Camping trips go out frequently, as both educational and recreational events. Each class has a designated number of trips, of varying intensity, that they will complete during the school year. Some of these trips focus on academic issues, such as studying tide pools or rock formations, while others are more about just being outside with peers, stars, and a campfire. Trips range from overnighters on our property, to three or four night excursions into the neighboring Los Padres National Forest. The rewards are many, including stopping at a swimming hole in the Sisquoc River, a simple campfire, or spending time with classmates in the brisk mountain air.One of the many unique qualities of Midland, the camping and outdoor program is integrated into the fabric of the school. We don't send classes out for a week or two, only to come back to their "real" school and leave the outdoors behind. Midland students live every day in the outdoors, and we're convinced that this daily interaction with wilderness--oaks, canyons, birds, stars--gets into the blood of each of us, and becomes the foundation for a life-long relationship with the natural world.

On a Saturday night in March, Hye-Min Lee '10, Kirby Kersels '13, Chelsea Young '13 and Peter Coonradt '64 joined Will and Marguerite Graham on an overnight hard luck camping trip.

 

Seven students and a faculty member spent a recent Saturday night camped out on a perfect saddle.  Nessa and Heather explored some of Grass Mountain's lower shoulders, where all the golden fields are.  Nessa tended to the tri-tip (eaten community-style, with the plate going around and around and around), and Chelsea demonstrated how 831 kids make s'mores (um, gross).  A perfect night, even if Dottie the dog (she's the one on all the library photos, so you'd think she'd be smarter) made sure no one got more than 30 minutes of uninterrupted sleep.

 

 

  

As part of Midland 102, Rob Hopkinson and Hayley Anson brought the freshman class (in two separate groups) on a backpacking trip to a piece of Midland property along the Manzana Creek. For three days, they hiked and camped along the water, exploring the old Manzana schoolhouse and swimming whenever they could.

 

 

Brian prepares to skip a rock (l), while Kirby has a leisurely swim (float!) in the Manzana (r)

Students in Lise Goddard's Chemistry class spent a recent night along the Alamo Pintado Creek (bed--there's no water right now!) to do water sample tests.  Even though they had to camp without a fire (um, no water, too dry), and struggled to get the samples done (no water), there was plenty of good times.

 

Laurie Munger's Geology class spent three nights in the Eastern Sierra recently, exploring and analyzing the different sedimentary formations found in other parts of California.  The trip was cold, but the budding geologists learned a lot!

 

What is a "Hard Luck" trip?  It means a single night out under the stars (and at Midland, there are thousands and thousands of them!), leaving right after dinner, and returning by breakfast the next morning.  It means a few kids and an adult or two, just going out to change the pace, to sit around a fire, to tell stories, to live.  The first trip of the year was to Sycamore Canyon, 15 minutes by jeep road, but behind a ridge so you feel totally out there.  The group arrived at sunset, and hiked quickly to the campsite, where Nessa `11 made the perfect, s'more-roasting fire.  Samuel `13 learned about dew, and that there weren't sprinklers in the woods.  Doddie, Nessa's pug dog, snored all night.  At least I hope it was Doddie.