From lush valleys and towering forests to glittering alpine lakes and arid high deserts. The Sierra Nevada Mountains paint the most beautiful backdrop of towering rock and snow against the fairytale meadows and warm sands. Dramatic sunrises and sunsets are harder to miss when you have nothing but the thin barrier of nylon pitched between you and the millions of stars brightly sparkling in the dark night sky. You feel like you fell into a new Microsoft Windows screensaver as you move across the map. It feels like a privilege that should be enjoyed by everyone. Which is how I found myself jumping on a scout a weekend after a 17-day trip and two days before the 9-day trip.
On our way out of the wilderness on our scout for the 9-day trip, we ran into a group of older men and women. They were hiking in from the trailhead and started a friendly conversation. However, when the last guy hiked up to the group, he half-jokingly asked why we weren’t working right now.
“We are working right now,” we said. “We’re getting paid to be outside right now.”
All summer long, I have been on trips with students. One lasted 17 days, and two were back-to-back in the same beautiful backpacking location. I somehow managed to get people to let me take the youth on a fun outdoor trip where they learn, grow, and reset in the natural world.
“We’re on a scout right now before we bring the students out here,” I explained. I wanted to make sure my instructor team was familiar with where we would be hiking and camping in the backcountry.
The group half-laughed and waved their goodbyes, but the interaction suddenly fueled my instructor team to hike faster. Was it that we were hiking in the most beautiful area on earth in the middle of the week just before we planned to get Thai food? The reality of being educators in an outdoor setting, 24/7 for days, while providing a fun and inspiring trip for the next generation of leaders? Hanging out with other nature nerds with knowledge outside? Or it could be all of the above. We were getting paid to play, learn, and hike. I was also hiking among the tallest mountains in the contiguous U.S., and it was a part of my job to do so.
We still ran into challenging weather after heading out to Long Lake, with good amounts of hail piling on the sand and water and mudslides reshaping the pathways. There were mosquitoes, bear scat, and prime camping spots taken and claimed. However, I still had time and space away from a screen in the trees and the dirt. To also reset, learn, and grow in the natural world.
It does take a lot of time and effort to put together an outdoor education program or course for young people while also acting as a trained guide. However, students' comments throughout the trip were that backpacking can be difficult at times, but they are still having fun and enjoy all of the amazing views.