Personal Reflections from Solo Crossing

08/02/13

      Hello, my name is Elena. I am 15 years old and from Colorado. I came to Journeys with my sister Emma, who also joined me on this trip. We have been away for 5 weeks now and are missing home so much. This was also my first time in Washington and backpacking the Olympic National Park. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The best part of the whole trip for me was when we were in our sixth or seventh day into the trip and we just hiked six or seven miles that day to Anderson Pass. We were all exhausted and irritable when we finally reached the top. We got to the top and to our camp site and to our surprise there was a shelter there! All the kids were so ecstatic because it was like staying in a five star hotel for us. The most challenging part for me and the whole trip was the fact of how long the whole trip was. It wasn't really that long but, we were already gone for two weeks staying in Oregon and drove up from there. It's really hard to stay away from home that long. Overall, the trip was a life changing experience for me. The backpacking was awesome, the views were just breathtaking and the people were extraordinary. It helped me open my eyes to the person and the strengths I can do for this world. Thank you Journeys.

      Hey, my name is Jaiden. I'm from Renton, and I'm fifteen years old. I heard about Journeys from one of my mom's friends, who thought it would be perfect for me. I did some research, raised some money, and bam. I was a-journeying. What can I say? Solo Crossing was amazing. Not quite what I expected, but hella fun. I think my favorite part might have been sliding down Anderson Glacier on my butt. They have a fancy word for that, glissading. Did you know that? Sliding down snow on your butt is called glissading. Anyhow, it was freaking awesome. Another amazing thing was my Solo. Forty-eight hours fasting? Psh, no problem. Solo Crossing was challenging for me too, though. I'm really not all that athletic, see, so all those steep climbs and switchbacks were not so fun. Taught me to be stubborn though. Well, more stubborn. Heh. But yeah. Overall, Solo Crossing was the best thing I ever could have done with my summer. I met amazing people, got to see postcard-esque views firsthand, and climbed a mountain. I really hope I can do this again next year. Thank you, Journeys!

      Hello, my name is Kathryn. Before this Journeys trip I felt like just an ordinary seventeen year old from the city of Chicago. Now, I feel fresh and ready to take on any challenge put in my path. I learned about this organization through my father who knew Steve James, the director of Hoop Dreams, a man who had documented trips such as these, following the adventures and difficulties of us young adults. I had a lot of time to think about my life, my family, my friends on this journey, and the decisions I will be making in the near future as an adult. It was a life changing period of time that I learned many strengths on, and shared much compassion with the other teenagers. I will never forget the first few days of hiking up the Olympic Mountains, which included sore muscles but beautiful views of a world which I had not known. Seeing the black bear with his brown tipped nose, the doe-eyed dear, the glistening glaciers, and much more had warmed my soul instantly. We also came to the coast of the Pacific Ocean, which I will say, was one of my favorite parts of the trip (although I had many others). The fact that we were able to fall asleep to the aching moans of the ocean and the eagles calling in the trees was astonishing. Before I even knew it hiking with a backpack for miles felt like nothing! I could almost picture myself as if I was the wind blowing through the trees and watching over all things living. I now have a spiritual connection with myself, with others, and with the outside. I look forward to the near future where I will continue journeys that call to the soul.

      My name is Emma Baffin Donharl, and this trip has helped bring clarity on my transition from my childhood into this next year when I will be starting my life as an "adult". There were, and still are, many different pieces of me that have struggled throughout my life and are really painful. The ability to work on these hurt little pieces of Emma and realizing that I have to accept and love every part of me has been a very large and fulfilling part of this trip. My little sister and I were able to mend a failing relationship and start a healthy one to work on this huge transition and separation we are about to go through. The hike was beautiful, and having the ability to really immerse myself and find connection in a place other than my Rocky Mountains was invigorating. This trip really is a monument to my stepping into a new life, and I am thankful to Journeys to be able to make that happen.

    I am called Yestra Barnes Myint or Ye. I am from Edmonds, Washington. I was born in Burma, and I moved here about four years ago. On this three week long program, I had the most interesting experience that I have ever had in my life. The program changed me into a completely different person in a positive way. It gave me time to think of who I am, and why I do what I do. Also, the guides that were there on the trip were amazingly helpful when the participant needed help, but they gave me a chance to learn how to handle responsibility without too much interference (which was really nice). I also was able to figure out how to function as a group efficiently and all of the people there were able to become good friends nicely well. The most touching highlight of this camp was when we did our solo, for it gave me a chance to be able to go deep within myself to search for answers. Overall, I believe that this was a totally amazing camp and I hope that it continues itself for future generations that are in search of something meaningful in their journey to becoming an adult! Thank you to all the guides and my mentor!

Solo Crossing 2012: The Way of the Hummingbird

Over the course of three weeks, in our tribe of twelve, we were kept company by Hummingbird. Incredibly, this magical little bird visited us almost everyday! It had something to tell us about our time together, and we listened...

First Leg: The Challenge of Rugged North Fork

Our first leg, five days on the rugged North Fork trail, was certainly the most physically challenging of our trip. Our second day on the trail, we hiked almost 10 miles, much of it uphill. While it was challenging for everyone, it certainly helped get our mountain legs on in a flash! The highlights of this trip for everyone was our day hike to Low Divide. We had our lunch on a huge boulder in the midst of a verdant valley, surrounded by waterfalls and snow-capped mountains. We watched a bear as it played on the snow, eventually plopping down and taking a nap. We sat in a group sit-spot, meditating on and deeply feeling the beauty around us. Those few hours in the gorgeous surrounding continued to affect the group for the remainder of the trip, with many citing it as their favorite moment of the trip.

