Climb mountains and go whitewater rafting with a group of new friends your own age. Go hiking in Idaho’s Lemhi or Beaverhead Ranges and learn to navigate rapids on the Salmon River. Work hard and laugh often as you explore winding canyons and summit rugged peaks. Cook tasty meals on a campstove with your team and learn about local ecology as you fly fish in clear pools. Swap stories around a campfire before falling asleep under the stars.
This course is designed for 14 and 15-year-olds who want to learn to navigate by river and by mountain in one action-packed month. You’ll see two very different environments on this course—high alpine vistas in the craggy Lemhis or Beaverhead Ranges, and deep canyons along the famous Salmon River in Idaho.
Your course will start with basic skills, including camping, sanitation, cooking and stove use, and Leave No Trace techniques. As you gain comfort and experience, you'll move on to topics that may include first aid, fishing for cutthroat trout, baking bread, leadership, and environmental issues. You may have an opportunity to perform a service project with the U.S. Forest Service, too.
Features
*Duration: 28 days
*Course sections: backpacking (19 days) and river rafting (9 days)
*Hiking route length: 50-70 miles
*River route length: approximately 80 miles
*Average group size: 12 students/ 3-4 instructors
*Average backpack weight: 40-55 pounds
*Elevation range: 5,000-11,000 feet
*Possible opportunities for peak ascents and fly fishing
*Terrain: combination of on- and off-trail travel; possibility of encountering up to Class III rapids on the river
*Wildlife you may see: moose, elk, deer, bear, sheep, mountain goat and fox
