SGGO ventures from Arkansas to Maine
SGGO gives students opportunity to backpack and dogsled over President’s Day Weekend
Over the weekend, a group of five students headed to the Ozarks of Arkansas alongside St. George’s teachers Mr. Timmons and Mr. Sam Abrams on a backpacking adventure.
SGGO took trips to the Ozark Highlands Trail in Ozark National Forest. The students were challenged over the weekend, being responsible for setting up their own camps and cooking their own meals. The group hiked about sixteen miles while on the trip.
“Backpacking in the Ozarks was far from luxurious, but I’d say that’s part of the adventure,” junior Rachel Umansky said. “It’s a challenge both physically and mentally but also a great time to reflect inward while appreciating the nature you are so immersed within.”
Another opportunity St. George’s students had for adventure over President’s Day Weekend was the annual dog-sledding trip in Newry, ME. Students spent a night in Mahoosuc Lodge and then loaded up the dogs and headed out for the trails. They also had the chance to cross country ski on frozen Lake Umbagog and spend two nights at a camp next to the lake.
“This trip was an unbelievable experience for me,” senior Dalton Reese said. “This is a once in a lifetime trip that gave me the opportunity to ride behind Yukon huskies on a sled, sleep in a tent while it’s three degrees outside and enjoy time away from the outside world while being in one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.”
Students agree that they were able to retreat into the nature and take time away from the world back home.
“Even though the dogsledding part itself was amazing, just being secluded in nature for a few days was all I needed to regain some focus in my life,” junior Samantha Patton said. “It was a truly humbling experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.”
Students on the Ozarks trip felt the same way.
“The trip made me feel really connected to my friends and my environment,” senior Carly Owens said.
SGGO has other opportunities coming up to get outside and enjoy not only our 250 acre campus but also the world around us by camping and kayaking.
