“Okay, people. This is real!”
Dave addressed our group through the pouring rain, just after a rough portage over deep mud and slippery rocks. We were tired and soaked through, standing knee deep in the chilly Saranac River, and looking downstream at a seemingly endless series of whitewater rapids. The only way out was downstream, and the only way for our party of 10 canoeists to continue was for each boat to execute a ferry maneuver, crossing to the other bank.
The group spent nearly 10 minutes deliberating the best route for the ferry. A flip here would have real consequences: a long, cold swim, and a potentially difficult boat recovery. When Dave had first briefed us about our trip in the warmth of the Big Yurt, he had said,
“This trip is designed to push you to your limits.”
That was starting to feel like a good description.
Spring Staff Training at Kroka kicked off on March 30th and wrapped up on April 24th. In some ways, it’s been similar to the beginning of a Kroka Semester. We spent two weeks at Basecamp learning through rigorous classwork and hands-on experience, living into our systems and strengthening our bond as a group, before heading off on an expedition. However, instead of being teenagers whose education is steeped in ecology and sustainability, we are exhausted 20-somethings learning pedagogy and risk management.
Our days begin at 6:30AM when we meet for chores, and end at 9:00PM after an evening meeting. Our training curriculum is varied, which helps keep us engaged during these long days. In one moment, we are sitting at a table discussing the Waldorf model of child development, and in the next, we are dropped into the woods at dusk and told to find our way to a specified set of coordinates, navigating with a map and compass.
It is easy for us to leave an evening meeting after a long day of training and think, “what in the world am I doing here?” But then we are awake to see the sunrise before chores, and watch the shadows of the clouds move over a grassy field while birds mingle and trees bud. It reminds us that with this warm Spring weather is an incoming wave of students, eager to immerse themselves in the natural world and take their places in the circle of the Kroka community. For many of them, it is their first time camping. To be able to facilitate that immersion in nature during an age of technological bombardment is both a gift and an honor. Now, after a month of intense training, we are ready.
