Taste of Quest 2025

Today’s blog post takes you behind the scenes of Tawonga’s recent Taste of Quest. A group of twelve young adventurers and two wilderness leaders headed out on a week-long trip to Yosemite National Forest, embarking on a life-changing experience filled with camping, backpacking, and swimming. Enjoy highlights and photos below from this intro to Quest! We have a feeling these questers may be back for more next season!

Quest Leaders

Shoshana Bittker and Aidan Dawn

Questers

12 Questers entering 6th and 7th grade

Quest Itinerary

• Three day, two night backpacking trip in Yosemite that included lots of fun day hikes and swimming spots!
  • Hike and swim at Yosemite’s beautiful and well-known Tenaya Lake
  • Hiking the unique Pothole Dome on the western edge of Yosemite’s western meadow
  • Spending a day at the scenic Merced River, which runs through a canyon in Yosemite National Park and is home to two popular waterfalls including Yosemite Falls and Nevada Falls
• Final banquet under an unobstructed view of the stars, an sight hard to come across today

Quest Highlights

• Making a pickleball court in the woods!
• Learning fun Yiddish words
• Talent show where questers can show off their most unique and fun skills to the group
• Learning the ins and outs of backpacking (it’s hard!)
• Playing games and keeping vibes high on hard hikes

Quest Leader Inspiration

Quest leader Shoshana reflects on why they led this Quest:

“I love living and learning alongside campers. I love supporting them in their journey of self discovery, especially realizing their own resilience while in outdoor spaces”