Last summer, Northwest Outward Bound School (NWOBS) Instructors Joseph Kim and ariel watanabe led ten students on a 15-day Northwest Sea Kayaking and Mountaineering expedition through the stunning waters of the San Juan Islands and across the rugged and remote North Cascade Mountains.
The WWCJ-341 crew bonded quickly. Right away, Joseph noticed the connection among this particular crew was striking, and it was a diverse group. Many of the students were half Asian, and they were opening up and being vulnerable with each other in a way he hadn’t seen before. The students had the support of two instructors that resembled them. For Joseph, this experience illustrates the importance of diversity in outdoor learning and gives inspiration for what’s possible when there are people that look like you in an outdoor space. It’s a key reason why Joseph is working in outdoor education.
Joseph has spent the last three summers working out of our Mazama Base Camp, leading expeditions across the Pacific Northwest. He’s guided students through the remote wilderness areas of Washington; their success challenged not just by the rugged terrain, but by the motivations, identities, and abilities of each unique crew.
“Once they realized they were with people with similar identities, they were ready to share. They were shocked that they had two instructors that resembled them,” Joseph said.
Through their shared identities, they felt comfortable sharing stories about their families, their heritage, about the foods that they eat, about having multiple racial identities, and all the nuances that come with that.
By day five of the course, the students developed community and trust in a profound way. Not only were they making record mileage on the water, they had also created a supportive space to talk about their identities and build a deep connection. It was a moment that exemplified Joseph’s intentions for his career in outdoor education.
Watching the Forest Burn
Energized by their strong bond and the incredible experience kayaking through the San Juans, the crew transitioned to the backpacking section of the course. These days, summer expeditions come with added challenge: dry streams and forests, and increasingly unpredictable wildfires.
During their first evening in the mountains, the students noticed a red glow above the campsite. The fire was just a mile from the camp and the glow quickly turned to leaping flames. As the flames rose, so did the anxiety of the instructors and the crew. With the flames growing close by, the instructors used their satellite phone to call their Course Director for urgent evacuation. As the crew packed up and hiked back to the parking lot to wait for their midnight rescue, the instructors were looking for a way to take care of the emotional safety of their students.
“ariel was saving a portable speaker for a special moment and decided that would be the moment that we would just dance out all of our anxious energy. So we had an hour long dance party in the trailhead parking lot in the dark on top of a picnic table. Watching the forest burn down,” Joseph said.
The students danced like crazy. Joseph pulled out some string lights that he had hidden away.
“Behind us, way up on the ridge, you could still see the fire in the distance. In that moment, I felt so alive. And I felt so connected to the people around me. I know that no one else but us will ever understand what that night was like,” said Keegan Summers, WWCJ-341 student.
Approaching the Summit
The crew rerouted to the remote Oval Lakes area in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness, known for its jagged peaks and sparkling alpine lakes. They planned to summit Courtney Peak, not the tallest peak, but said to have great views. While en route to the peak, one of the crew was injured while traversing a talus field.
The stress of the wildfire evacuation compounded by the injury brought out a range of emotions, and the effort to return to base was both physical and mental. Leaning into their support system they had created, the crew rose to the challenge and supported each other on the journey back to camp.
“If I had met the people in my crew outside of Outward Bound, I’m not sure if I would have naturally become friends with them. But being put in such extreme conditions with them, and simply being around them 24/7 made me feel unconditional love for them all,” said Keegan.
The connection between WWCJ-341 crew proved to be powerful. Building a foundation of shared identities and vulnerabilities carried them through unpredictable climate, relentless trails, and emotional limits.
A New Challenge
Over the years, Outward Bound’s goals have shifted from bagging peaks to developing connection and social-emotional skills. Self-awareness, community, and belonging are the true and lasting benefits of Outward Bound.
“The challenge looks different now than maybe it did before,” Joseph said.
We find value in building relationships and creating a space for students to be vulnerable. We value diversity—racial diversity, gender diversity, neurodiversity—all parts of our identities that might be mirrored in our crewmates or might help us understand someone with a different life experience.
We’re asking the right questions. “Are we staying relevant to the challenges that face today’s students?” “How can we better support the needs of young people today?”
These questions highlight the strengths of our team: we are listening to students and responding to their needs.
Our journey to listen and respond is continuous. Our programs continue evolving to meet students’ needs. One thing we’ve learned from Joseph and the students on WWCJ-341? The high point isn’t at the top of the peak, it’s dancing in the parking lot in the middle of the night surrounded by your crew.
Told by Joseph Kim and written by Sonja Renner.
Photos by the course camera, Quinn Brasel, Joseph Kim, and ariel watanabe.