ECO-CAMPING MT. RAINIER WILDERNESS TRIP

MEN’S LABOR DAY ECO-CAMPING WILDERNESS TRIP,
8/29-9/2 Friday-Monday (or Tuesday if you can stay an extra day),

In this amazing 3-4 day hiking & camping adventure, Sierra Willoughby, a queer US Park Service Forest Ranger who has worked for 7 summers in Mt. Rainier, will introduce us to the incredible wild flowers meadows, sub-alpine lakes, glacial & volcanic geology, and stunning waterfalls of one of the oldest national parks and one of the largest expanses of old growth forest. 

GOALS

o   Deepen our understanding of Mount Rainier’s plants, animals, and geology
o   Learn about a movement started over 100 years ago called the National park Movement
o   Create community around wilderness adventure
o   Allow for and facilitate the healing magic that nature does to us
o   Heal our relationship with the natural world
o   Inspire ourselves to love the earth and be good stewards
o   Honor the ancestors of the Mount Rainier Area

ACTIVITIES

Yoga with Bart in the Sunrise Visitor Center

Sunset and Evening hikes with Sierra

Glacier Hike – see where the White River is born out of the largest glacier in the lower 48 States

Heart sharing circles

Day hikes

Eco hikes with Interpretive Ranger-Naturalist Sierra Willoughby

Evening campfire

DRAFT SCHEDULE

FRIDAY EVENING Car camping at White River Campground (Optional walk-in at Sunrise)

Arrival, dinner, opening circle

SATURDAY

Car camping at White River Campground

Morning Glacier Hike to Emmons Terminus Cave

Sat Evening 7:30 pm campfire program at White River Campground w/ Ranger Sierra: The power of Mount Rainier (be prepared to share your story of what the Mountain means to you)

Star gazing at Sunrise Visitor Center Area

SUNDAY

Move camp from White River car camping to Sunrise Walk-in Camp, walk with Bart around

Sunrise (Yoga, meditation??) Sunrise Area, meet Sierra at 3pm in Visitor Center. Optional, meet Sierra for 30 min Volcano walk at 11am in Visitor Center

3:00-5:30 Special Nature Walk with Ranger Sierra (in uniform, on duty)

Sunset Hike to Sacred Rock, (weather dependent)

Dinner in Sunrise Picnic Area

MONDAY

Morning eco bliss (clothing optional) Hike to the magic lake (6 miles round trip)….All-day hike with Sierra as himself off duty, in more comfortable clothes

Lunch at Lake or Sunrise Picnic area

Early afternoon overnight backpack prep for Tamanos Creek camp or Banshee Ridge (pack food and supplies etc…this could be done on Sunday with Bart)

Hike to Tamanos Creek Camp (Sacred ridge hike if less than 5 people – this would mean leaving Sunrise earlier and having less time at sacred lake)

Dinner at the camp

TUESDAY

Climb to Mount Tamanos (very tame and non technical) Mountain top prayer ceremony heart circle and of course lunch

Hike back to camp, closing ceremony departure in Afternoon.

FACILITATOR BIO

Sierra Willoughby grew up in where else but the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.  He has been hiking and exploring nature and wild places since his earliest days.  When he was 16, he traveled solo for 6 days in the Sierra Nevada near lake Tahoe.  After receiving his Masters degree in earthquake geology, he attended a rainbow gathering in central Oregon that woke him up to the ways of magic and spirit.  Since then, he has been on a path of nurturing his passion of bringing healing, balance and delight to the Human-earth relation.  Being a “mountain-o-phile” He has traveled and explored other mountainous areas of the world in New Zealand, South America, and the Himalaya of Nepal and India.  When he returned from a trip 8 years ago, he settled in Seattle, Washington (as settled as this nomadic guy can be!)  and saw an amazing mountain.  He applied and was gifted the honor of working as a National Park Ranger for Mount Rainier National Park.  Since summer of 2001, he has been connecting minds and hearts to wonders of Mount Rainier through the craft of being a naturalist (these days the park service calls them “interpreters”  2008 is his 7th summer season working for the park, and 8th summer total as he worked in Yosemite in summer of 2007.  This year, in recognition of his service, he was granted the lead interpreter position at Sunrise Visitor Center at Mount Rainier.  In the past 2 years, he has branched out his work to include teaching environmental education for 3rd to 12th grade students in the mountains of southern California, and the granite dome, cliffs and waterfalls with the Yosemite Institute.  He is excited to have Manifest join him at Mount Rainier.  His new directions in his career include personal guide services geared toward healing the earth-human relation, particularly with queer/gay/?? identified youth and adults. 

DONATION:  $150-$200 sliding scale donation includes delicious veggie meals & camping fees; proceeds benefit Manifest, a non-profit men’s wellness community. 

INFO:  Bart at 503-223-8822 x1. 

RSVP:  register online