Part III: Mesa's Yosemite Institute Field trip

Mesa's trip to the Yosemite Institute happens every year in December. It is a unique opportunity that many students reflect back on as "their favorite Mesa memory". This trip challenges students mentally, physically, and socially. It is a special time that will change them forever...

There are two destinations for the field trip. One is the Yosemite Institute's Crane Flat site. It is located along Highway 120 at an elevation of over 6,000 feet. It is the more remote of the two destinations. It is a great place for hiking groups to get to know each other and learn to work together as a team. Students sleep in two bunkhouses; one for the boys and one for the girls. There is a bathroom with four showers (two for the boys, and two for the girls). They eat together at large tables and serve each other. It's like being part of a big family. The facilities are more primitive than Camp Curry in the Valley, but there are fewer distractions as well.Students will hike to the Tuolumne grove of Sequoias and see the biggest living things on the planet. They will also have the opportunity to snow-shoe and cross-country ski if conditions permit.Since Crane Flat is higher in elevation, it will be colder. For every 1,000 gain in elevation, the temperature drops 3.5 degrees. Crane Flat is 2,000 higher than the valley.

Question 25: If Crane Flat is 2,000 feet higher in elevation than the valley, then how much colder could it be?

Camp Curry is located in the Yosemite Valley at an elevation of 4,000' (3,680' higher than Nipomo). The heated cabins house four students. There is a large dining hall located nearby where students eat cafeteria style. There are also large bathrooms with many showers and hot water! The students will share the facilities with other schools and tourists.From this camp, students embark on hikes to places like Vernal Falls, Oh My Gosh Rock, and Lower Yosemite Falls. They will also have the opportunity to ice skate for one evening. The medical center is also located in the valley nearby. You don't want to go there.

Camp Curry is less intimate than Crane Flat, but it makes up for it in amenities (more showers, a store, busses). Students meet every morning at around 8 a.m. in their hiking groups, divide up the lunch to carry, and then start their day. They will hike from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. everyday, in rain, snow, sleet, or sun. The evenings are full of night hikes, ice skating, or evening programs that include games and slide shows. Some groups hike as many as 5 miles in a day. This is how Yosemite challenges you physically.

Question 26: If you start hiking at 8 a.m. and stop at 4 p.m., how long will you be hiking? (and you thought running in P.E. was hard?)

This trip offers a unique opportunity for students and teachers to hang out together outside of the classroom setting. They hike together, eat together, struggle and learn side by side. They both get to see each other in a brand new light. It is a rewarding experience for everyone involved. Good morning Mr. Lee!

Students have the opportunity to get to know other students that they might not have had an opportunity to get to know on campus. It is a chance to break down walls and reach out. Students often remark how great it was to get to know other students that they normally wouldn't have talked to.

In between hikes and naps, there is always time to play... yes you can have snowball fights, but the YI instructors will tell you when and where and how. The wrong kind of snowballs have been known to break windows (which you have to pay for) and can hurt you. And remember, you DON'T want to visit the medical center. That is the opposite of fun.

Often, students will go to sleep and wake up to a winter wonderland complete with fresh snow and temperatures in the 20s. The scenery can transform overnight and literally takes your breath away.

Hiking groups usually consist of about 12-14 students and two adults. The group stays together all day on their hike, occasionally interacting with other hiking groups. The group bonds by taking on challenges, problem-solving games, and hiking around 20 miles during their five-day visit. There are usually four hiking groups in one large group. There are three large groups. They rotate so that only one large group is up at Crane Flat at a time while two groups remain in Camp Curry.

Hiking groups must be prepared for everything. They may start out their day in sunny skies, but by noon it may be raining or even snowing. Temperatures can vary greatly, also. They will hike with a backpack and carry the clothes necessary to thrive in all conditions. They will also carry their water and part of the group's lunch, a notebook and pencil, a flashlight and a camera. This group hiked through 2 feet of fresh powder up to Vernal Falls. The snow was so thick that the trail was virtually invisible at times. When hiking in conditions like this, it is absolutely necessary to have good waterproof shoes and very warm socks.

Snowshoeing is a fun winter time activity. It's a lot like tying tennis rackets to your shoes and then trying to walk. Because they are wider than your feet, your weight is dispersed over a greater area, allowing you to float on top of the snow instead of sinking. These students are enjoying a snowy day in the meadow of Crane Flat.

Once in a while enough snow accumulates for the students to go cross country skiing. It is not like downhill skiing. Instead of letting gravity do the work, cross country skiers must push and slide by the might of their own muscle. But also unlike downhill skiing, you can travel to places that you wouldn't have been able to get to otherwise. It unlocks the wintery wilderness, and the skis are the keys. The skiers above are skiing across the meadow at Crane Flat. There are always some thrills and spills, so you had better bring a camera.

Some of the key goals of the trip are to build problem-solving skills, build friendships, and help break down the walls that separate students. Hiking groups must come together to solve challenging problems on a daily basis. As the week progresses, the bonds grow stronger. Students find themselves being able to do things that they once thought impossible. In the picture on the left, a student gets a helping hand to reach an object well out of reach. But because of the help from her group, she is able to reach her goal. In the picture on the right, students cross a lake of "boogers", using the one student who is wearing the "magic" shoes as a vehicle to help them get across. On the trip, you will be challenged: 1. Mentally 2. Physically 3. Socially You will come home a changed person, that is one thing for sure.

Even though the students aren't at school, they are still learning. While out on their daily hikes, YI instructors often challenge groups to come together and use their skills as a team to accomplish some task. This team had to use their limited resources to build a shelter. After all the different teams had built their shelters, the group evaluated each shelter together. Historical Fact: Mrs. Crane, our librarian, once got lost on a YI trip with students and they had to build snow caves and spend the night out in the snow! Go Mrs. Crane!

While up at Crane Flat, students get to eat "home-cooked" meals. They eat as one big family. They also serve each other their food, as well as clean up after each other. They learn very quickly to appreciate what their moms and dads do for them at home.

Ever hear a teacher snore? Ever wonder if anyone else owns Homer Simpson slippers just like you? Well, you're about to find out. Dorm living! While up at Crane Flat, the students get to live in bunkhouses. The girls get one large room, and on the other side of the wall, the boys get the other; 25 to a room! The only source of heat is a wood-burning stove in the middle of the bunkhouse. And if you have to "answer nature's call" in the middle of the night, you have to brave 20-degree temperatures in your pajamas and walk through the snow to get to the bathroom. Brrrrr... Hope there aren't any bears out!

Your mother doesn't work here. If you make a mess, you get to clean it up. Students learn a little responsibility along the way.

Question 27: Based on what you've seen so far on this website, what thing(s) might challenge you mentally and why?

Question 28: What thing(s) might challenge you physically and why?

Question 29: What thing(s) might challenge you socially and why?

Question 30: What might be your biggest challenge for the week and why? And what might you be able to do to overcome it?