- Expedition: Sep 28 - Oct 3, 2014
- New Village Girls Academy
- Yosemite National Park: Poly Dome Lakes
A great adventure was had by the women of New Village Girls Academy! The students journeyed from Los Angeles for a week of exploring and connecting in Yosemite. A meeting on Monday with National Park Service Ranger Shelton Johnson set the stage for the expedition to come. The next morning, the girls set off to base camp at Poly Dome Lakes where they could immerse themselves in the beauty of the Yosemite Wilderness. The group met with Wilderness Ranger Chris for some park stewardship. Let's not forget the amazing food: mac 'n' cheese, burritos, and comfort food galore...the WildLink team ate well. With a mixture of chilling out at the lake and challenges like hiking to the shoulder of Tuolumne Peak, the trip allowed the students learn about the natural world while strengthening bonds with the place and each other. It was a WildLink trip to last a lifetime!
A Curry Village night.
Monday, September 29
So today is the first day of waking up in Yosemite. It was super cold and I didn’t want to wake up because it was really cozy in the “cabins.” But all that coldness disappeared when I took a chance to look up and look at that view, let me say it was breath-taking. My heart stopped beating, lol jk. The breakfast was pretty good, it was like if I was in IHOP LoL. After that we went to a small hike, the small trail led us to this beautiful lake with a bridge. There we met this duck. It was an amazing experience.
-Laly
A little bit of stewardship goes a long way!
Wednesday, October 1
Yesterday we hiked 3 miles with super heavy backpacks! We were halfway done with the hike when we stopped to eat lunch in a very nice area with lots of rocks. We ate Sunbutter and jam tortillas with cookies, cheese chips, and baby carrots. It was delicious! So we ate and then went to use the bathroom if we needed to. I saw a deer and things got a bit awkward. Some other girls saw a dead deer that only had its head, rib cage and back legs. It was pretty interesting to be honest :) We continued our backpacking hike and I won’t lie, it was tough! There was a point where some girls and I couldn’t go on or at least that’s what we thought. When we finally made it to our destination we were all so happy! We did our tents and Mindy made our dinner which was Mac and Cheese with veggies or without. There was sunflower seeds and all these spices that you could add to your food. Dinner was GREAT! Thanks to Mindy for cooking for the fam fam!
I really like all the bonding we’ve had for the past couple of days. I’m talking and getting close to girls I’ve never talked to. It’s been very fun but challenging. This air I’m breathing is fresh! Being in between thousands of trees makes me feel safer than back in LA. It’s very peaceful out here! I think I’ll be coming back next year :D even though it gets very cold! I absolutely love Yosemite.
-Mitzy
Nothing can stop us!
Friday, October 3
Today is our last day. I am glad to go home, but I am kinda sad. I had so much fun on this trip. We are at the parking lot now. Everyone is giving back all the things they borrowed. I’m really excited to go home. I really need to shower. I think we are all a bit smelly. The whole trip was very challenging but I don’t regret coming. I made so many new friends. I loved it.
-Faby
We earned this view!