Biking
We got a lot of miles in this month. Maritime High School, Glacier Middle School, and Pacific Middle School rode out to Des Moines Marina Pier, Showalter Middle School went to Van Doren’s Landing Park, and Sylvester Middle School rode the Green River Trail from Lake to Sound. A weekend trip on the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail was a big highlight. Students who didn’t really know each other at the start ended up building relationships pretty quickly. The tunnel ride was a standout moment, and Jasmine in particular pushed through some fear and felt really proud afterward. Lots of connection happened on that trip during van rides and even a few rounds of Mafia.
Camping Skills
Middle school Y.E.T.I. Clubs spent time getting ready for the upcoming campout by practicing tent setup, building dishwashing stations, and going over other basic camp skills. Sylvester stood out for how much choice students had throughout the day. They really took ownership of their tents and then spent time inside afterward hanging out with cards and music once everything was setup.
Fishing
We had a middle school open enrollment trip out to Lake Geneva where Miles caught a fish and students ranged from total beginners to pretty experienced anglers. Some of the more advanced students even showed others how to fillet fish. We also ran a few Fly Fishing Series sessions with Trout Unlimited.
Kayaking
Students got out on the water at Lake Sammamish for a middle school trip and at Angle Lake for a high school trip. The high school group got lucky with a turtle sighting and two bald eagles that showed up during the day.
Mountaineering Skills
High school clubs have been getting ready for a potential Mt. Baker summit by trying on boots and crampons down at the beach, fitting packs, and doing conditioning like stair laps at Saltwater State Park. We also had a weekend trip up to Snoqualmie Pass to practice with ice axes and spend time moving in snow just getting familiar and building confidence for what’s ahead.
Climbing
Franklin High School went out to Exit 38 for a climbing field trip where students got hands-on time on the rock and challenged themselves in a supportive way.
Hiking
Pretty much every middle school and high school Y.E.T.I. Club got out hiking in some form this month. A highlight was Foster High School’s trip to Tiger Mountain. Good terrain, good effort, and a lot of time just moving and talking together on trail.
