Hiking under the stars. Endless games of Mafia. Piles of sugar-soaked mandarins. After years of class trips, Pali marks a closing as the last outdoor education trip for the class of 2027. This year, the juniors visited Pali Institute, nestled in the charming village of Running Springs right below Big Bear.
Day 1 (Arrival)
At the break of dawn (more like 10 am), bright-eyed (sleep-deprived) students arrived on campus, excitedly preparing for the long-awaited school trip. The hour and a half bus ride to Pali was filled with games of charades, would-you-rathers, and sleep (the smartest option). After arriving at Pali, the students were greeted and introduced to the camp counselors: Indigo, Jeans, Honeybadger, Sumo, Coach, Nova, Stingray, and others. Before heading to lunch, students first visited their cabins, which were (surprisingly) nicer than expected. Following an hour of unpacking, students went to the dining hall for lunch, where they were served delicacies, namely macaroni and cheese and burgers. For the last half of the afternoon, the grade was split into activity groups rotating through hikes, archery, photography, and orienteering.
Burning glutes. Becoming Katniss Everdeen. Survival 101.
On the hike, students meditated and reflected upon life, all while overlooking a sea of evergreen trees and a sky that seemed to stretch endlessly. Other juniors took their best shot at archery, learning how to hold the bow and launch arrows at the target. Many tried their best to hit the hardest target, which sat glimmering in the sun: the apple. But only those who could harness their inner Katniss Everdeen were successful. Those in photography explored nature through a different perspective: the camera lens. And lastly, in orienteering, students were taught how to navigate the world without a GPS (with a compass <3).
At exactly 6 o’clock, students hungrily entered the dining hall and were surprised to see slabs of chicken and buckets of chimichurri sauce. The last activity was perhaps the most challenging activity of the day: the night hike. Students climbed up steep hills, under tree branches, over logs and rocks, all in complete darkness with only the twinkling stars above to illuminate their paths. Some groups entered gazebos to inspect animal skulls while others played mafia in abandoned paintball shacks, appreciating nature in the darkness but also gaining night vision (temporarily).
As the wind quickened, temperatures dropped, and an orange moon rose from behind the mountains, groups headed back towards the cabin to prepare for sleep. Tomorrow was another day of adventure in the wilderness!
Day 2
Many juniors awoke to a beautiful sunrise, crisp morning air, and deer leisurely eating grass outside the cabins. After an early 7 a.m. wakeup call, everyone made their way to the dining hall for a hearty breakfast to fuel the many activities planned for the day. Similar to the day before, students met with their activity groups to cycle through the activities they hadn’t done the day before.
“Don’t look down.”
Most students started their day at the ropes course, where there were five different obstacles any brave soul could attempt. The most heart-racing of the five, called the “leap of faith” (and for good reason), had students trusting their fellow classmates not to let them fall. Anyone daring enough to try and complete this challenge would first have to climb high up into a tree, pull themselves up onto a platform, and then jump (yes, JUMP) off the edge, trying to touch a target dangling in front of them. Only the most fearless of students were able to jump far enough to touch the target and then swing back and forth in the air as they were lowered to the ground. The other obstacles included a giant ladder where you could climb side by side with your friend to the top, a rope net stretched between two trees, a tightrope with only a few dangling ropes to grasp for balance, and a climbing wall (except on a tree of course) For those who preferred to keep both feet planted on the ground, intense games of uno and poker (which included betting with sticks) kept them occupied while their friends climbed in the trees high above them.
That evening, a delicious dinner of butter chicken was served up to the junior class, with blondie bars for dessert. While everyone was scheduled to do astronomy, a last minute change was made, and instead the juniors gathered together in a room to have a movie night. After much debate, the movie High School Musical was chosen for students to watch. While some were perfectly happy to relax in the dark and sing along in their head, not everyone wanted to watch Zac Efron sing. Some juniors chose to leave the room, instead engaging in intense games of mafia and cards. Unfortunately, before the movie could be finished, the clock struck 9:30 p.m., and everyone made their way back to the cabins for one final night sleeping “under the stars.”
Day 3 (Departure)
On the final day, students packed up and headed to breakfast with their counselor for the last time. This goodbye, like many others, was bittersweet. When reflecting on her experience on the trip, Carla Oboza ‘27 said, “It was a lot of fun, and it was especially fun because we didn’t have our phones. Being in the outdoors with all your friends is something you wouldn’t do normally.”
Although most trips are filled with sleepless nights and a lack of vegetables at meal time, Pali left an unforgettable memory that will forever be carried and shared among the class of 2027.
Ready to rock?
Ready to roll.
