MCHS students enjoy WildLink experience

Several students from Mariposa County High School got to experience the back country earlier this month as several were chosen for the WildLink outing which is run through NatureBridge.

WildLink programming aims to build students’ relationships to the natural world, create a sense of belonging in Wilderness and forge connections between young people and local communities.

The WildLink experience begins with a six-day immersive experience in Yosemite National Park that includes a four-day backpacking trip into Wilderness.

Assistant Principal Kerry Whitfield and Pete Bothwell attended the trip along with students Moses Lopez, Kara Rieg, Elijah Jackson, Tamzen McCollom, Aiden Messenger, Sawyer Newsom, Kelsea Coder, Eli Gemma, Hunter Ramirez, Ethan Garcia and Demi Camorlinga.

Staff from NatureBridge who led the way were Katie Smith and Cassie Walke.

Andres Escalante led the group in discussion about the final project and reflection about the trip.

As the group drove into Yosemite, one of the first stops was the tunnel view area.

“We talked about the history of Yosemite and the geological formations,” Whitfield explained.

The group continued on to Curry Village where they spent some time getting acquainted before heading out into the wilderness.

“We struggled to start the fire that night because everything was wet,” Lopez said.

“We finally got it lit.”

The next day students sorted gear and began packing things they would need for the trip.

“NatureBridge provided everything we needed,” Whitfield said.

“Anything the kids needed they had, so they didn’t need to spend any money prior to the trip.”

Students were then able to visit The Ansel Adams Gallery before venturing to Cookes Meadow where they had time to reflect and do a little artwork of their own.

Bothwell brought along canvases and a water soluble graphite for students to create their own pieces, which were hung in their cabins when they returned to Curry Village for the night.

After dinner and some free time where students was able to see night climbers, the group had a “GRANITE” meeting to reflect on the events of the day.

This meeting would take place each night of the trip.

The G stands for greeting, R is a reading of some sort, A is for appreciation, N is for nugget or a kind of fun fact, I stands for “I feel,” T is a check-in for today, tonight and tomorrow and E stands for ending the meeting.

The next morning, after some very cold showers in Curry Village, the group made their way to the trail head for a safety meeting before beginning their two-mile hike.

The next stop was McGurk Meadows.

Along the way the group talked about leaving no trace and played some games along the way.

Setting up camp consisted of a fire area as well as a place for food, tents, hammocks and some students slept right outside under the stars.

While getting water from Bridalveil Creek, some decided to take a dip in the cold water.

“Every night and every morning we would go to the river to get water,” said Whitfield.

The next day, the group had fun playing a game on their way to Dewey Point.

The trail game involved hanging a clothespin on someone without them noticing. Once they realized they had the clothespin, they had to clip it on to someone else without being caught.

Whoever was the last to have the clothespin at the end of the hike had to do the dishes that evening.

“That’s when the real mushroom adventure began,” Ramirez said.

It was near Dewey Point when Ramirez shared his love of mushrooms and was able to identify about 25 unique species.

“I think we identified about 200 overall,” continued Ramirez.

“They were everywhere.”

Dewey Point was special for many because of the incredible views.

“The sun felt amazing,” Lopez said.

Students had the opportunity to journal on their own while also contributing to a group journal that had writings from kids who had also been on the same type of outings.

The next day, the group was so enthralled with identifying mushrooms and other things they were seeing along the way, it took three hours to go the two miles to Taft Point.

“Everyone was finding mushrooms,” laughed Whitfield.

“It was the longest two-mile hike I’ve done in my life.”

Upon arriving at Taft Point, the group was able to learn more about the geological aspects of Yosemite.

“It was formed by rivers and glaciers,” Lopez said.

“The cracks in the rocks have to do with water freezing and expanding, then melting away.”

That night, Coder was excited about the stars and shared some astronomy lessons with the group.

“We saw some shooting stars and some constellations,” Coder said.

This was also the first night all of the students “cowboy camped” and slept under the stars together.

“We had just a sleeping pad and a sleeping bag,” Newsom said.

The trip consisted of four days and the last day was spent hiking out.

The final part of the experience is putting together a community project of sorts.

“The last part of the trip is bringing something home and sharing it with the community,” Smith explained.

“There’s a lot of ways to accomplish that.”

Some groups have organized clean ups or showing others how to backpack.

“It’s about how this trip has impacted them and how they can pass it on,” Smith explained.

The group is in the process of planning their project and it’s clear this trip has been an experience they’ll carry with them and share with others throughout their lives.

“Once the kids are in the WildLink data base, they’ll get emails about internship and volunteer opportunities so it’s also a networking trip for them,” Whitfield said.

“Once you go on this trip, you’re in the WildLink family.”

For more information about NatureBridge and the WildLink program, visit naturebridge.org/wildlink