“While we are born with curiosity and wonder and our early years full of the adventure they bring, I know such inherent joys are often lost. I also know that, being deep within us, their latent glow can be fanned to flame again by awareness and an open mind.”
Is anyone thinking ahead and looking for good deals on Teton Trip gear? The Alpine Shop is having a huge sale pretty soon. Check out their website for more details.
Did you miss the first meeting in the gameroom today?
No worries. (Just don’t let it happen again.) Everything we covered is posted under the heading 2007 Info.
If you are a junior or senior at Principia Upper School, you need to consider making this trip part of your life. It will stay with you for a long time. Just ask Peter Krogh (1983 Teton Trip). 24 years later, he still thinks that “the Teton Trip was one of the highlights of my four years at the U/S.”
So there.
Go find Ms. Ragnow or Mr. Green and get an application.
“The 1993 Upper School trip to the Teton Science School was
unforgettable. I was a new student and was given the
opportunity to get to know my peers better and develop
strong bonds. One of which was Christian Fedele [a student from Puerto Rico] experiencing huge snowfall and learning to cross country
ski…it was hilarious! I would have probably not gotten a
chance to know him if I would have not gone on the trip. I
am still in contact with students from that trip today.
Now let me say a bit about how inspirational the outdoors
are…phenomenal! I remember waking up to the really
freezing cold and then feeling the sunlight warm my face and
gaze up into the mountains in pure awe. I have always had
an interest in animals and the education on the wildlife at
Teton Science School was so thrilling and hands on!!! The
trip to the Elk Wildlife Refuge in Jackson was too cool.
This trip did influence my studies as I attended college
where my major was Environmental Science. Additionally it
inspired me to use my senior subject to be the wolf
reintroduction in Yellowstone and Idaho. I was able to
partake in a week long study with another research group
formerly called Yellowstone Ecosystem Studies. And today, I
live in Montana with my family in the mountains. Just this
morning I was an observer to two young fox kits playing with one
another in the field adjacent to where I was feeding horses.
I have gained such a deep respect for the wildlife in
nature. Thanks Teton Science School and Principia! I will
cherish the Teton trip forever. It is a no miss.”
“The Teton trip totally changed my life. There’s actually no other way to say it. At the time I was heavily involved in theatre and dance, and had very little interest in science or the outdoors. I went on the Teton trip because I’d heard so many positive comments about it. Everyone said it was life-changing, so I thought ‘well I’ve got to see what that’s about.’ During that marvelous week, I learned more about the outdoors, science, animals, plants, birds, and ecology than I thought possible. And let’s not forget learning how to cross-country ski, making new and unexpected friends, and learning how to draw (I always thought I was a terrible artist, but after a few lessons at Tetons I was actually quietly thrilled with what I was able to produce). And – best of all – it was all REALLY interesting.
See, at Tetons you breathe learning – it’s built into everything you do. It’s not like you walk into a classroom and switch on the “pay attention” switch like you do at school – at Tetons, you’re always looking around and talking about what you see and what it means; you relate the lessons you’re learning about the outdoors to how you’re living your life both on a personal and metaphysical level. That week of learning made me question how I viewed the world and my place in it, what I thought about God, and how to get out of my comfort zone into a space where I could try new things fearlessly and make some incredible friends in the process.
Now, 13 years later, that trip is still just as vivid and remarkable as it was when we were there. One friend from that trip was in my wedding; another is now one of my best friends. And, funny enough, I ended up majoring in Environmental Science in college and working in the conservation sector for several years after college – which stemmed in part from that week in Jackson Hole. Even if Tetons isn’t as powerfully life-changing for you as it was for me, it’s still a great week to make friends and learn stuff far away from school, dorms, and classes – in one of the most beautiful spots in America.”
“To be a part, that is fulfillment for us: to be integrated with our solitude into a state that can be shared.”
