Group of Girls Experience the Beauty of Northern Idaho

On August 12^th, a group of eight young women from Turning Winds Academic Institute set out on an adventure through the beautiful mountains located in the northern most corner of Idaho.  Below is the account of the venture as recorded by the historian for each day.  

Day One-

“So far today has been very good, we hiked about a mile or maybe a little more.  While hiking some of the girls found our first huckleberries.  We were picking them off of the bushes like they were candy.  They tasted wonderful.  Once we reached the campsite, we set up our tents and then filled our water bottles with filtered water from the creek.  Next we made dinner on our mini-stoves.  There were several delicious choices for dinner; ramen noodles, three different kinds of fettuccini, and some instant potatoes.  Once we finished our dinner we returned to the creek to wash our mini pots and spoons.  Afterward we were treated to a wonderful campfire, although some of the girls had some trouble hanging the food in the trees away from the bears.  So that took some time to get taken care of.  Today was a great first day.”

Day Two-

“We woke up today around seven in the morning and prepared breakfast.  Once we finished and cleaned up we prepared to set off for Hidden Lake.  The beginning of the hike was a struggle for some of the girls, primarily me.  But our team leader made an executive decision to change the order in which we were hiking, moving me toward the back.  I did much better in this position.  When we arrived at hidden lakes the view was absolutely incredible…breathtaking.  We hiked down to the lake and began our solo assignments.  Sitting on the water’s edge and thinking about life…how much better can it get?! 

The hike back to camp felt much better and filled with many laughs.  When we arrived back at camp we started to work on preparing dinner.  For me it consisted of ramen noodles and mashed potatoes, which is actually soooo good!  I definitely plan to try this again when I am home. We also had a surprise visit from John Sr. and Glenn from the main office that evening.  During group we talked about our solo reflection projects and offered a lot of support to one and other.  After dinner we hiked up and picked more huckleberries.  The day ended with all of us enjoying smores around the campfire.”

 

Day Three-

“We were allowed to sleep in this morning until around nine which was wonderful.  Once everyone was awake we separated into our groups to eat breakfast and complete a motivational activity. Then we set off to Caribou Lake.  About half way there we lost sight of the real trail and ended up having to make our own down to the lake.  It was a fun adventure.  When we reached the lake several of us swam in the water while others picked huckleberries or rested.  Our leaders, John Jr. , Carl, and Jessi, fished while we had our alone time to work on our personal assignments.  They caught five fish. 

 

 

Once we arrived back to our campsite we cooked our regular dinner along with the special treat of the fish caught earlier that day.  They were wonderful.  We then were able to hike up to lookout tower on West Fork Mountain.  This is about a mile hike up the mountain.  It was breathtaking.  Once we arrived back to camp we fell quickly into our tents and fast asleep.  It was a day full of experiences that I will never forget.”

 

Day Four-

“Today has been a whirlwind of emotions to say the least.  The day started off with us sleeping in (which was amazing) and then eating breakfast.  Afterwards we packed up camp which was a little sad for some of us because of all of the amazing experiences and beauty of West Fork Lake.  About two hours later, we began our assent to the tower which was incredible.  The hike was nice and slightly challenging.  Looking back over the last week and the various struggles endured on the hikes, it is amazing to see the growth and confidence within all of the girls throughout the trip.   The views were so amazing. 

We hiked back to the cars in record time probably one hour and forty-five minutes.  Then we headed to our next site.  We arrived at a beautiful river and waterfall that was gorgeous.  Tomorrow we will head back to the school.  I am so thankful to have been part of this incredible experience.  These are memories I will keep with me forever.  I can’t wait to take a nice hot shower. J”

 

 

 

Day Five-

“On our last day of venturing, we packed up our tents in the morning and a few of us were picked to have a special pancake breakfast. Then after breakfast we drove back to the office and washed up the best we could and headed to Pizza Hut for lunch. We gorged down four supreme pizzas. Then we headed down for a long day on Lake Ponderay. We drove the Baisden's yacht out to some cliffs and swam and washed our hair in the lake. It felt really good to finally get our hair clean. We jumped off the 20-50 foot cliffs and went swimming in the middle of the lake. We had a lot of good food and drinks and had so much fun! Then to end the day, we piled into the Hydra Steakhouse in Sandpoint, Idaho. We had burgers, pasta, and chicken. It was a delicious meal. But by far, one of the best parts of the night was a midnight ice cream and a fun car ride back.”

Quinns Hot Springs Service Project

~Casey E.

"On April 9th of 2012, Krys S. and Jessi G. took seven girls to the Quinns Hot Springs in Paradise, MT.  It was an amazing experience.  We were able to relax in the hot springs, ate amazing meals, participated in awesome group sessions, and best of all, had the opportunity to serve the local community.

As a group, we went to the springs where you can get fresh delicious water and picked up all of the garbage.  Then, we planted many pretty flowers around the springs to help maintain and make it look beautiful.  It was truly a great experience to go out and give back to the community."

 

~Emily O.

"During the four and a half hour car ride we were able to see so many amazing wildlife.  The first experience was literally out our backdoor.  As we were getting ready to depart from the girls' house, there was a lynx walking through the property.  It was an amazing experience.  We then saw a moose and her calf, painted turtles, and bighorn sheep.  I am so thankful to have been able to participate in this incredible opportunity to experience the Hot Springs and wildlife while serving our community. Going to the Quinns is an adventure I will never forget!"