Days 1-5

Landing at the Sea Tac international airport, we'll deboard, gather our bags, and meet as a group for the first time. Immediately you'll see such a reciprocal enthusiasm amongst you and the rest of your group, a true sign of the great times to come. Once we've all assembled we'll travel to our first campsite for the night. Sure to be a fun and interesting night, we'll all hang out, get to know each other, and talk about the things we have planned for the days to come. Our first morning together marks our departure to the gorgeous Olympic Peninsula. Setting our sites north, and staying close to water, we find ourselves in the far reaches of the Puget Sound amidst the small island chain of the San Juan Islands. These islands, which are actually the summits of an ancient mountain range, are location to some of the most exceptional sea kayaking in the world. Home to an abundant amount of aquatic wildlife, including Orca whales, other wildlife such as bald eagles, deer and sea lions are sure to make an appearance. For the next three days we'll paddle our way through the string of islands camping somewhere new each night. Truly a life changing experience as well as an incredible way to begin our trip.

Days 6-10

From the beautiful San Juan islands, we travel due east into the heart of one of America's most stunning mountain landscapes. From the south end of Ross Lake, a thirty-five mile long lake deep in the North Cascades, we set off by canoe for a four day paddle amongst the snow covered peaks that surround this alpine gem. We are met on the last morning by a water taxi that will carry us back to our starting point and provide a scenic end to this adventure.

Day 11

After our canoe trip, we'll treat ourselves to showers and laundry and then we'll set out again, for the next part of our adventure. There we'll meet with professional river guides and take to the water of the Sauk River. Our day will be spent mostly on inflatable paddle rafts as we follow the winding waters through soaring snow capped peaks, sloping lush valleys, and across glassy pools and awesome white water. With the aid of the guides, we'll also learn rafting basics like "reading the river" and how to maneuver the rafts through the water. After our time here is through, it may be hard to leave such an unbelievable place, but not to worry, our next stop is sure to be equally as amazing.

Days 12-17

Crossing Puget Sound by ferry, we'll then drive to the gateway of Olympic National Park. We'll set out to the shoreline of the stunning Olympic Beach! Traveling by foot, and making the beach our home for the next four days, we'll discover all of the ways this unscathed environment will take our breath away. At night we'll build our fire on the beach and let the ocean lull us to sleep every night. Sleeping under the stars is certainly one of life's simple pleasures, but there is certainly something all together different about sleeping next to the vast ocean. Each day our hikes will take us somewhere new and astonishing, whether it be the abrupt rocky ridges that reach out into the sea, or the slow sloping virgin beaches that embrace them, the only thing to possibly distract your gaze may be the frequent spotting of the local wildlife.

Days 18-20

After organizing our gear and traveling south, we will get ready to climb the volcano Mount Saint Helens. On the first day, we will meet our experienced mountain guides and learn the basics of travel on snow. After camping one night in the surrounding forests, we will awake and begin our ascent of the mountain. The views will be fantastic, but more so will be our sense of accomplishment and camaraderie as our group helps each other make the summit. From the top, we will take in spectacular views of Mt. Rainier, and even be able to see Oregon.

Days 21-22

We´ll leave Mt. St. Helens and head back to the city of Seattle. Here we´ll get cleaned up and organize the trip gear one last time. With some time to explore this bustling city we´ll finish the last day with our end of summer banquet. One last chance to celebrate our accomplishments and new friendships that have grown from this experience. Come morning, we´ll head back to the airport to say our final farewells and return home with amazing stories and memories that will last a lifetime.