Into the Mountains

Director of Outdoor Education Chris Costa, along with trip leaders Elson Blunt, Fran de la Torre-Shu, Justin Boyer, Jodie Driver, and Melinda Janofsky, traveled to the High Peaks Region in New York’s Adirondack Mountains with a group of 23 students during the long winter weekend in February. Costa reports, “We had early mornings and very full days! Students were fully engaged in programming from Friday morning through Monday night. They worked well together and learned a lot about themselves, one another, and the pace and rhythms of traveling together in the mountains. They unplugged while at camp, engaged in family style meals and joined in the work of making our expedition run smoothly.” They hiked, skied, snowboarded, played games in the evening, and shared campfire s’mores. Costa adds that it was not an easy trip, and that was largely by design. Students faced challenges such as those presented by living in rustic accommodations in the winter, practicing the patience required to travel in a large group, learning to ski and/or snowboard, and shifting their relationship with technology. “They displayed resilience and flexibility and reflected in our closing ceremony about ways that they would bring their experience back to their life at Westtown.” Experiences like these are natural team builders, as well as opportunities to be in and learn from nature. Check out some photos from the weekend here!