We arrived at the Jackson Hole, WY airport at about 11:30pm Sunday night. The waxing half moon helped us find our cabins at the Teton Science School. We probably had the kids in bed by 1am, and got a late start the next morning. We pushed breakfast back to 8:30am Monday morning. This is what I saw on Monday 29 January 2007 when I stepped out of my cabin (Sleeping Indian) at 8:19am.
“[The Teton Trip] is the best thing this school does.”
First: Find some silence and immerse yourself in it. In your journal, describe the silence.
Then:Fill a page (even a whole spread) with your perspective of the world today. This can include words and/or images.
These are the readings shared by Mr. Duke at the 12 December 2006 preparation meeting:
Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord:
At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
¶And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
CHILDREN. The spiritual thoughts and representatives of Life, Truth, and Love.
Sensual and mortal beliefs; counterfeits of creation, whose better originals are God’s thoughts, not in embryo, but in maturity; material suppositions of life, substance, and intelligence, opposed to the Science of being.
Jesus loved little children because of their freedom from wrong and their receptiveness of right. While age is halting between two opinions or battling with false beliefs, youth makes easy and rapid strides towards Truth.
Beloved children, the world has need of you,–and more as children than as men and women: it needs your innocence, unselfishness, faithful affection, uncontaminated lives. You need also to watch, and pray that you preserve these virtues unstained, and lose them not through contact with the world. What grander ambition is there than to maintain in yourselves what Jesus loved, and to know that your example, more than words, makes morals for mankind!
If you missed the December 12 Teton Trip meeting, then you also missed Mr. Green’s fantastic presentation about how to get dressed in the morning. The main goal here is actually your safety, not looking cool. Here’s an easy way to remember all the parts you will need to stay warm:
This base layer of silk long underwear, or some type of synthetic alternative such as capilene wicks the moisture away from your body when you are skiing or snow shoeing, so you stay dry and cozy.
This is your insulation layer. Some good options are wool or synthetic fleece. I would suggest packing an extra Warmie top layer in your backpack for times when we stop to talk about something or write something in the field.
This outer shell should protect you from water and wind. Snowboard pants & a rain shell are a good combination, for example. Your Warmies won’t do you much good if they are wet.
You will find out about that when we get there…
Fill an entire page (even a double page spread if you want…) with images, colors, words, whatever describes how you feel about yourself before you go on the Teton Trip. This self-portrait isn’t about what you look like in the mirror. It’s about how you think. You could use pencil, acrylic, water color (don’t use too much water), collage, ink pen, colored pencil, photographs, or all of the above.
Take some time to observe the environment around your home, or wherever you plan to spend Christmas break. Go outside for a bit. What natural clues tell you it’s winter in this particular place? (This is assuming you are in the Northern Hemisphere…if not, talk about summer.) You can record your observations as brief phrases or quick sketches, or both. Make sure to note the date and location of each observation.
What are you prepared to give up?
What are you prepared to give?
Answer these 2 questions in some written form. You could make a list, a poem, or a paragraph, for example. Try to think of at least 3 answers to each question.
“I learned that there is nothing like the silence of the snow, that moose leave steaming nests behind when you spook them out of their naps, that you should never try to birdwatch or explore nature with loud friends, that sunrises are not my thing (sunsets are), that moose scat looks edible (one girl tried it before she realized it was a joke played by another guy), that I CAN draw, that I like wood stoves better than furnaces, that you have to stay on paths when the snow is deep, that I can live without meat, and that I feel most alive when I’m cold.”
“While we are born with curiosity and wonder and our early years full of the adventure they bring, I know such inherent joys are often lost. I also know that, being deep within us, their latent glow can be fanned to flame again by awareness and an open mind.”
Is anyone thinking ahead and looking for good deals on Teton Trip gear? The Alpine Shop is having a huge sale pretty soon. Check out their website for more details.