North Carolina Camping

by Bugle Staff

The class of 2028 was the first inaugural group of 8th graders to backpack in North Carolina for their beginning-of-the-year trip. Mrs. Boss said this trip was many years in the making, as she wanted something challenging, rewarding, and experiential for each grade level.

Eighth graders boarded several buses on the Sunday before school started to make their way to the North Carolina mountains. The first night of the journey was sleeping on the bus while in transit to the western Carolina region. Along the way, there was a breakfast stop in Georgia for Chick-fil-A. Mid-morning the next day, we arrived at a meeting ground for Pisgah National Forest. According to the US Forest Service, “The Pisgah National Forest is a land of mile-high peaks, cascading waterfalls, and heavily forested slopes. Comprised of over 500,000 acres, the Pisgah is primarily a hardwood forest with whitewater rivers, waterfalls, and hundreds of miles of trails.” Over the next five days, Berkeley students hiked and camped on many of those trails.

We divided into small groups of about 12 and met our trail guide from the National Center of Outdoor Adventure & Education (NCOAE). This outdoor education group focuses on “values-based adventure education,” strongly emphasizing “leave-no-trace” principles for backcountry camping. “Leave no trace” means you take everything you bring into the forest back out since there are no garbage cans and public facilities in the woods. The first thing we learned was how to pack a backpack. Students had to unpack everything they brought to remember to bring the essentials because they would carry everything in backpacks for five days. Each backpack weighed between 30-50 lbs.

After every group packed up, we headed into the forest, going on different trails to find our first campsite. Some groups were even shuttled to another part of the forest to spread out. For the first day, groups hiked several miles uphill in rugged terrain, as elevations can reach over 6,000 feet in this area. Once the groups found the campsite for the evening, the guides facilitated group work and taught survival techniques. Group work was essential every day for “surviving “ in the wild. Everyone learned how to set up their tents. Some roles were cooking on a camp stove, gathering water supply and purifying it, and gathering firewood. Before turning in for the night, cleaning the food area, hanging food supplies from trees for animal safety, and having a campfire discussion were essential routines. The campfire gathering was more than a social event as the group reflected on the day’s challenges and organized camp roles for the following day.

The mornings consisted of setting up breakfast, cooking, breaking down tents, repacking, and sweeping the campsite for garbage and possibly leftover items. Then, the groups hiked to the next campsite.  Each day, the mileage and elevation increased. 

In addition to hiking, students learned essential skills like map reading, orienteering, flora and fauna identification, animal safety, building and maintaining a fire, etc. Some groups saw waterfalls and played in creeks, while others reached high-lookout vistas. Some positives about the trip were camping near streams, bonding with each other, and tackling challenging tasks. But students also shared that it was a struggle on some days with the rigors of the hikes and trying to sleep with outside night sounds and no personal space. Students learned that everyone had different strengths and weaknesses living in the elements. Many discovered that backcountry camping differs significantly from car or RV camping because of the constant activity needed to “survive.” Some tips 8th graders reflected on two months after the trip were listening to the trail guide about taking less in the backpack and trying to get sleep the night before on the bus because the days are challenging. Most students found a more tremendous gratitude for our everyday creature comforts after this experience. After literally climbing mountains, we were ready for anything that came our way in 8th grade this year.