Day 1-2

Flying into Jackson Hole airport, it's difficult not to get the feeling that an adventure is already underway. Landing at the foot of the Teton Range, you'll deboard and be promptly greeted by your trip leaders. Following, you'll meet your fellow venturers who are sure to be mirroring your overwhelming excitement. Once everybody has gathered, it'll only be a short distance traveled to reach our first campsite in Grand Teton National Park, only ten minutes away. There, we'll set up camp for the first time, enjoy our first self-prepared meal, and generally hang out and get to know each other for the evening. The next day, we'll move on to making all the necessary preparations for our upcoming service work. Following our prep work we'll take a day hike to one of the beautiful lakes that are in the shadows of the Grand Teton.

Days 3-9

We will meet with a backcountry ranger from the Forest Service and discuss the upcoming project that is in store for us. We'll load our tools and some of our supplies on to horses that will meet us in the backcountry. We'll learn how to pack our own packs and then begin our journey into the wilderness. We will spend the first day hiking in to our base camp where we will spend the greater part of this upcoming week. From our base camp we will work on the Continental Divide Trail, clearing overgrown vegetation, building water bars, restoring campsites and preparing informational signage. Halfway through our service work we'll have an opportunity to explore this beautiful wilderness area. This area is abundant with wildlife and lakes. We will work full days and in the evenings we will prepare delicious hot meals over a camping stove. At night we'll sleep under the stars as we enjoy the sounds of nature. Following our service work in the wilderness we will return to civilization where we will have a chance to shower and do laundry before we begin our second project. In leaving this project we will have made a tremendous positive and lasting impact on a very important hiking trail in the Western United States.

Days 10-13

Our recreation time in Yellowstone National Park is sure to be an eye-opening experience as we watch steaming geysers firing into action, waterfalls roaring above your head, and herds of bison meandering around the area. Our backpacking trip takes us into the Black Canyon along the rushing Yellowstone River. Initially, we'll begin walking low mileage to allow our bodies to adjust to carrying our newly acquired backpacks. Additionally, we'll also have a lot of new skills to learn as we go such as, setting up our tents, cooking in the wilderness, and learning to read the map. Each day we'll reach our new campsite shortly after lunch allowing us time to explore our surroundings, play games and swim; always hopeful to spot the frequent bald eagle or river otter that are so common along this stretch of river.

Days 14-15

Following our backcountry hike, we'll take a day to visit the quintessential sites that make Yellowstone such a famous traveler's destination. What tour through Yellowstone would be complete without making a stop to visit Old Faithful! We will spend the day exploring some of the most active geyser basins in the park including Old Faithful. Appropriately named, Old Faithful will amaze us with its hourly burst of steam and water, sometimes reaching 120 feet high! The following day we will meet our sea kayaking specialists who will introduce us to our boats and instruct us on the proper techniques of sea kayaking. Once we're in our sea kayaks we'll put our arms to use and rest our legs as we glide across this large lake. From our boats we can even see steaming geysers and bubbles coming from the bottom of the lake! On the morning of our sea kayaking adventure we'll paddle for the first hour in silence in hopes to see wildlife having a morning drink from the lake. While out there, we're likely to see elk, mule deer, bison, moose and possibly a wolf!

Days 16-18

We will begin our second project, this time with Jackson Ranger District. There is plenty of work to be done in the surrounding wilderness area, and we'll roll up our sleeves and begin work on our second project of this trip. There are several different projects that need attention in the National Forest right now and we are proud to be a vital part of the history of conservation service that is intricate to the National Forest system. Over the next three days we will work side-by-side with Forest Service backcountry rangers in assisting these wild lands with some of its greatest conservation needs all the while learning about the ecology, watershed and recreational impact of this fragile ecosystem.

Days 19-20

We'll waste little time before returning back to Jackson in the stunning Tetons. This time however, we'll be spending the next two days climbing the rock as opposed to hiking it. Accompanied by expert climbing guides, we'll start as students in basic climbing school. Learning skills such as knot tying and belay techniques, we'll then feel confident to make a multi-pitch ascent of a peak the next day. Climbing is without a doubt one of life's most fulfilling activities; although challenging at times, there is nothing quite as rewarding as conquering a summit.

Days 21-22

For one of our final days together, we'll hit the rapids of the rumbling Snake River! Firing through these class III rapids is a great closer to a great trip. That afternoon, we'll explore the Old West town of Jackson and probably grab a few ice cream cones, savoring each others' company for one last day. Our last night, we'll all gather around the table for a feast fit for those who just completed a tremedous service trip. It's a great time to relive our stellar trip, celebrating our accomplishments and our good times shared. In the morning we'll bid farewell as our three weeks together come to an end. A fantastic time had by all, we'll have memories and friends to last a lifetime.

 

Please Note: This is a sample day to day itinerary based on service projects we have done in past years. Our service projects are put together carefully each year working with the local communities to find projects that will provide the greatest assistance for those in need. In order to be sure we are working on projects that will be both meaningful and substantive, the exact projects for each year are decided in late spring. Due to the dynamic nature of the needs of the communities, last minute changes are always possible, but they will be replaced with comparable ones.