Nine 9th and 10th graders recently returned from a three week Quest adventure in the Northwestern US and Canada! Quest takes Tawonga, along with its Mission and Philosophy, on the road! The questers get to experience Camp in a supportive, small group environment while visiting some of the most spectacular places on earth. The campers make the experience their own by designing the food menu, choosing the music, and deciding how to explore Jewish spirituality in nature.

This trip is one of the longest Quest trips. It spans 20 days and explores a variety of scenic destinations in the Northwest. Questers begin the trip with a flight to the Pacific Northwest and backpack through the ancient forest of Olympic National Park. Next, they venture to Orcas Island for a day of sea kayaking through the beautiful San Juan Islands, rock climb in British Columbia, visit Crater Lake, explore Mt. St. Helens and more!

Below, enjoy some trip highlights and photos courtesy of our Quest leaders!

Quest Leaders

Thomas Fontaine, Maggie Maguire and Jules Mason

Questers

9 Questers entering 9th and 10th grade

Quest Itinerary

• Welcome to Northwest Canada Quest! Meet at Oakland Airport and fly to Seattle, WA.
• Beach bonding and prepare for a three-night backpacking trip
• Backpacking in the Olympic Peninsula
• Clean up and prep for Shabbat in the wilderness
• Kayak in Orcas Island – great spot for whale watching!
• Cross the border and rock climb with the pros on the world famous peaks of Squamish, British Columbia
• Explore Washington State – hike to Mt. St. Helens and chill at Crater Lake
• Raft on the North Umpqua River surrounded by large Douglas-fir forests
• Banquet dinner and festivities on Mt. Shasta
• Return to the Bay and say your farewells to the Quest crew. That’s a wrap!

Quest Highlights

• Doing temporary tattoos and laughing together in the car while waiting for the Orcas Island Ferry
• The first night of backpacking was rough. It was pouring rain and very sandy, making everyone a little cranky. Afterwards, we looked back on what we hiked and felt so accomplished!
• David Shaw after seeing the BEST sunset on the San Juan Islands,

I figured it out!

Leader:

What?

David:

Everything!

Quest Leader Inspiration

Quest leaders Thomas F, Maggie M. and Jules M. share their collective experiences on leading the trip.

We all felt that Quest is such a great opportunity to share our love for the outdoors and show how to create an intentional community while doing it.

It was so rewarding to go through challenges with questers and see them come out stronger and with a better understanding of themselves.

A big thank you from leaders to all questers:

These questers were AWESOME!! They rocked it and made three weeks some of the most memorable of all our lives. Thank you so much to all of them!

Documenting Quest

Check out our gallery from Tawonga’s Northwest Canada Quest. Many thanks to the Quest leaders and quester, Alyla, for capturing these moments so beautifully!

Northwest Canada Quest Gallery

Session IV Gallery