Ready to Explore

WTA’s Outdoor Leadership Training program provides resources to youth groups looking to expand their horizons in the outdoors. From planning and facilitating to outfitting these outdoor adventures, WTA resources for youth groups can be critical in breaking down barriers to getting outside.

In particular, summer backpacking in the Northwest provides an opportunity for some of the most transformative experiences we support through the OLT program. The magic created by a small group sharing a remote and wild place and coming together to be self-sufficient creates bonds and memories that last a lifetime. In our workshops, we stress that successfully introducing people to this activity requires keeping the objective easy and the mileage short—and the best tools are often proper planning and good communication.

 
Sara Ullmer, a Highline High School teacher, has used WTA's leadership training and resources to help get her students outside, including this trip to the Ozette Triangle. Photo by Sara Ullmer.

Our training helps leaders think through challenges that are likely to come up on
trail. At our OLT workshops, for example, we discuss possible scenarios. A kid with a stomachache may be having a minor medical issue, or they may simply be nervous or homesick.

Coming together to succeed

For Monroe’s Shawna Capp, who helps lead Girl Scout Troop 44137, the reward is in the challenge. After a three-day trip to Cape Alava last summer, she remarked, “This was a longer backpacking trip for our group, so packs were heavier, and for some girls this was a first experience. All in all, I was extremely impressed with how the girls handled the physical challenges of the trip. They came together to support a girl who fell and hurt herself on the hike in. Some homesickness set in near dusk but with support from others it passed, and that girl had a good time. Besides some common, or not so common, minor mishaps (sap all over pants, slug in hair, skinned knee) the group did really well! Also, we learned that carrying gummy bears as a group snack is really heavy. They chose marshmallows for next time.”

Beach exploration at Cape Alava Loop. Photo by Sara Ullmer.

She added, “The girls proved to themselves that they could set a goal and work to achieve it. Comments they shared over our campfire included: ‘This is the most beautiful place I've ever seen,’ ‘Let's go for a whole week next time’ and ‘I wasn't sure I could do it, but I did and now I know I can do things like this in the future.’”

The joy of overcoming difficulties on a backpacking trip isn’t reserved for the younger participants—and it can have a ripple effect on the leaders as well. One adult chaperone on Shawna’s trip reflected, “This was a personal challenge for me, something I've never done before. It was the hardest physical thing I've ever done in my life, and I've proved to myself that I'm strong enough! Now I'm encouraged to plan a trip with my husband and other kids.”