This wonderful teen summer program in the Yellowstone-Teton country is designed especially for students completing the 7th and 8th grades (grouped by age) and is a perfect introduction to the most spectacular wilderness in the Rocky Mountains. Enjoy hiking and backpacking through 2 breathtaking mountain ranges; whitewater rafting the exciting Gallatin River; sea kayaking the crystal clear waters of Yellowstone National Park; and introductory rock climbing in the incomparable Teton Range of Jackson Hole. Finish by rafting through the wild and scenic Snake River Canyon.
Hike the Teton Mountains
After arriving in JacksonHole, we'll acclimatize to the altitude with a 5-day hike in the Teton Wilderness. As we make our way through this magnificent environment of wildflower strewn meadows and rushing streams, we'll learn variety of wilderness travel skills that will prepare of for the rest of our adventure.Sea Kayak Yellowstone's Lakes
Our next adventure will take us by sea kayak through some of the most beautiful high altitude lakes in North America. These placid waters are superb for fishing and lead to thick forests, meadows, and fascinating geyser basins. Few experiences compare to a sunrise surrounded by the mirror-like waters and mists of these high altitude lakes, home to moose, elk, bald eagles, white pelicans, and trumpeter swans. At the conclusion of our kayak trip, we'll spend a day viewing the wonders of Yellowstone National Park, including Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.Whitewater Raft the Gallatin River
Before returning to the Tetons we'll enjoy a fun afternoon of Class III whitewater rafting down the spectacular Gallatin River Canyon on the northwestern edge of Yellowstone near the Big Sky Resort.Backpack the Jedediah Smith Wilderness
Acclimated and stronger from the early days of our teen adventure camp, a more challenging highcountry backpack lies in store. The western slope of the Teton Range offers a 4-day trip through the beautiful Jedediah Smith Wilderness. Long, forested valleys offer cascading waterfalls that tumble from towering Teton peaks. By the second day we'll reach alpine terrain, with opportunities to photograph flower-strewn meadows, emerald lakes, and vast snowfields. From our vantage point we'll look to the east at Grand Teton National Park, along with the numerous mountain ranges of Idaho to the west.Rock Climb the Tetons
Returning to Jackson Hole, we will begin our introduction to rock climbing on our teen adventure camp. This experience has been carefully designed to be challenging and fun, but not too difficult for our age and experience level. With additional staff from the world-famous Exum School of Mountaineering, we'll learn basic climbing skills such as knots, signals, belays, and short rappels. Our appetites whetted for the culminating segment of this superb rock climbing experience, we'll depart the next day to climb from the valley floor up a peak most appropriate for our age and experience.Whitewater Raft the Snake River
Whitewater rafting will be our final adventure. In 8-person paddle rafts, we'll run the turbulent and exciting waters of the Grand Canyon of the Snake River, shooting such rapids as Lunch Counter and Big Kahuna. Our final day of rafting will conclude with an exploration of the town of Jackson and the traditional end-of-summer Western barbeque banquet.
All the major components of this trip have been offered by us over the past 37 years.