Last week, I unplugged from it all. I took a deep breath, turned my phone off and headed into the Teton Wilderness for 5 days without any connectivity. On a wilderness adventure with some friends, I was snowed on, rained on and spent a few hours in silence watching trees sway in the afternoon wind. We saw sandhill cranes, grizzly bears, wolves, a porcupine, and stars that shined so very bright. Conversation and the crackle and dance of a campfire was our entertainment. We gathered information about what tomorrow would hold from the wind and the dropping temperatures.
To unplug was, for me, a chance to reengage and revitalize.
To experience the wild again, the wilderness that I got to know as a Wilderness Adventures student years ago, was a dream. There, I got a chance to remember why the trips we offer are so very important: left without technology, we must rely on ourselves and those around us to make decisions, move forward, and thrive. With just a small dose of wilderness (5 days), I have reinvigorated my perspective and returned a better husband, a better father, a better friend, and better person.
Yesterday, we released our dates for the 2017 season. The lineup is set with our classic trips: Oregon Cascades, Alaska College, Spain Language, and Yellowstone Teton Explore. But peppered in are some new releases that are sure to excite the adventurer of all ages (Colorado Discovery for the young and Solar Eclipse for parents and students!). Also, we have tipped our hat to 45 years of adventuring by offering The Great Northwest, which is a reboot of our first 6-week trip that started the WA story.
In all of our adventures, we seek to connect our participants with the wild so that they too can be invigorated by the unspoiled, untouched, and pristine landscapes of our natural world. In a world that is so very connected, to disconnect might be the perfect complement to 2017 for children and adults alike. I know for me, it was. Come, the wild is calling– adventure with us.