Backpacking in the Eastern Sierra

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One of our favorite and most powerful itineraries is our Eastern Sierra Backpacking program. Customizable, of course, this program is  perfect from late May thru June and again from September into early November. This program is intended for sixth and seventh grade students.

A sample itinerary is as follows:

Day 1: arrive mid day and set up camp at one of the nearby group campsites. After getting settled in a talk on what to pack for a day hike is followed by a short walk to stretch our legs and to start getting to know the area. Topics include taking care of yourself, the group, your gear, and the environment; local archeology and geology, and of course the answer to "what's for dinner?". An eveing session around sharing individual goals for the week, and how to sleep well tonight round out the day.

Day 2: Sometimes we make the second day a teambuilder of rock climbing and a hike (1/2 the group does one or the other, then switch). Otherwise the morning is how to pack your pack, packing, and leaving for the nearby backcountry.

All food and group equipment such as tents, stoves, etc is cached by Outdoor Link staff - we don't have to carry this stuff!  For first time backpackers, this weight reduction makes all the difference.

Day 3: moving camp a half days hike we then do a day hike out of our new locale

Day 4: same as above. On some itineraries we make this day a service project such as trail work, or removing invasive plants. Evening session: reflecting on the week and sharing your experience.

Day 5: pack up, hike out by mid day for return home by late afternoon.

Other topics covered include:

Backcountry skills including travel, sanitation, water purification, natural history, navigation using topo maps, compasses, and gps, solo/reflection time, and climbing an easy mountain.