles (sorry, kilometers) of singletrack?!

The entire outdoor recreation scene in Italy is vastly different than that of many active American towns. Finalborgo was developed in the 12th century (hence the Spanish fort literally guarding it from above); the main square is surrounded by medieval walls and historic monuments. It houses the typical Italian cafes, pizzerias, and trattorias, along with a few boutiques, bookstores, and toy stores. Here’s the interesting part: Also parked in this ancient square are outdoor shops like a Patagonia and La Sportiva store and several bike mechanics, and bike racks sit outside almost every vendor’s door.

What really stood out to us, above all else, was how welcoming the locals were to outdoor recreationalists. Bikers and climbers are celebrated guests in Finale. Every day after riding, we’d see groups of people (from young kids to retirees) pedaling around town, covered in mud after a day of riding. The locals and shop owners always welcomed us, mud and all, into their establishments. We saw several groups of teens riding together, sans adult supervision. Their parents trusted them to ride—at times on narrow, winding roads with traffic—all day and make it back home in time for an aperitivo. And it’s not easy riding or logistics; these teenagers had to plan out food, water stops, what to do in case of an injury or mechanical issue, and so on.

It reminded me of my own youth, when my parents dropped my friends and me off in Pisgah National Forest to explore. We’d set a pick-up time, and then my parents would drive off, leaving us on our own. We packed our own snacks and water and planned our mountain bike ride, which in Pisgah is no easy feat. The trails in that forest aren’t always clearly marked, which meant we always needed a map, compass, and common sense. It was up to us to make a decision about riding a trail or an obstacle and know that if something happened, it was up to us to get out. More than once, we backed off a ride, as we knew we didn’t have the skills that trail required. This was a huge show of confidence from my parents, and I will always appreciate their faith in me.

But back to Italy. We were so impressed by how outdoor recreation is a natural, almost expected way of life. We didn’t once receive a dirty or wondering look about our muddy attire or full-face helmets or bulky knee pads. In fact, many cafe owners had additional paper placemats to set down on their chairs for exceptionally dirty backsides, and our Airbnb even included a bike wash station. The Italians take great care of and pride in their outdoor spaces and work hard to preserve them for future generations.

It was also refreshing to witness parents allowing their children to have the same freedom that I had as a child, supporting them in making their own choices and being responsible for their actions. These Italian teen bikers didn’t call their parents to drop off a raincoat when it started raining, or call for a ride if they had a bike issue—they just rode in the rain and fixed their own flats. It was like seeing Adventure Treks at work, but on Italian bike trails; children were allowed to take reasonable risks, and allowed the opportunity to fail. In the evenings, we’d see those same teen riders coming back into town and meet their parents for a meal—and no phones were ever brought out! Can you imagine—dinner with your teenager where phones don’t even make an appearance?! Maybe we should do an Adventure Treks trip in Italy…

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What Do College Admissions Officers Really Look For?

teenagers crossing a river in alaska with backpacks

Thomas (far right) and friends crossing the Eagle River in the Chugach Mountains in Alaska in 2018.

College application season is in full swing, and we always enjoy hearing from Adventure Treks graduates, either requesting letters of reference or sharing their college essays. The latter often include a poignant story or two from their Adventure Treks experiences.

Determining a first-choice school out of the 4,000 universities available in the United States can be a pretty random process, but talk to any senior in the fall and you will know that there is undue pressure students feel to get into a “top” college. In the middle of a busy year, the college application process can feel overwhelming: Students must write multiple essays; take AP exams, SATs, and ACTs; and demonstrate that they are both uniquely talented in one thing while being well-rounded in everything else!

teenage boys backpacking hiking olympic coast washington

Thomas (far left) and friends leading a backpack on the Olympic Peninsula during Leadership Summit in 2019.

We hear the same story repeated by Adventure Treks parents all over the country: They feel that in order to “get accepted,” they have to pack their school year and summer break with as many different activities as possible to achieve the golden “well-rounded” status. I want to posit that more important than demonstrating a well-rounded student who has traveled the globe or mastered the checklist to build the winning resume is showing an authentic, thoughtful, passionate, independent, and capable teenager.

As research for this blog, I had the opportunity to speak with a high school guidance counselor and the owner of a college admissions advising company about what colleges look for in a prospective undergraduate student. Both were extremely helpful and gave us some behind-the-scenes info, including how Adventure Treks fits into the competitive world of college admissions.

I have a senior in high school. Thomas is a well-rounded young man who has done quite well academically. But as we are all learning, simply having a 4.0 GPA or higher is pretty standard these days. Thomas and I are fresh off the trail from touring five campuses in four days, participating in information sessions. The pace felt like an AT trip!

teenagers jumping in the air california hiking

Thomas (toward middle, red shirt) and friends finding joy during a California Challenge backpack in the Shasta Trinity Alps in 2017.

