Students Explore the Wilderness of New Hampshire’s White Mountains

Twelve students recently spent their first Mod Break of the year backpacking through the wilderness of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. One group, led by Science Teacher and Barn Dorm Parent Kevin Smith and PEL fellow Sarah Nelson, completed the Carter-Moriah Trail along a section of the Appalachian Trail near Carter Dome. The other, led by Barn Dorm parent Leah Wang, began near Carter Notch, and hiked over Zealand Mountain and along the Bondcliff Ridge, ending at the Lincoln Woods Visitor Center.

“The Mod System allows for trips like this one in a way that other school’s can’t,” says Kevin, who coordinates CSW’s Wilderness Program. Through the program, Kevin hopes to get as many people as possible into the woods for shared group experiences, where they can learn both how to lead and how to be a supportive member of a group. “I think there’s great value in having students experience a place that they wouldn’t normally experience,” Kevin shares, “wherever that place may be.”

Along the way, students also build competency in the skills required for backcountry exploration, like pitching a tent, setting up a camp stove, or navigating with a compass and map. Before each trip, groups spend the night in the gym, reviewing equipment and brushing up on the basics. The Wilderness Program provides tents and equipment such as backpacks, sleeping mats, and sleeping bags on an as-needed basis, drawing from a small arsenal of items donated throughout the years.

“For me, one of the biggest accomplishments as a result of the program is feeling more competent in the skills I have in hiking and backpacking,” says senior Caroline Keppler. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and this is a great way to get more into it in a safe and comfortable scenario with people that I trust.”

Caroline says she is also grateful for the parallels she has been able to draw between the classroom and her experiences outside through the Wilderness Program. “Last year, I was taking chemistry with Kevin, and being on that trip while I was taking that class really made me see the ways that I could use the things that I was studying in school in environments like the one that I was in in the mountains.”

Junior Kelly Fuller has also participated in a number of wilderness trips, and says her favorite moments are when things “aren’t going super smoothly, but you still have fun.” She describes a moment at the top of the Bond Cliff when the rain and wind were pelting the group from all sides, and her feet were wet, and she was tired, and thirsty, but she wasn’t thinking about any of that, because it felt like they were on the top of the world.

“There’s just something so gratifying about toughing through the elements, and going beyond,” says Kelly. “I couldn’t believe how much my body hurt when we got back to the lodge. My adrenaline was so high, I hadn’t even noticed the discomfort on the mountain.”

The Wilderness Program offers three multi-day excursions each year. In addition to the fall trekking trip, students may also partake in a winter snowshoeing expedition in the White Mountains, or spring sea kayaking trip off the coast of Maine. There are also typically 3-5 micro-trips, where students can try snowshoeing, rock climbing, or hiking over a shorter time period.