From June 11-15, members of the Outdoor Leaders Program completed their final outdoor trip of the year with a 5 night backpacking expedition to the Desolation Wilderness.
Participants gathered on the morning of June 11 at the North Berkeley BART station for an orientation with BCM Interim National Program Director David Lee, BCM trip leaders Karen and Brandon, and Earth Team’s Outdoor Program Manager Noah Slager. The group discussed trip logistics with students before packing bags and heading to Loon Lake Campground.
At the campground, students learned land recognition, backcountry skills, leave no trace, health and wellness, cat hole construction, lost and alone protocols, and lightning protocols before cooking dinner and heading to bed. The following morning, they broke down camp, completed a pack loading lesson, and departed for the backcountry.
Over the next four nights, students stayed at a different backcountry campsite every night, learning teamwork and collaboration as well as essential backcountry skills including navigation, water purification, meal preparation, waste disposal, and many more.
On the final night of the trip, students gathered at a site overlooking Loon Lake for a sunset ceremony in which they congratulated each other on their hard work and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to connect with nature.
The LEADERS cohort and Earth Team are grateful for support from the California Natural Resource Agency’s Youth Community Access grant, as well as support from the State Coastal Conservancy and the Joseph and Vera Long Foundation.
