Photo Gallery: LCHS Students Brave Winter in Yosemite

La Cañada High School students braved freezing cold and loads of snow in a recent winter study trip to Yosemite National Park. Working with Nature Bridge, an organization that provides inquiry-based, in-field academic programs making use of the great outdoors, 41 students spent three nights braving tent-cabins - some without heat -  in the park’s Curry Village, and two nights in more remote Crane Flat bunkhouses.

Perhaps most exciting for Southern California kids was the blizzard that hit the park during their stay, which allowed them to snowshoe across meadows, slide down glacial washes, and contemplate whether college choices in the Northeast are really a good idea.

Led by Nature Bridge staff and LCHS teachers, students combined field experience with the study of astronomy, geology, ecology, biology, orienteering, politics and even Native American history during their time in the park. LCHS science teacher Tom Traeger noted that for students, the experience of studying in the field offers a reality they can’t get from classrooms and PowerPoint presentations.

“They’re living it,” he said, explaining the multi-disciplinary approach also incorporates team building and trust exercises that help teens learn to push their limits and recognize their potential to succeed in a variety of areas and conditions.

In addition to scaling rock falls and spelunking, building a scale model of the Yosemite Valley out of snow, figuring the circumference of a giant Sequoia, witnessing the rare occurrence of frazzle ice, LCHS students also had a bit of fun.

“We had an epic snowball fight,” Traeger said. “It’s a chance for students to get away from stresses at school. It gives them an opportunity to get away for a week and get a good perspective of who they are.”

But while in Yosemite, students are responsible for work missed in their regular classes back home. There is no transfer credit for the work done at Yosemite, but Traeger noted that the experience enhances long-term learning and “gets students to come out of their comfort zones.”

The trip runs once a year and students must come up with the $697 fee on their own, although the booster club does support funding that, this year, provided partial scholarships to three students.

“It’s a good vibe,” Traeger said. “Once students go and find out what a fantastic experience it is they want to do it again, in rain, sleet, or snow.”

For more information on the Nature Bridge program, check out their website.