• Expedition: Mar 16-21, 2008
  • Contra Costa Middle College HS and Vista HS
  • Yosemite National Park. Badger Pass

WildLink Expedition 4 was a snowy adventure for the students who joined us from Contra Costa Middle College High School and Vista High School, both of which are located near Richmond in the Bay area.

We headed out into the snow on Tuesday morning, March 18th. Starting at Badger Pass, Darren, Christian, and Jasveen led us to a beautiful view up on Old Badger Summit. (This was a slight detour, but well worth it, and we soon got back on track). We tromped down to Summit Meadow, had a leisurely lunch, and continued on to McGurk Meadow where we found the most direct way possible into the meadow (i.e. straight downhill). The sleds came careening down the hill after us, but we totally beasted it. At 2:30pm we set up camp, and everyone spent the next few hours building snow structures. We went on a water mission, and Christian found water with his foot in a ten foot deep hole. We later jerry-rigged a pot to lower down and retrieve water. No more melting snow! We had a burrito dinner under the almost-full moon, and headed early to bed.

Up at 7am, before the sun hit the tents, and our frozen boots. We ate breakfast and thawed in the sun for the next two hours. Brian, Joaquin, and Chui led us out of camp to begin our day trip to Dewey Point. We took the roads and the trails there, and had lunch on the point as the clouds rolled in and threatened to unleash their fury. After some journaling—and once we were all sufficiently cold—we began the journey back. We made it safely to Circle Meadow, where Chui, Joaquin, and Andy decided to lead us on a bushwhack through the woods back to McGurk Meadow. We had a lot of fun sliding down hills through the snow, and eventually meeting back up with the skiers on the road before actually getting to our meadow. After a great pasta dinner, we headed to our hangout tent to play the dessert game, and make our RAD plan for the next day. We were in bed by 10pm.

Up again at 7am, we began the process of breaking down a frozen camp. By 9:30am we were packed and ready to go, and Junnida, Christian, and Darren led us up the steep hill out of camp, through Summit Meadow, and down the hill to Badger Pass. Back in civilization, we returned snowshoes, ate a relaxing lunch on the ski deck while watching snowboarders eat it, and finished with some journaling and a closing circle. All in all, we totally annihilated it.

on the trail pulling the sleds skiing enjoying the view journaling
WildLink is a proud partner of the National Park Service, National Forest Service, and Nature Bridge.