I found one common thread throughout all of our tours: Each institution claims they want a “holistic” student. Their descriptions are similar: They’re looking at the entire student, including but not limited to grades, test scores, affiliations, extracurricular activities, and history of volunteerism. Admissions officers are looking for diversity in race, religion, artistry, athletics… plus students who are the first in their family to attend college, those who excelled in student government, teenagers who’ve held part-time jobs, students in band—you get it. SAT and ACT test scores do matter, but most colleges make it clear that they’ll accept students both above and below their “acceptable ranges.” The guidance counselor and admissions advisor stressed that, far and above, the aggregate of a student’s four years in high school carry much more weight.

The other big takeaway is that each student’s authenticity truly matters. Admissions officers want to see that authenticity jump off the page in the essays—they want students to paint a vibrant picture of who they really are. That’s not very easy for many teenagers, is it?

teenagers hiking british columbia

Thomas (far right) and friends celebrating during a summit on a British Columbia backpack in 2016.

Take a step back, and think about your child upon returning home from his or her last Adventure Treks trip. You see an exhausted (and perhaps stinky) child, but someone who is happy, talkative, confident, open, charismatic… someone floating on cloud nine and a kid we’d love to see every single day. Now think of your child after taking the SAT or ACT—how does it compare?

According to guidance counselors, college admissions officers are looking for genuine students with original ideas and thoughts—and not only high-achieving students, but also those who spend significant time doing what they love. If a kid loves animals, they should be volunteering at an animal shelter or zoo; if they love mountain biking, they should be racing on a team, working at a shop, or helping teach others how to ride. If the participation has to be forced or is merely used for padding a resume, it’s not worth doing.

Consistency also pulls a lot of weight with college applications. Working the same part-time job for three years, for example, shows an admissions officer one’s dependability and commitment, unlike bouncing around from activity to activity or job to job, which might come off as unreliable and irresponsible. This consistency truly shines with community service and extracurriculars; volunteering locally throughout middle and/or high school provides a much more meaningful experience for a student than dabbling in different service projects around the country or world.

teenagers hiking in rocky mountain national park

Thomas (third from left) and friends taking in views during a Rocky Mountain National Park summit in 2015.

So, how does Adventure Treks fit into this? Our students have these life-changing experiences, spending two to four weeks working side-by-side as a team supporting each other through highs and lows. (Thomas has told me stories about kids quietly and anonymously taking weight out of other struggling students’ backpacks just to help them out… How many teenagers do you know who care that much?) The moments they experience cannot be planned—they happen organically and authentically as students are given the space to open up and find the best versions of themselves.

Obviously, not every admissions officer will recognize the name Adventure Treks, so the onus is on our kids to share through their essays the impact, insights, feelings, and growth they’ve experienced at Adventure Treks, and how it’s affected them and shaped their outlook on life. I can’t tell you how many students have sent us their college essays, featuring their Mt. Shasta summit, or how they learned to make and value true friendships, or the meaning of volunteerism, or an epiphany they had in nature about whom they want to be as a person. When the material is personal and authentic, the words flow much more easily, and the excitement and passion shines through more clearly.

Thomas has featured Adventure Treks in his essays. His multiple summers show consistency—that he has found a passion and has pursued it. I hope he will be able to articulate his ability to live deeply in a community, his resilience, the strengths he’s found, and everything else he’s gained from his six years of AT trips.

teenagers hiking mt st helens

Thomas (center, blue shirt with lei) and friends celebrating their summit of Mt. St. Helens on their very first AT trip in 2014.

Colleges want to accept students who can graduate in four years and are concerned about today’s record high drop-out rate. This is partly because in the digital age, fewer kids are prepared with the independence or life skills needed to thrive away from home. Experience on an extended wilderness trip demonstrates an ability to thrive in difficult and often uncertain situations and a level of independence few kids possess. I have also heard, in this age of “snowplow” parenting, an extended wilderness trip shows that parents have confidence both in their children and in the organizations that work with children. This marks a family as “easy to work with,” a subtle plus in the eyes of an admission officer.

My son took his first trip with Adventure Treks at age 12, and his six adventures culminated this past summer with Leadership Summit at the ripe old age of 17. He departed his final AT community with a wilderness first aid certification; the confidence and skills needed to lead his peers on the trail (through food preparation, risk management analysis, and logistics planning); and, most important, the ability to make and maintain friendships that I truly believe will last him a lifetime. I strongly believe that AT has played a large role in his high school success, and regardless of where he gets accepted and attends, I know his outdoor experiences will help him thrive in college and beyond.

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