Washington Wanderlust - Reporting from Summer Term in Olympic National Park

Thanks to the Outdoor Program Student Council, an incredible itinerary was prepared in Olympic National Park! The trip consisted of two, 6-day adventures in drastically different biodiverse regions. We started by backpacking from Rialto Beach on the west coast of the park, where the group explored astonishing tide pools and convoluted rock features. On day three, we journeyed to the southwestern shore of Lake Ozette then packrafted to the Erickson’s Bay backcountry campsite. After a day of exploration from camp, the group would navigate out to Ozette Ranger Station and transition from the coast to the mountains. The second segment of our adventure took us into an old growth rainforest as we advanced to centuries-old glaciers before a summit of the highest peak in Olympic National Park: Mt. Olympus. Transitioning from the coast to the alpine was a welcomed and exciting moment for the group to recognize and celebrate the exhilaration of these drastically different wilderness areas.

To say that this group was special on course is an understatement. The reality is that the trip was physically and mentally demanding, compounded by the fact that route-finding and the rugged coastal and mountain environments were unrelenting. Remarkably, even on the hardest day, students were busting jokes and were completely lost in the adventure, freedom and space of the unknown. This group's ability to exhibit empathy and support was truly one of the most impressive components of our time in Washington. Thank you to every parent and student as well as the Waterford School for supporting truly life-changing experiences such as this.

To see more posts and follow the adventures through the eyes of the outdoor students who participated, please head to our Summer Term Blog, here:

Summer Term Blog