Studying Snow Science in the Backcountry

The month of February has come and gone like the winter winds which regularly visit us with powerful purpose. It’s amazing to think that at the beginning of the month we traded sandals for skis and snowshoes after we returned from an excellent trip to Baja Mexico. And, while we were all sad to see the waves and beaches fade into memory, it’s worth it to be back home in the mountains.

We are all so grateful that our year is filled with adventures that take us near and far, but this month was one of our longest continuous stretches on campus.  In addition to adjusting back to life in the classroom, students gained a better understanding of what it means to be a Link student in the winter. In addition to piling on the content in the classroom, students dealt with the piles of snow that made our walkways between classrooms and our boot-hockey games an ever changing adventure in and of themselves. While our days were often sunny, the snow and the wind at 9,000 feet is a force to be reckoned with. These factors only made our daily program and service time more valuable and required students to plan ahead and adjust to ever changing conditions. 

This preparation and winter preparedness perfectly played into our brief trip to the Lost Wonder Hut this past weekend.  After we snowshoed or skinned the three miles up to the winter ski hut, students learned in the field about avalanche terrain, how to analyze snowpack composition and conditions, and how to use tools and technology for avalanche safety and rescue.  This hands-on and immersive approach to the material resonated with students and gave them the tools to be more responsible citizens of the winter wilderness.

Mrs. Eddy describes wilderness in Science and Health as “the vestibule in which material sense of things disappears, and spiritual sense unfolds the great facts of existence”. This quote was shared by a student for grace before dinner one evening in the cozy hut, and it seems to be a perfect summary of our month here at Link. As students and staff continue to develop a closer relationship with each other and to God, it is a blessing to see the good that unfolds.

-Woody Brown, Science Instructor