“Do Something Wild—Inspire Growth and Wonder.”
Wilderness Adventures encourages our staff to live and breathe this mission as we bring kids together from all over the world to experience outdoor spaces together. It is what makes us unique, what pushes our leaders to be the best that they can be in the field, and what encourages our students to really push themselves to try new activities and find joy in creating bonds with new people and places. During the summer, we work together as a team of Trip Leaders, Trip Counselors, and office staff to make sure everyone feels the power of these words. And during the summer months, it’s easy to be constantly reminded of how we really are doing something wild. We are bringing together people from all backgrounds and abilities to cultivate a love for outdoor spaces, to develop their leadership skills, and to experience a variety of outdoor activities. If attempting a summit of the Grand Teton with nine other kids and a couple of leaders that you met two weeks ago isn’t wild, then what is?
When the summer isn’t running in full force, though, our office staff is still keeping the spirit of Wilderness Adventures alive. While our staff live different lives in various locations in the Intermountain West, they are still able to take our mission of “Do Something Wild” to heart and make it their own. Here are some accounts of our staff’s off-season adventures:
Director of Marketing Sales, Carly, has spent most weekends this winter dragging (maybe a bad word?!?) her 2 small kids to Alta for a few quick ski runs (and lots of M&M breaks!). When skiing isn’t in the cards, her family is happy to spend the day on the river in search of some trout (again, accompanied by many M&M breaks). With warmer days on the way in Salt Lake City (where Carly lives and works) soon family days on the ski hill will be swapped for bikes, hikes, and bug-hunting adventures!
One of our Program Experts, Ez, resides in Portland, OR, and has been hiking and exploring the nearby mountains with their partner Liv and sometimes their dog, Cora, throughout the winter season. On particularly snowy days, they’ve enjoyed absolutely cruising down some nearby hills on a little plastic sled. On the inside world, Ez has been honing in on their stained-glass skills, journaling, chasing their dogs around the house, and dreaming of the summer!
Will, Gap Program Coordinator, has been soaking up his free time in the off season getting outside as much as he can. He typically spends his time either slacklining or fly fishing aroundJacksonHole throughout the fall (his favorite season!). Once Old Man Winter came around, Will could be often found free skiing around Teton Village with his friends! He joined a local broomball league throughout the winter, playing twice a week against teams around the area. When Will is back at his house, you can typically find him curled up around his fire place with a warm drink. With spring on the horizon, Will is excited to get out for warm spring ski tours and camping trips in the desert!
Isabelle, a Program Expert at Wilderness Adventures, loves to take advantage of all that her backyard of Boulder, CO has to offer. She spends her weekends chasing the snow and skiing. As the days become warmer and longer she has been hiking on her favorite trails and biking around town to local restaurants. She was determined to find the best bagel in Boulder, and recently completed a bagel tour, stopping in at every bagel bakery. If you’re ever in search of a bagel in Boulder, Rosenberg’s is the one to go to! Rosenberg’s is not a sponsor, Isabelle just really passionately loves them.
Wilderness Adventures’ Eastern/Western Regional Coordinator, Katie, has been spending most of her evenings and weekends playing in the mountains. Though the snow has been minimal this season, she has still been able to get out and ski with her friends at the local ski resort, and has even tried ice climbing a couple of times in Hyalite Canyon. When she is not skiing or climbing outside, she frequents her local climbing gym, plays music with a couple of her good friends, goes on runs around her neighborhood, and takes improv classes at a comedy club in Bozeman. She is looking forward to the sunny weather so that she can start biking, climbing, and reading outside again!
Though the WA team has been enjoying our time outside this winter, we are definitely looking forward to the exciting summer season and the sunny weather that comes with it!
