by
Alex Borton, Lead Trek Coordinator
Our
first Summer Alumni Trek took place this past August,
when I was joined on an expedition to the High Divide
and Seven Lakes Basin by staff members David Lewis and
Kris Kampf and six Gray Wolf Ranch alumni. Some of the
alumni had just graduated, while others had been out
for over a year and a half. This journey turned out to
be one of the best treks of the summer, which is saying
a lot since all of our treks this summer were quite successful.
What made this trek special was not just the striking
scenery, but what each participant brought to the group.
We
departed from the Ranch on Friday, August 4th and drove
to the Sol Duc River trail head. We hiked past Sol Duc
Falls, a stunning waterfall in a rocky chasm surrounded
by moss and lush vegetation. Five miles later we arrived
at Sevenmile Camp, where we enjoyed the late afternoon
and cooled off in the very cool river.
The
following day we climbed above tree line near Heart Lake
and gained the High Divide Ridge. From this point we
could see the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north, the
Pacific Ocean to the west, the awesome glacier-covered
peak of Mount Olympus to the south, and the remainder
of the Olympic Mountain Range. All told we hiked 6.5
miles that day, gaining 2500 feet of elevation, and dropping
over 1000 feet past Hoh Lake to camp at CB Flats.
Our
third day dawned clear and sunny, as usual, and we made
fantastic time back up that 1000 feet to regain High
Divide Ridge. We dropped our packs and climbed to the
summit of the nearby Bogachiel Peak at an elevation of
5474 feet. Afterwards, as we were eating lunch on the
pass, I made a comment to Kris about being a role model--then
proceeded to leap off the pass, sliding on my belly down
a snowfield. As I expected, half of the group followed
me and were already sliding when I came to a stop. We
spent the better part of the next hour playing in the
snow. After cooling off sufficiently, we continued along
our ridge, passing a herd of elk beneath us, and descended
through tree line on our way to our final night at Deer
Lake. Many of us enjoyed a dip in the lake under the
late afternoon sun.
Each
night, Group focused simply on what it was like to be
living in the world after Gray Wolf, sharing stories
of struggles as well as triumphs. One of our participants
had only attended GWR for a month, yet related how much
his time with us had inspired him during the following
year. Each person also shared his motivation for traveling
back to Port Townsend to attend this event. While everyone
wanted to spend four days in the mountains, the thing
that brought these young men back was a longing to reconnect
with the sober community that had greatly influenced
their lives.
When
we returned to the Ranch, we were greeted by a huge barbecue,
attended by current residents, GWR staff, and friends
from the community. Trek Leader Dave Campbell and his
folk-rock band entertained us with their soulful tunes
from the upstairs balcony, while we told stories and
feasted on the great food prepared by Vince and Karen.
We all enjoyed looking through a trek photo album that
Holly had put together, with pictures dating back to
the first-ever trip in March 1998.
Our
second annual Alumni Adventure is scheduled for July
12-16, 2001. We hope you'll save the dates and join us!
