WildLink September 2026: Mariposa High School

Hike out day arrived and the group wasted no time in loading up the vehicles to make their way to the trail head. The group gathered all their gear, donned their heavy packs and began the hike in. Spirits were high as they hiked up toward Ostrander Lake, fire scars framed the landscape and smoke could be smelled in the air. Conversations ensued and the pace was animated as the students warmed up and caught their stride. The group took breaks routinely, hydrated and took in the views. About half way to Ostrander they stopped to eat some lunch, then continued along the trail. The trail was steep in sections and one student had a catastrophic boot failure. The group stayed focused and persevered to get to Ostrander lake. The group spent the rest of the day settling into the campsite and taking a minute to realize that this would be home for the next few days. Casting fishing flies into the lake and relaxing by its shores. The sun went low on the sky and the team gathered around a fire after dinner to talk and reflect on what it was like to be out there and get to know each other a little more.

Day two of the expedition arrived and the group woke up and had some breakfast before the plan for the day was laid out. A day by the lake, exploring, playing games and doing team building activities before Ranger Matthew joined them and guided the group through a restoration project of the site. The first half of the day was full of fun and relaxation with a mix of team builders and cooling down in the lake. Unfortunately, by the time Ranger Matthew had arrived the Dome fire had started in the wilderness nearby. The group talked about the circumstances and agreed that for their safety they had to turn around and head back.

The team had to make a decision; stay in the area and risk the changing fire conditions or initiate an emergency evacuation. The group was still in high spirits, but ultimately, it came down to safety. The decision to hike out was made. The team packed up camp working together to make sure nothing was left behind and everyone had everything they needed to hike out safely. The hike out began and the team descended back to the trailhead, arriving at the vehicles safe. That evening they drove back to the NESC where they were welcomed back to the cabins by NatureBridge site staff to stay the night, have dinner, and get some rest after a long and unexpected day.

The third day brought a completely new plan, and after breakfast the group decided to pivot and head up to the high country to keep the adventure going. The team loaded up the vehicles and drove up Tioga Road. They spent the day exploring the expansive shores of Tenaya Lake. When the team got to the lake, they took advantage of the beautiful landscape to play some team building games on the shore. After the games, some of the students tried their hand at fishing, while others took advantage of the sun's warmth to dunk in the lake and cool off. They had lunch by the water and spent the afternoon taking in the views, reflecting on the wild unpredictability of nature and how resilient they had been through the changes. After a relaxing day by the lake, the group headed over to the Tuolumne Meadows campground where they would spend their final night. They pitched their tents then spent some time exploring the Tuolumne river bed as the sun got lower in the sky. Dinner was served and eaten around the camp fire, and conversations filled the air as the group got even closer.

The next and final morning the team woke up to a sunny clear sky, breakfast was served and all the gear was reorganized. The team had one last activity to reflect about the epic experience they had just been through together—from alpine lakes and wildfire evacuations to fishing, lake dunks, and high country views—before heading back home with a great story of resilience and friendship.