A Year of Firsts
This was a year full of firsts.
It was the first year that a substitute leader had to be called into the field. It was the first year that after six months of planning and preparation with each other—the Armstrong Scholars co-leaders had to say farewell mid-trip.
It was not the first time that scholars stepped up to an unexpected challenge and it would not be the last time they worked together to overcome long, emotional days.
It was the first time they waved goodbye to a leader—10 days too soon—and wished her well on a road to recovery.
The Armstrong Scholars 2022 were a resilient bunch. They faced smoke, illness, countless COVID tests, a double pass day, a few rainstorms and oodles and oodles of tortillas. True challenges of not only their physical fortitude but their emotional maturity and mental toughness. These trials, which could have broken them down instead served to mold them into a strong community built on giggles, stories, vulnerability, nights under the stars and days under tarps.
Our lucky group got the joy of getting to know three mighty female educators Molly, Kaitee and Amanda throughout their 14 day experience; and we had the joy of getting to know 12 bright and engaging young people.
Willow, mature and discerning
Amy, pensive and luminous
Maggie, reflective and authentic
Sage, unyielding and perceptive
Leslie, inquisitive and observant
Nicole, wise and resilient
Mia, eloquent and mighty
Sienna, sentimental and supportive
Dara, brave and a ray of sunshine
Fiona, lively and strong
Lilly, passionate and kindly
Sam, swift and sure
We started our journey at May Lake, plodding slowly through the wildflowers, the boulder fields, taking in the views—Tenaya, Cathedral, the Clark range and a sea of granite as far as the eye could see. We spent our first night at Raisin Lake and proceeded for the next few days to head deeper into the backcountry; a quick stop at Glen Aulin and then a journey up Cold Canyon to the raging Return Creek. As we headed out that morning, the smoke from the Oak Fire settled onto our path. This hurdle was followed by another when co-leader Kaitee tested positive for COVID and the trip was rerouted up a grueling trail to Summit Lake for a devastating evacuation. At Summit Lake our group met Molly, said hello once more to Kim and waved goodbye to one fearless leader. We headed out to spend the next few days exploring the Virginia Lakes basin and began to reset and realign after the challenges of the previous days. Scholars learned to do bear can laundry (a backcountry luxury), saw a black bear and weathered our first storm together! After our time in the Virginia Lakes basin we hiked with light packs to our resupply at Summit Lake, a lovely spot for our Resupply Angels to land.
Fresh produce and massive sandwiches filled our bellies while we shared our reasons for embarking on this trip and our admiration for Joie and the scholars that came before us. We welcomed some cloudy days and sprinkles as we made our way to Matterhorn Canyon—widely agreed on as the most beautiful spot on our jaunt. It was a tough hike through the canyon, we enjoyed solo time, learning about powerful women and a few creek dips before finding camp nestled at the head of the canyon.
We faced our toughest challenge the next day heading over two passes to find a campsite at a beautiful lake before landing at our last site—Peeler Lake. We spent two lovely days at the lake enjoying beautiful views, expansive meadows, one heavy thunderstorm, a fancy dinner and a morning of rainy solo time. We lit the daisy candle for the last time that evening and welcomed not only Joie but all of our departed friends and family, gave thanks for each other’s company, watched the sun depart and reflected on the weeks of learning and growing with each other. In the words of one scholar, “Pink cotton candy clouds, golden mountains and a glimmering lake fill the canvas. We will forever share this beautiful moment together, along with Joie, and our loved ones who have passed.”
In the month since our trip has ended, we’ve had time to reflect and to reframe those parts of our lives that were so touched by our journey. As we continue to process and enjoy the glow of the end of the Armstrong Scholars trip, we are so grateful for the support of the Armstrong and NatureBridge communities that were able to make this trip happen.
Stories
In Memory of Ty Cobb: A Visionary Leader of Resilience and Impact
Ty Cobb, former CEO of Yosemite National Institutes (now NatureBridge), passed away on Saturday, December 7, 2024 in Reno at the age of 84. Known for his visionary leadership, resilience, and ability to inspire collaboration, Ty guided YNI through some of its most difficult moments while building a foundation for its future growth and success.
WildLink November 2024: Woodlake High School
This November, Woodlake High School students and chaperones arrived in Yosemite for their first year as a WildLink school, and we are so excited to have them on the team! That means that the brave students who signed up for this expedition had virtually no idea what to expect before signing up for the trip, because none of their peers had experienced it before them! The week, although quite frigid, was full of lovely views, learning about Wilderness, spending lots of time by the river, and enjoying the beauty of Yosemite Valley and Wilderness. Their educators Sarah and Amelia were excited to help this group feel a sense of belonging in this place. They were also lucky enough to be joined by Ranger Lissie on their first day in the Wilderness!
Fall Reflections from NatureBridge Yosemite
As an environmental science educator, I spend a lot of time teaching about nature, but this season I’ve been finding that as it turns out, nature has a lot to teach us, too. Sometimes I can let the trees, the meadow, and the lichen teach for me. They show us how to respect each other’s boundaries, how to celebrate differences, how to work together, and how to lean on each other’s strengths in order to exist in a new place. These lessons felt incredibly relevant to me heading into the first week of November, a notoriously busy time at NatureBridge Yosemite. I wanted to focus on messages of kindness and inclusivity with my students, I wanted them to feel a sense of belonging in this new space, and I also hoped that they would share those messages with others.