Dingoes: This was a very busy week for the Dingoes. We had two excellent hikes, a few rainy days, and some powerful discussions on the Path of Two Ways and group dynamics. The boys created board games and had a chance to work with clay. This week the group honored one of their own with the True Speaker token. Furthermore, two other tokens were presented to staff, and another student received his trail name – Grounded Stag. The boys definitely had their share of growth and we expect great things in the coming week.
Gnowees: The Gnowees had a great week this week! We had time to work on skills like: making spoons, bull-roarers, atalatals, and perfecting busting sets. They also worked very hard on their Ngarnas and on learning the Path of Two Ways. We played team building games which included being blindfolded and finding our way through a maze. Some Gnowees began their journeys at Outback while others ended their journey. Two Gnowees were reunited with their parents this week during parent visits and honored them with tokens.
Goannas: The Goannas had a challenging, yet fun and productive week. The group was hit with unexpected snow accompanied with winds that brought on some expected discomfort for group members. Still, the boys spent their days working on skills like spoon making and fire busting making sure to find time to kick the hackey-sack around. The group hiked twice and the members basked in the views as they made their way up to “Death Canyon”. Two members of the group were honored with a trail naming ceremony – receiving the names Humble Creek and Humble Panda. Two other group members also had their parent visits and even ended up experiencing some rainy days; giving the parents a good taste of what it can be like living out in the West Desert of Utah.
Brumbies: The Brumbies had a great week and continue to work on their group values of mindfulness, integrity, respect, and vulnerability. We’ve had a steady group culture for the past few weeks which gave way for the students to get to know one another on deeper levels. They are becoming more efficient at packing, setting up camp, and hiking, which leaves us time for working on skills. Students made a possibility bag and carved many spoons. A student who will be leaving next week passed down his “logistical leader” role to another student while two students received tokens; one receiving “solid ground” and one receiving “making amends.” Three brumbies had parent visits and the parents were troopers hiking up large hills to meet their children and weathering the rain with positive attitudes. The week ended with excitement as several students are heading out on Peak Week where they will have adventures outside of the West Desert.