Second Leg: The Splendor of Enchanted Valley

We spent our next leg in the lush beauty of Enchanted Valley. The trail felt easy as pie compared to North Fork, and we zoomed through most of the hiking. Enchanted Valley was exquisitely beautiful. We sat enthralled by the many waterfalls, moss-covered trees, and elk grazing across the creek. Some of us were fortunate enough to come close to a doe and her fawn. We got a tour of the historic ranger station by the kind Wes Gaston, and learned about the history of the area. During our last night, we held a men's and a women's council separately. We spoke of the difficulties of growing into men and women and how to act with integrity during that process.

Third Leg: Fun and Solos on the Beach

Before we embarked on our last leg, we were able to shower. What a pleasure after two weeks of grittiness! We all noticed how much more we appreciated the simple things, like fresh food and warm water, after our time in the wilderness. 

The first day of our last leg was pure fun. We hiked a short 1.5 miles to the beach and immediately kicked off our shoes. The sun was out, the sand warm, the water perfect for wading. We spent many hours just playing together. From there we moved into preparation for the 48-hour solos. The majestic Olympic coast was an apt place to be doing such deep soul work. Coming back from the solos we transitioned back into play, enjoying many rounds of "Mafia" together.

The Wisdom of the Hummingbird

Hummingbird is a joyous bird that revels in the beauty of the natural world. It flits from flower to flower, spreading its love of life to others. Hummingbird is also impossible to cage. It must be free in the wild, otherwise it dies. 

As we explored outer and inner wilderness together, we embodied the spirit of Hummingbird. We experienced awe and appreciation for the natural world together and alone. Our days on the beach, at Low Divide, and in Enchanted Valley will stay with us forever. Just as we felt closer to the wilderness outside, we also felt closer to our inner wilderness. We felt our own wild selves, the parts of ourselves that must be free to flourish, that cannot be caged. Each of us found something on this trip that we could stand up for and take a stance on, something that we cared about deeply. Hummingbird provided us with so much wisdom, and we are grateful to it for blessing our trip.

Reflections on the Solo Crossing

These trips I’ve been going on these last couple years have been getting only better and better. I have so much love in my heart for this program, its mentors, staff and every participant I’ve met so far. I live life to love everyone and everything and this trip has been just an amazing opportunity to exercise and carry out that quality as well as receiving it. I come home excited to greet the world with the new me and I plan to do it proudly. I feel very blessed to have been able to see the things I’ve seen, feel the things I've felt and sleep in the places I've slept and prayed. And I pray and hope someone else will be as fortunate to embark on the wonderful journey I've just come home from. I look forward to many more trips with journeys and I most definitely recommend these trips to everyone. And send my love to everyone who will or will not be going on this trip.

With love,

Jesse “LJ” Larson

This trip was something that I will remember for many years to come, and hopefully I will never forget the lessons I learned. The people I have met on this trip are some of the nicest, deepest, and generally some of the coolest people I have met, and I hope to stay in touch with them. I cannot convey through words the incredible things I have experienced. Among them are the views I saw, the lessons I learned, the insights I had, and I will never be able to describe how amazing food tastes after a long hike. To the person reading this, whoever you are, I recommend that you go on a Rite of Passage Journey, as it will be worth it and you will learn things about yourself and realize things you may never have imagined.

With the utmost love and sincerity,

Kory “Da Man” Schneider

My rite of passage journey was an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life. The potency of the bonds I’ve made on this trip with the participants as well as mentors are strong and will be in my heart for many more years to come. All the great fun and laughs around campfires and strenuous times pushing up massive hills have been engraved into my memory, and shall take a long expanse of time from now until they blur and become foggy and hard to remember. Learning about myself and what kind of adult I want to become in my life was a priceless treasure to me that was an honor to have. The wisdom the mentors passed down to me will help me though out my life and in harder times help me find within myself the right answers and decision to make. Out of all the skills I’ve learned one of the ones that comes to mind is the skill of meta, being able to take a step back and look at what I’m doing and where I am in my life without distorting what I see. So over all the trip has permanently changed me In dozens of positive ways and even some that I haven’t discovered yet. Id recommend this journey to any youth who wants to test themselves physically as well as take a glimpse into the future and see what kind of man/woman they are growing into. ~ Cullen Recktenwald

The sky is the limit. That was only one of the many things I learned while I was on my solo crossing. Another thing I was able to learn was how to be more direct when speaking to people and how to use my voice to not only share why I’m angry, sad, hurt, etc. but, also how I feel about it. This journey’s trip has been packed to the brim with laughter, fun, good times, memories, learning experiences, amazing people, a few disagreements, nature, broken stoves, and bear cans. Everything I carried throughout the trip only made me stronger. Not only physically but, also mentally. I learned things that will stay with me my whole life, and things that will also make my life the best life I could ever dream up. And I’ll get through it with everyone around me and with the knowledge that I can do whatever I want, be whoever I want, and no one can ever tell me I can’t. From now on I determine my life and future. Sure, my parents and guardians can tell me not to eat this or go there but, basically it’s all me. That’s my power, and part of what the sky is the limit means to me. I’m never going to stop striving for what I want, in all aspects of my life. On the second night of my solo vigil I watched as the sky turned from a plain baby blue to being speckled with stars twinkling, glimmering, and floating in a darkened night sky. And I told myself that if I wanted I could be that brightest, biggest star in the sky. If I want to write a bestseller I will, and if I want to be an amazing softball player I will do that too. It’s all up to me. ~Ella Lanphear

Journeys’ Rap

I got a double sized pack

So hold the bear can

That might not be fun

But hold on son

We be up in this woods

Order for eight

Got a craving for adventure

And I just ate

Macaroni and cheese, tuna-peanut-butter-jelly

But all that hiking we be doing will

Have it burning off yo belly

Naptime

-By Fred Kayes