Matthew Kim, Entertainment Writer
The sign-ups have been closed and the Harrison Hike is now a complete go! Confirmed students have already gone on a day hike, but they are in for a wild ride for the overnight hike: testing them to go beyond what they believed they were capable of doing. Putting what survival basics the students learned into practice, it’s not something to be taken lightly. This is the 22nd Harrison Hike at WGSS.
What is the Harrison Hike exactly? Well, the Harrison Hike is an event organized by Mr. Wilson, Ms. Norman and Mr. Balzarini that takes Grade 10s from our school to a full hiking experience over at many different trails over the course of many days. The hiking event is split into three different hikes: a day hike, an overnight hike, and the main Harrison Hike.
What makes this hike much unlike many other events held by the school is that the success of the event is entirely student-driven. The day hike up the Diez Vistas trail will teach the students about fire, shelter, hydration and teamwork. The overnight hike after that will consist of high-mountain hiking, which involves the students having to use the skills acquired from
the previous hike to move forward. Then the main Harrison Hike comes forth, where students are then put into teams to rely on each other for survival. It’s going to be tough, but the students always pull through.
The Harrison Hike might sound like just some endurance event to anyone out there, but there are also learning and educating benefits for those who participate. Not only will one learn how to survive out in the wild with limited supplies, but students will also be able to see places that were involved in the Gold Rush of 1858, as well as learn lessons about the events and respected places.
“Overall, the Harrison Hike has been one of the most important and influential experiences in my life as well as in the 25 year history of Walnut Grove Secondary” ~ Mr. Kozlovic, School Principal
If you are currently in grade 9, you will be able to experience this wonderful event in the next school year! It’s not mandatory to take part, but it is highly recommended. Many students have participated and have been completely changed by the experience. It’s not something one would want to miss.
If you want to take part in this event next year or if you want more information in regards to the Harrison Hike, then talk to any of the organizers at our school or go to this website: http://knorman19.wixsite.com/harrison-hike.
“The limits of the possible can only be defined by going beyond them into the impossible” ~ Arthur C. Clarke
