A Quick Update from the Goat Rocks Backpack

wpdev11 Aug, 2016

An update from instructor Ari:

Happy trails from the Goat Rocks Wilderness. Hiking the stunning alpine scenery of the Cascades, we embarked on our last voyage, a five-day backpack. As we took on high mountain passes, snow crossings, and beautiful wandering trails in the Goat Rocks, our 24-day excursion came to a high point among some of the most incredible alpine backpacking on the west coast. Along the way, students kept their eyes peeled for wildlife, spotting marmots and pikas, and some groups were even lucky enough to see a herd of the illusive mountain goat! Group energy reached a new high as we discovered the natural beauty of the West, walking through vibrant wildflower fields and traversing rocky ridges. It was wonderful to see friendships grow even stronger on this challenging hike, the students joking with one another as if they were childhood friends. This has been a phenomenal group of considerate, cheerful students, and we are sad to see them go in a few days. Today, we whitewater raft the wild White Salmon River.

An update from student Josh:

After completing my journey through the Goat Rocks of central Washington, I will never forget the lush valleys, rugged mountains, extreme glaciers, and the friendship of my entire backpacking group. Every morning of the backpack I experienced the breathtaking sunrises, crisp Pacific Northwest air, and group-wide laughter. After the morning routine, my group had lunch mid-trail followed by games along the pathway until we reached the campsite. Once situated at camp, we built a campfire that took a team effort to build, one of my favorite activities within the backpack. To close out the day, we had a delicious dinner closed out by evening meeting and a retreat to the tents for sleep. Ultimately, the Goat Rocks backpack was one of the highlights of my Adventure Treks experience.

An update from student Eleanor:

Backpacking through Goat Rocks Wilderness was a experience I will never forget. Five days that I thought would take years turned out to feel like two days. The trails were a mixture of rocky terrain to lush forests. On the trail I made and strengthened friendships. In the morning, we would be awakened by the cheerful calls of our instructors. Sometimes in the evenings we would have a fire, and we could not have done it without our fire breather/struggling air bender who was in our group. The Goat Rocks Wilderness hiking trip was filled with laughter and adventure. It was by far my favorite Adventure Treks experience.