Armstrong Scholars 2026 Trip Report

The day of resupply dawned with a light sprinkling of rain on the faces of the Scholars that chose to sleep outside of a tent. Finally, a break from our rigorous schedule and a chance to sleep in. 

When our lovely resupply angels arrived, we greeted them with a performance. Charlotte called out, “Amyah, plug the mic in!” Amyah, always devoted to the craft, ran over to the nearest tree to plug in the imaginary microphones and rejoin the rest of us now all with our “microphones” raised to our mouths. At Grace’s cue of "5, 6, 7, 8!" we burst out in an a capella backpacking-themed rendition of "Like a G6," complete with dance moves with our trekking poles.

Like a G6 Parody (created by the 2026 Armstrong Scholars, recorded by Charlotte)

Popping bear cans in the camp like a Scholar

When we hike, we do it right—getting tired

Sipping water from the creek (from the lake!) in the ‘26

Now I’m hiking so high like a G6

Like a G6, like a G6

Now, now, now, now, now, now

We’re hiking so high like a G6

Like a G6, like a G6

Now, now, now, now, now, now

We’re hiking so high like a G6

The resupply angels met our musical offering with a full-service sandwich shop in the backcountry, complete with fresh fruit and chips with salsa and cookies for dessert. After finally eating something that was not dehydrated, we felt refreshed and rejuvenated. 

After a day of relaxation, we had a tough decision to make as a group. We had been traveling leisurely for the first half of the trip, really taking our time to take in views, identify wildflowers, and get to know one another. However, we knew that in order to complete the route we had planned, we had to start traveling more efficiently. So, Katie and Sophia presented the Scholars with two options: continue with the original route and “lock in,” or take a shorter route that would give us more time to relax and rest. After much deliberation, discussion, and going over mileage stats, the group overwhelmingly agreed to challenge ourselves and go the longer, harder route. As a result of this decision, the second half of the trip included long days and many more passes.

On Day Nine, we made it to the base of Post Peak Pass around 2 p.m., and we were greeted by sounds of rolling thunder and dark clouds sitting just at the top of the pass. We needed to wait out the storm, but as the hours ticked by, the clouds stayed put. We realized that we would have to spend the night and leave early in the morning to summit the pass. A set back, but one that we used to “Gulp Life.” We had an early bedtime with a dance party to send us off to our slumbers.

"Eye of the Tiger," "Don’t Stop Me Now" by Queen, and "Kung Fu Fighting" were our wake-up anthems at 3 a.m. Bleary-eyed and sleepy, we thought of Joie as we packed up camp in the dark and began our sunrise summit of Post Peak Pass. As the sun fully lit the world for the day, we made it to the top of Post Peak Pass just in time for breakfast. Oatmeal never tasted better, made with freshly-boiled water from a snowmelt creek and topped with dehydrated strawberries, served with a view of what felt like the entire world to us in those moments.

While our morning had been full of appreciation, we had a long day ahead of us. Near the end of our day, a steep descent brought us to the Lyell Fork, our largest water crossing yet. After our crossing, we used the water from the Lyell Fork and cooked a feast—Thanksgiving dinner with mashed potatoes, peas, stuffing, chicken, and jelly on top. Exhausted, we decided to continue hiking. The optimism and determination of the Scholars shone brighter than it ever had as the stars came out again, headlamps guiding our steps uphill once more. We finally, finally arrived at our campsite along a small creek underneath the Cony Crags at 1 a.m., succumbing to sleep as soon as we were in sleeping bags on the ground.

Our final night of the trip was spent in Vogelsang, where we were surrounded by beautiful peaks. As we went to bed, we knew we only had our final seven miles of the trip ahead of us. We knew that Kim and Sarah were waiting for us in Tuolumne. We got up at 5 a.m., packed up, and hit the trail. We were up before the sun was and felt it slowly creep over the mountains. We kept on walking with our sore legs and tired minds, but the knowledge that we were so close to the end kept us going. We ended our journey with another dance party, showing off some of our special moves. We were so proud of ourselves and felt so accomplished. We also felt very ready for the nap during the car ride back to the National Environmental Science Center (NESC).

Once back at the NESC, we had a fresh lunch and two hours to shower and get ready for our campfire. We got to reflect on and share the highs, lows, and everything in between. We shared how we had gotten to know Joie—through her poetry, stories from a variety of her loved ones, and connecting her to our own role models. We had found her essence in our own and in the landscape around us. A burn scar with more color and diversity in wildflowers than we had seen yet that was sprinkled among the charcoaled snags became a vision for her legacy through Armstrong Scholars, one event creating a beautiful spiral of growth. We practiced allowing space for the duality of good and bad and the spectrum of emotions all of these things evoked. Most of all, we learned from Joie that it’s okay to be scared to do something but we are all strong enough to face our fears and accomplish our goals anyway. And if you can do it in community, it’s a lot more fun to laugh and sing together while you hike. 

Yours in Gulping Life,

Katie and Sophia