ENGAGE
ALUMNI IN ACTION
Finding Common Ground By John Gookin NOLS Instructor
O
ur NOLS alumni trip began like most NOLS expeditions do, with an orientation. In Lander, Wyoming’s Noble Hotel, two families and three instructors, including me, met each other, and ran through logistics, questions, and personal trip goals for our Backpacking and Fly Fishing with Llamas Alumni trip. While the meeting felt a little stiff and sterile, it was clearly the early stage of typical group development. The group, however, was not “typical.” Family teams are common on alumni trips; this group, though, was comprised of just two families, unknown to each other. One was a three-generation Jewish family, led by a recent teenage NOLS grad. The other was a Muslim Indian-American family comprised of father, mother, and two sons. The team age spread was 9 to 71 years. Despite the surface appearance of differences across age and culture, both families clearly wanted to enjoy their time together in the wilderness, and to learn to camp well and travel on their own in similar settings. The next day, we issued gear, taught basic lessons about packing, and headed
into the Wind River Range. Even with llamas carrying half our gear, backpacks were burdensome; the team had to get used to carrying heavy loads at 10,000 feet. Already challenged by the hike, a mountain storm blew in—thunder, lightning, and rain rapidly turned to marble-sized hail. With a break in the weather, our team confronted a tricky river crossing, complete with rushing current, slippery boulders, and sketchy wet logs. The families immediately stepped up to spot one another and coax anxious llamas across the channel. Leaving the trail for a “shortcut” to our campsite, our path was a maze of boulders and thick trees. We all worked together to find the relief of camp. It had been a challenging first day, but also a defining time as the team dealt with genuine obstacles that required cooperation and overcoming adversity. We cooked dinner together that night, as we did every night of the trip, and shared some unmatched conversations. Food—its identification, creation, presentation, and consumption—is a key element on many NOLS adventures. This
trip brought two family cultures into the mix as we learned why a Muslim family might eat kosher meat. The families explained that kosher and halal are very similar, both based on being respectful of the animal and being sanitary. This piqued the whole group’s broader curiosity about the Muslim faith. Honest, kind questions and answers about family prayers, hijab considerations, sunrise observation, and other aspects of Islam popcorned around the group. Perspectives on spirituality sometimes took a backseat, though, to the hilarious and curious interactions between our most senior (age 71) and Jewish and our most junior (age 9) and Muslim teammates. Different generations, different families, and different perspectives didn’t get in the way of mutual enjoyment, laughter, riddles, fly-fishing, day-hikes, learning, and exploration. Less than 48 hours after our stiff Lander orientation meeting, we were in the wilderness, in high spirits, and glad to be with each other. By the end of the week-long trip, we’d all learned and shared so much. The team’s backcountry skills had grown and our appreciation for spiritual perspectives had broadened. Strangers came together to spend time as family units and came away with surprising and powerful learnings and insights. Our llama adventure affirms that wilderness can connect us—in the outdoors, in our communities, and in our families. John Gookin is NOLS’ former Curriculum and Research Manager, a current expedition instructor, and he is the Search and Rescue Commander in his hometown of Lander, Wyoming.
Family members of all ages enjoyed time together. Saquib Lakhani
12 | THE LEADER