Each student has the potential to earn the opportunity to
participate in a venturing experience during their time at Turning Winds
Academic Institute. Venturing is
beneficial for so many reasons. Our Operations
Director, Enoch Stump shares that, “venturing
experiences allow students to connect with the
outdoors; a lot of our students have never experienced the joy and peace that
comes from being in beautiful country. It also offers a time that students
can get out on their own and reflect more effectively without the hustle and
noise that being in a school environment can bring. There is a lot of emotional growth that comes
from students having to push themselves physically but most important mentally.
It offers a forum for students to be challenged in ways they are not used to
and a supportive team environment to help get them through the challenges.
Students come back with stronger relationships with each other as well as more
confidence to be able to address the problems that being a teenager can
present.”
Day One-
“Woke up and prepared for our departure from Turning Winds Academic Institute. It took several hours to arrive at Goodell and the campsite. Once there we set up our tents. By the time we finished getting camp set-up it was 10 pm and time to get some sleep.”
Day Two-
“We woke up at 7 am and ate breakfast. After breakfast, we packed up camp and prepared for our first Trek of the trip. We filled up our water bottles from the river and then went to get our permit. It took two places, but we finally got our permit. While we were there we were given a lesson on “leave no trace”. The lesson covered the importance of leaving a campsite the way you initially found it when out on the trails and why it is so important to do so. We then drove about 30 miles to the East Bank Trail Head. We ate lunch and then hit the trail. WE hiked a solid 3 miles until we stopped to meet another group at a junction. While we were waiting a few people treated blisters. After we drank some water we continued on the East Bank Trail. The first 20 to 24 minutes were all uphill. We regretted stopping right before it. We went for about 3 miles until we crossed Roland Creek, the widest creek we had crossed so far. About 50 yards after the sign for Roland Creek campsite and happily went to pick our spots. We set up camp and then cooked dinner not long after. After dinner, we spent some time relaxing around the campfire. John then assigned us our individual writing assignments. Right after we all participated in an affirmation group session. It gave the day closure and made everyone feel very good about what they had accomplished that day. With some struggle we finally managed to hang out bear bag. Some people stayed up talking around the campfire while others headed to bed. By 11 pm we were all in our tents and asleep for the night.”
Day Three-
“We woke at 7:30 am and promptly made oatmeal for breakfast. Then we filled up our water and broke down camp. We left camp around 9:30 am and started our 5.5 mile hike. After about 1 mile, the trail came right next to the lake where it stayed for the remainder of the hike. We had a beautiful view all day. At our 4th or 5thmile we went across a bridge. Normally we would jump off of it, but the water level was very low. We finished the hike strong and ate lunch once we arrived at Devil’s Creek Stock Camp. After lunch we set-up camp, at that point Owen’s group took a nap while John’s group went to fill on water. While down filling up water, we also soaked our sore muscles. Once we were finished, we took a nap as well. Then everyone worked on our writing assignments and relaxed. At 6 pm ate dinner. Once everything was cleaned up, we gathered around the campfire and participated in a group on symbolism. The evening concluded relaxing and talking around the campfire before heading to our tents and much needed sleep.”
Day Four-
“This was a tough day. We woke up and broke camp. We finally headed out of camp for the first leg of the hike around 9:30 am. Our goal was to make it the 3.3 miles to Lightening Creek without stopping and that is exactly what we did. We made it in just over an hour. Just as we reached the rendezvous point on the beachhead, the boat was coming to drop off Carl and Russell. We went down to the beach and took a 2 hour lunch break while our leaders staffed up and transferred all information. After we were done resting we began the nightmare 7 mile hike uphill to the nightmare campsite. The first half was grueling. We gained about 2,000 feet elevation going up brutal slopes and switchbacks. Once we made it around the back of the mountain the trail leveled out a bit and we completed the final stretch of the hike. Along the way there were incredible views of sheer cliffs once we reached the peaks of the mountain. After about a mile going into a valley, we reached a river that we followed for the last few miles. We crossed a bridge over the river and not 200 yards later was the nightmare campsite. We set-up out tents then Fabian and I (Matt) started a campfire using moss and a magnesium striker. Then we ate dinner and had a group about the goals we wanted to accomplish during the trip. We also discussed what we would like to take out of this venturing experience. After that some people went to bed while other sat around the campfire sharing stories until we went to bed at 11:30 pm.”
Day Five-
“We woke up at about 9:30 am and broke camp. After a quick breakfast, we took some pictures by a huge ancient cedar tree and a small glacier about 100 yards from nightmare camp. Then we headed out of camp. We had to climb a pretty steep slope to get up and out of the valley before we could start going back down toward the lake. About half-way through the 7 mile hike, we split into 2 groups. Russell’s group took off our packs and bushwhacked up to a lake called Ridley Lake. It was a beautiful mountain lake. Afterwards we continued up the trail until we reached another point where we needed to bushwhack again. We took a shortcut at this point to Hozomene Lake. Once we arrived there we were amazed at the incredible beauty. It was worth the extra work to get there. We finished out the day with a 4 mile hike to base camp with elevation dropping steady along the way. This section of the trail was covered with fallen trees. This added to the adventure as we had to climb over many of them. Once we reached the camp at Hozomene it was about 6 pm. We ate dinner and set-up camp. The remainder of the evening was spent relaxing by the campfire before it was time for bed.
Day Six-
“We woke up at 6:30 am and broke camp. After breakfast we went down to the lake about a mile from the pick-up spot. We got picked up and had a 45 minute boat ride full of breathtaking views. Then we hiked out 3 miles to the cars and waited for the other group. We then packed up and headed back to TWAI. Along the way we stopped at a buffet in Spokane, WA to eat. It was incredible! We arrived back at TWAI around 1:30 am.”
“The overall feeling of venturing was that it was not easy. The trip was difficult and full of struggles/obstacles to overcome. But over and over these struggles were met with determination and overtaken with intense tenacity. At the end of the trip the overall feelings were of accomplishment. Everyone pushed themselves further than they thought possible. Confidence in one’s ability and the accomplishments made by the group made the entire trip worth it. The group as a whole felt very fortunate be given this experience. These are memories we will carry with us our entire lives.” ~Daniel B.
TWAI staff member Russell T. shares about his venturing experience:
“The trip went very well overall. We had a lot of fun, and it really pushed to students to grow in new ways. I strongly believe in the therapeutic benefits of the great outdoors, and I think that it was a very positive experience for the majority of the students. The most obvious challenge that the students faced was the physical endurance needed to hike many miles with 40-50 pound backpacks. The first day that I was on the trip we hiked about 8 miles, and for many of the students this hike pushed them virtually to their limits. Other challenges the students faced included getting along with each other and maintaining a positive outlook on the trip. Mentally the students knew what they needed to do, and I believe that although they definitely had rough patches, they pulled through by their belief in their abilities. Sometimes things may not be easy, but if you believe you can complete the task and you just put your head down and push as hard as you can, you can make it through. I believe that this is what many of the students did. They saw what had to be done, and they just kept plodding away until they made it to their destination. Venturing opportunities are a huge asset for the staff and students of Turning Winds Academic Institute. Venturing is a tool that we can use that pushes students out of their limits. I believe that the only way we, as humans, learn is when we are pushed out of our limits. The outdoors is an incredible workshop for us to help students learn and grow.”
