This 9-day backpack into the mysterious black sands and driftwood huts of the Lost Coast is designed especially for high school seniors. The trip emphasizes the transition that young men and women face as they move beyond high school towards a more independent, adult world. Cultures throughout history have marked the rite of passage from adolescence into adulthood, but often in today’s fast and complex world, this rite is forgotten. Life continually offers us the task of discovering who are and what we are here to do. A rite of passage is meant to engage these questions in an embodied and meaningful way. As a senior, you stand at the edge of what our culture calls “adulthood,” looking out at a very complex world. What does this mean for you, and what do you plan to bring to it?

The heart of the journey is a solo experience under the guidance of our leaders and held within the community of the group. The solo can be a profound tool for both inner and outer reflection. For centuries people have set out into the wilderness to seek understanding and explore the deeper aspects of self. The process can be powerful and awakening, and is often a conduit bringing deep emotion, insight, direction, inspiration, clarity, and renewed awareness to the surface of one’s life. It is an opportunity to both challenge and celebrate yourself and the life that lies before you. The first step on the journey is to listen for whether or not it feels right for you. If something is stirring in you, both nervous and excited – perhaps even fearful – then perhaps now is your time.

Preparation: Participants are encouraged to prepare both inwardly and outwardly for this unique wilderness-based rite of passage. Preparation will include choosing the appropriate gear and food, readying oneself physically, writing a letter of intent, and attending two pre-trip meetings during the month before we depart (mandatory). The guides will be available throughout the preparation phase to assist and answer question as needed.

Logistics: The journey will begin at the Mattole Beach trailhead on the northern end of the Lost Coast near Petrolia CA at 1:00 pm on the 7th. We will ready ourselves as a group there; gearing up, going over safety and backcountry ethics, and preparing to hike our first 3 miles into the Lost Coast. The next day we will rise early and complete our hike into our wilderness base camp where we will spend the next 5 days. During the first of these five days the group will prepare internally and externally for their solo time, and will then go out alone for two days, returning to tell their stories and begin to incorporate their experiences before starting the journey back to the trailhead. On the morning of the 14th we will hike partway out, and will complete the hike on the 15th in time to pack the cars and have a celebration feast together in the town of Willits, where the trip officially ends at 7:00 pm. Participants can plan on getting back to Marin County between 9:00 and 10:00 pm on the night of the 15th.

Participation: This trip is offered specifically to seniors from Sir Francis Drake High School and is closed to the general public. Participants must be able to carry a 50 lb. backpack for as many as 7 miles across rugged terrain and must be in good physical condition. Guides will work closely with participants to determine whether the trip is appropriate for them.

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do

With your one wild and precious life?”

~ Mary Oliver