Here’s what the month looked like across Y.E.T.I.
Snow Days
Snoqualmie Pass and Stevens Pass stayed busy all month long.
High schoolers from Y.E.T.I. Clubs continued weekly snowboarding trips to Stevens Pass on Wednesdays and Fridays. Students dialed in toe edges on the bunny hill, got one-on-one instruction, and eventually loaded the lift together. Some may not have felt totally ready, but they were absolutely ready to have fun.
Our partnership programs, Seattle Housing Authority, Tyee High School, Franklin High School, and Partner in Employment all made snowy trips to Snoqualmie Pass.
And a couple of open enrollment trips added extra excitement. One day at the Washington Alpine Club (WAC) had the ideal rhythm: trail time, games, lunch inside, then sledding. WAC volunteers were amazing, helping with snowshoes and leading hikes.
Navigation and Geocaching
Navigation was a February favorite.
Pacific, Sylvester, and Glacier Middle Schools all spent time at North SeaTac Park learning compass skills, orienting maps, and hiding (and finding) caches. Pacific students had full autonomy in deciding where to go next, and watching them negotiate direction together was a highlight. Candy hidden in the forest never gets old.
Sylvester’s crew creek-stomped at Walker Preserve, played “Captains Coming for Candy,” and celebrated with prizes at the end. Later in the month, they found all the hidden containers at North SeaTac.
Glacier’s group mixed giggles with focus. Bella really locked into map-reading skills during one trip, and later the group dove into geocaching, finding different kinds of caches. Students were stoked realizing they’re part of a global geocaching community.
We closed the month with an open enrollment navigation day fully dedicated to geocaching.
Navigation days were equal parts strategy, weirdness, independence, and joy!
Fishing and First Casts
Des Moines Marina was the place to be.
Cascade View Elementary and Evergreen High School started the month fishing together, taking in the snow-capped Olympics while practicing basic casting and safety.
Showalter Middle School brought extra flair: map activities, casting lessons, shrimp art, and cheering when the loons “stole all our fish.”
Foster High School had almost everyone fishing for the first time. Shrimp bait experiments. Elaborate (and loving) pranks.
Sylvester Middle School brought an electrifying level of stoke… they were genuinely the most fired-up fishing group we’ve seen this year.
Biking Through Sun and Hail
Van Doren’s Landing Park and the Green River Trail saw steady wheels all month.
Pacific, Evergreen, Mount Rainier, Showalter, Maritime, and Cascade View students all got out riding. ABC bike checks are now student-led, they know them well enough to teach the next rider. There were sunny rides, playground stops, radio banter, and even a hail storm, but our favorite part was students noticing their own skill growth.
Beach Days, Biodiversity, and Low Tide Magic
Low tides at Seahurst Park and Saltwater State Park stole the show.
Pacific’s beach day was pure joy and curiosity. Students led “Tides 101.” A HUGE crab was discovered. Clams squirted water at Chase. Dawat threw water right back. Anemones did that finger-suction thing. Tag games formed organically. Kids were allowed to just be kids, exploring, organizing their own games, asking questions.
Cascade View, Evergreen, Sylvester, Glacier, Showalter, Maritime, and Mount Rainier all had February hikes that leaned into beach time and biodiversity. Sylvester found eels. Students brought trowels, containers, and wildlife guides. Streams braided through the sand and required coordinated jumping. Crabs, little fish, and endless discoveries kept everyone busy.
These hikes were curiosity-forward, student-led, open-ended, and deeply connected to place.
Climbing and Skill Building
Glacier and Maritime High Schools climbed at Camp Long, including time on Schurman Rock. Visual aids of command sheets and role boards helped students step confidently into belayer and climber roles!
The Big Picture
February was high energy and high ownership. Students chose routes, led tide talks, taught bike checks, searched for hidden caches, and kept showing up for each other.
There were hail storms and hot chocolate stands. Toe edges and geocaches. Shrimp art and crab discoveries. Pranks in parking lots and problem-solving on icy trails.
There was so much joy.
And we’re carrying that momentum straight into spring.
