Notes from the Road: Northwest Canada Quest

This past July, our Northwest Canada Quest returned from an epic three-week adventure in the Pacific Northwest. Quest is like a summer camp session on the road; teens connect with each other, with nature and with themselves through backpacking trips, Shabbat celebrations in the wilderness, cooking and eating many meals together, sleeping under the stars and sharing new experiences.

Northwest Canada is the longest Quest Tawonga offers and the only one that travels to multiple states. For 20 days, the group explored throughout Washington, British Columbia, Oregon and Northern California. Questers backpacked on the Washington coast, kayaked at the San Juan Islands, rock climbed in Canada, went white water rafting in Oregon and enjoyed countless special moments together in nature.

Enjoy highlights and photos below capturing this amazing adventure!

Quest Leaders

Kevin Ulibarri, Viv Toll and Emma Greenberg-Bell

Questers

Nine Questers entering 9th and 10th grade

Quest Itinerary

• Fly from Oakland to Seattle, Washington.
• Explore the Olympic Peninsula and backpack on the coast.
• Camp and kayak on Orcas Island.
• Cross the border to Canada!
• Hike and rock climb in Squamish, BC.
• Camp at Mt. St. Helens and Crater Lake.
• Raft on the North Umpqua River in Oregon.
• Return home to Oakland!

Quest Highlights

• On an unscheduled day in Squamish, BC, the group decided to climb the Chief, a notoriously rigorous hike that promises stellar views of the Squamish area. Every single Quester completed the hike successfully and supported each other the whole way.
• During the backpacking trip along the Olympic Coast in Washington, Questers worked together to build many seesaws out of driftwood and spotted over 20 bald eagles throughout the trip!

Quest Leader Inspiration

Quest Leaders Kevin, Viv and Emma reflecting on their shared experience:

“We wanted to be Quest leaders because we wanted the opportunity to connect with campers on a deeper level and facilitate meaningful experiences in nature.”

“Our favorite part about leading Quests is being able to watch the Questers grow and become more comfortable with themselves and within the natural environment.”

A Glimpse into Quest

Enjoy spectacular photos from the Northwest Canada Quest below.

P.S. Check out this blog post from earlier this summer detailing our shortest Quest for 6th and 7th graders.