We learned a lot from our first trip on how to best plan these trips in the future. The first trip had some unexpected twists and turns with people who got sick and others who didn’t get the many messages sent about our trip location changing. All in all, we planned for seven and ended up with four. We hiked from Franklin Lakes to Sawtooth Pass in Sequoia National Park on a wild adventure through cloudy mosquito backcountry, pristine alpine lakes and epically beautiful views from all
angles.
Part of that beauty led us to have worship sharing and deeper spiritual hiking discussions where we grew both closer as a community and to the natural world around us. We experienced countless moments of awe and wonder. We hiked six miles that first morning over the pass, then down the other side to our first lake on the opposite side of the ridge. We dropped our packs, split up the duties of filtering water, making coffee and checking the map. We took a refreshing dip in the lake and emerged feeling enlivened by the water and the stillness of the air around us. We gathered in centering worship at the lake's shore and listened to the ministry of wind gusts blowing over the lake, causing endless ripples as far as the eye could see.
One of our main trip goals was to support good food practices while backpacking. We had some strict dietary needs on these trips, but were able to follow a mostly vegan to vegetarian diet during our time together.
On the second trip, there were a total of thirteen people. Many participants were new to the Quaker Young Adult Friends community, and had either come up from Junior Yearly Meeting or recently discovered Quakerism through Berkeley Friends Meeting. All arrived at relatively the same time and enjoyed the hike out to a lovely meadow where we set up camp for both days. From here we took day and lounge hikes to different lakes. Both nights were filled with laughter and community through singing and learning about each other by playing the game “hot seat.”
To close both trips, we gathered back in civilization for some scrumptious Thai food and reflected upon our time using the Rose, Bud and Thorn technique.
angles.
One of our main trip goals was to support good food practices while backpacking. We had some strict dietary needs on these trips, but were able to follow a mostly vegan to vegetarian diet during our time together.
On the second trip, there were a total of thirteen people. Many participants were new to the Quaker Young Adult Friends community, and had either come up from Junior Yearly Meeting or recently discovered Quakerism through Berkeley Friends Meeting. All arrived at relatively the same time and enjoyed the hike out to a lovely meadow where we set up camp for both days. From here we took day and lounge hikes to different lakes. Both nights were filled with laughter and community through singing and learning about each other by playing the game “hot seat.”
The final Young Adult Friends camping trip of the season occurred over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in Joshua Tree National Park. We had a total of thirteen attendees, who spent two nights and three days at the Cottonwood Campground at the eastern part of the park,
in the lower elevation Colorado Desert.
On Saturday, (the first day), people arrived and acquainted themselves with each other, the desert, and the campground. One car drove down from the Bay Area, and several other people from San Diego and the Los Angeles area also came, though their arrival time was much earlier than the Bay Area car. On Sunday, we made sandwiches in the morning before departing on an all day hike! We worshipped on large rocks in the silence and slight wind of the lovely winter desert. We saw a desert tortoise shell, several looming ocotillo and other cacti, and wondered at the beauty of the plants and other natural formations around us. We left on Monday after sharing a delicious pancake breakfast, excited to carry forward similar future trips, and join together in fellowship soon again.
Some of our favorite memories from this trip include making food together and singing songs around the campfire. The nights were cold, but the stars were glorious, and the sun shone down as we scrambled over rocks and along the Lost Oasis trail. In these three days, we met new friends and reconnected with old ones, building community and strengthening our ties to one another and to nature.
The funding that we received from the YPCC ensured that people were deterred from going only due to time considerations, not cost considerations. The funding also allowed us to more easily provide communal meals. The cooking and sharing of food helped to strengthen the community by bringing people together through the experience of shared work and good nourishment. We tried to be conscientious about both financial and environmental costs.
Planning for this trip began several months in advance. We have been intentionally trying to have a distribution of events spread between Northern and Southern California so that Young Adult Friends in California can get together for spiritual and community growth, regardless of where they live. With the intention of being as inclusive as possible, we advertised this event by word of mouth, Facebook groups, and email. At least thirty-three people expressed initial interest in going on this trip, though many had to cancel due to work or other commitments.
Many supported the idea to organize another Joshua Tree trip the following year! The Joshua Tree camping trip during MLK weekend was originally organized by members of the Southern California Quarter, and it would be exciting to see this tradition revived again either as we did this year, with solely young friends, or intergenerationally as well.
in the lower elevation Colorado Desert.
On Saturday, (the first day), people arrived and acquainted themselves with each other, the desert, and the campground. One car drove down from the Bay Area, and several other people from San Diego and the Los Angeles area also came, though their arrival time was much earlier than the Bay Area car. On Sunday, we made sandwiches in the morning before departing on an all day hike! We worshipped on large rocks in the silence and slight wind of the lovely winter desert. We saw a desert tortoise shell, several looming ocotillo and other cacti, and wondered at the beauty of the plants and other natural formations around us. We left on Monday after sharing a delicious pancake breakfast, excited to carry forward similar future trips, and join together in fellowship soon again.
Some of our favorite memories from this trip include making food together and singing songs around the campfire. The nights were cold, but the stars were glorious, and the sun shone down as we scrambled over rocks and along the Lost Oasis trail. In these three days, we met new friends and reconnected with old ones, building community and strengthening our ties to one another and to nature.
The funding that we received from the YPCC ensured that people were deterred from going only due to time considerations, not cost considerations. The funding also allowed us to more easily provide communal meals. The cooking and sharing of food helped to strengthen the community by bringing people together through the experience of shared work and good nourishment. We tried to be conscientious about both financial and environmental costs.Planning for this trip began several months in advance. We have been intentionally trying to have a distribution of events spread between Northern and Southern California so that Young Adult Friends in California can get together for spiritual and community growth, regardless of where they live. With the intention of being as inclusive as possible, we advertised this event by word of mouth, Facebook groups, and email. At least thirty-three people expressed initial interest in going on this trip, though many had to cancel due to work or other commitments.
Many supported the idea to organize another Joshua Tree trip the following year! The Joshua Tree camping trip during MLK weekend was originally organized by members of the Southern California Quarter, and it would be exciting to see this tradition revived again either as we did this year, with solely young friends, or intergenerationally as well.
For future trips we highly recommend having at least one gear coordinator, one ride coordinator, one food coordinator, and one route coordinator. Those jobs can be doubled up of course or two jobs can be taken on by one person; we did find that each organizing piece takes a significant amount of time.
As a whole, the trips so far have been widely successful at bringing friends together in community as well as welcoming new friends into the YAF community. We thank the YPCC for its support and financial assistance.
As a whole, the trips so far have been widely successful at bringing friends together in community as well as welcoming new friends into the YAF community. We thank the YPCC for its support and financial assistance.
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