Winter Guide School!

Each year, Outdoor Program staff embark on a Winter Guide School trip in order to learn new guiding skills, progress in the Student Driven Mentorship Program (SDMP) process, explore some beautiful places, and bond as a big, happy family. This year, we took the snowshoes to Diamond Lake and the sleds to Mt. Ashland to scout out spots for potential trips! 

Here's how it went: 

Day 1: Snowshoeing at Diamond Lake

On the first day, we hiked a mile from our parking spot to South Shore Pizza on Diamond Lake, where we enjoyed some of the best 'za! After we finished lunch, we bounded out onto the frozen surface of Diamond Lake and took in the spectacular views of Mt. Thielson (which looks like something out of Dr. Seuss) and Mt. Bailey. 

Q: How would you rate the pizza out of 10? 

"10 - The pizza was really good. I would imagine that after a big day in the lake that it would be even better." - Adam P-S.

"8.5"- anonymous

"10! some of the best cheese pizza I've had in a while!" - Madi R

"I'd give it a good 8/10" - Reese G. 

"2 - I am not a pizza person :(" - Sarah R. 

"10" - Rocky A. 

Day 2: Sledding at Mt. Ashland

On the second day, we drove out to Mt. A to enjoy a day of sledding , chili, and first aid in the snow! The sledding hill was a bit too steep, but some of us took a whack at it! After that, we slurped down some of Madi's famous chili, went on a walk, pet some dogs, and began our first aid scenarios. 

Here's what Rocky A. has to say about the first aid scenarios: 

"We did first aid scenarios! They were so much fun!! Madi was playing a person who broke both of their wrists and collar bone, Sarah Ross had hypothermia, and I was a sledder who sent it and hit a tree. I had a marker line on my forehead for a "laceration" and we even put raspberry syrup in the snow as blood It was fun playing a role and we learned a lot with the first aid scenarios!"

Q: Who sleds the best? 

"Definitely Reese. She sent it more than anyone else and also had the best wipeouts." - Adam S-P. 

"Braedon sent some pretty crazy runs!" - Reese G. 

"Sarah Ross" -Madi R. 

"REESE! She was absolutely sending it!" - Sarah R. 

"REEESE" - Rocky A.

Staff Takeaways: 

Q: What was your favorite part of Winter Guide School 2023? 

"My favorite part of guide school was definitely getting to walk out onto Diamond Lake. I had never been in a frozen lake, so it was super cool to be able look at the ice and try to figure out how thick it was." -Adam S-P

"My favorite part of winter guide school was going on the frozen lake with Conner." - anonymous

"Winter Guide School was a blast!! We had lots of fun adventuring in the snow, snowshoeing to a pizza parlor, and sledding! I was craving some outdoor time, and this weekend definitely fulfilled that. I also really enjoyed hanging out with some of the raddest people at SOU!" - Madi R. 

"When we reached the sledding hill, I thought Sienna was joking, because we hadn't reached a hill, we'd reached a CLIFF! It was super steep, but we went there to sled, so gosh darn it I was going to sled! I strapped my helmet on and sent it off the edge, and it felt like I reached terminal velocity as I hurtled down that freakin' cliff, and when I bailed I was glad I wasn't wearing my sunglasses because they for real might've shattered on my face. It was the best sledding trip I've ever been on, I wouldn't change a thing!" - Reese G. 

"My favorite part of guide school was watching Reese shred so hard on the sleds. I have never seen someone gain so much speed on a sled, roll off, and run back up the hill again to do it all over again. Hardest shredder there is." - Sarah R. 

"My favorite part was walking on the frozen lake!!!! I have never done that before. I was a bit nervous at first, but once we knew it was safe, I was having the best time! Definitely a moment I won't ever forget!" - Rocky A. 

Q: Would you want to lead a trip like this in the future? Where would you go? 

"I think a relaxed day of sledding at Mt. A would be fun and chill for everyone. On the other hand, a 10 mile hike around the rim of Diamond Lake would be a fun challenge for more experienced outdoor people." - Adam S-P

"I would love to take SOU students snowshoeing!" - Madi R.

"I would love to! I'd try to go to a less-intense sledding hill, and make 100% sure everyone had helmets and the snow was soft enough to cushion a body :)" - Reese G. 

"Yes, I would want to add in a longer route to snowshoeing to the pizzaria, and thats a great day :)" - Sarah R. 

"Yes! I will be on February 25th!" - Rocky A.