Every year, the New Village Girls Academy WildLink alumni try to gather a group of their peers who have not had the opportunity to visit many public lands and show them the ropes. This year, the crew came to Huntington Lake on the Sierra National Forest, where they camped and hiked for three days.

After driving up from Los Angeles, the group settled into their new home by setting up tents and sleeping bags, enjoying the late light on the shores of Huntington Lake, and cooking dinner together on camp stoves.

The next morning, the group packed up their bags for a challenging hike to Upper Twin Lake. They met up with U.S. Forest Service wilderness rangers, who led the group up the trail.

Some of the girls hiked up the trail to Upper Twin Lake and removed and restored illegal fire rings for an hour, while the other group found new strength from challenging their physical limits.

That night, around the campfire, the girls shared laughter and stories and reflected on a wonderful wilderness trip.

In their own words...

"My favorite parts were looking at beautiful amazing views that made the hikes and the trip worth it. Another one of my favorites were the stars at night." -Karina

"I learned that I am able to do more than I thought I was capable of doing" -Yuliza

"I learned that I was able to accomplish things if I could push myself. Also I learned how beautiful the environment is." -Zoneida

"I learned that nature exists whether it's far from the city or close to your fron tdoor, it is blissful and beautiful. It is precious and filled with life." -Kimberly