Origin Expeditions Inaugural Trip
I am excited to write this blog post! Many people have been asking how the first trip went, so I’d like to take the time to share.
First, I want to address the 3-month gap of time between this post and the last. Despite the absence of social media and web activity over the summer, a lot has been happening behind the scenes. I decided it was better to invest my time this summer preparing for and delivering a high-quality experience for the clients rather than spending time on things that did not directly impact the trip. Now that the inaugural trip is complete, I’ve had the moment to sit down and write a much-needed update!
The 5-day expedition to North Manitou Island was an incredible success! Though it was different from the 3-week long, multi-faceted youth program I had initially envisioned in the spring, it was what it needed to be: a wilderness experience that provided joy, learning, and inspiration to everyone involved. Everyone left the island hungry for more time in the outdoors and excited for future Origin trips!
Our group was composed of myself, my co-guide Nicole, our photographer Jay, and four clients, including three teenagers. Students demonstrated aptitude and a willingness to be involved by leading hikes and setting up their camps with minimal guidance from the get-go. Nichole led us in yoga sessions to prepare us for our hikes, along which she shared a seemingly endless wealth of knowledge about wild fungi and plants. Each day we learned about wild edibles to add to our meals, including chicken of the woods, ramps, berries, oyster mushrooms, and Chaga.
On our second day, we headed to the island's western shore, where we set up camp atop a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, where we remained for two hikes. That evening we watched as a large storm cell moved past South Manitou Island before filling the sky with distant lightning as the night went on. The following day, we visited a historic barn on the island where we had a close encounter with a juvenile turkey vulture. That night, we enjoyed the Perseids Meteor Shower commencement as we gazed out over Lake Michigan during a moonlit evening.
Harvesting oyster mushrooms.
The storm cell over South Manitou Island.
On the fourth day, we made our way back towards the village on the island's east side. The students elected to hike off-trail to Lake Manitou by shooting a bearing and following it through the forest. A recorded GPS track showed that the students navigated to the intended point perfectly - not bad for orienteering for the first time! We elected to spend our final night in the village campground to prepare ourselves to reach the docks in time for departure the following day.
After returning to the mainland, we stopped for lunch in Glen Arbor before heading to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to do the famous 450-foot dune climb. After running down the dune, the group managed to ascend back to the top in 21 minutes flat! After the dune, we made our way back home as we shared excitement over future trips and talk of becoming thru-hikers.
The inaugural trip shed a lot of light on what Origin will become in the future. While I had planned a rigid itinerary for the trip, I found that forgoing rigid structure ultimately provided a better, more well-rounded experience. By trusting in the power of circumstance, everything fell into place on its own. Learning, fun, and inspiration happened because of simply being in the wilderness with a great community!
Consequently, I have decided to frame Origin around the idea of "wilderness immersion" instead of "wilderness education." People want to have fun outside, and one of the best parts of being on an adventure is to feel liberated from the structure of everyday life. By providing a platform from which people can experience the wonders of the outdoors, nature will provide all of the learning opportunities on its own.
While I still intend to launch a course for aspiring outdoor professionals eventually, I'll be focusing on trips designed to inspire a love for time spent outdoors for the time being. These trips will cater to anyone instead of just youth populations who are looking for structured educational experiences.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the dozens of people who have made this organization a reality. I also want to thank our partners Bill and Paul's Sportshaus and Kate's Real Food for helping us obtain the resources necessary to make this trip happen. I believe that our ability to work together to accomplish goals truly makes us unique as humans. Without a communal effort, this trip would not have been possible.
I would especially like to thank the donors who contributed financially to this effort. Because of your contributions, we were able to acquire the gear necessary to run the trip and sponsor three teenagers! On behalf of the students and the rest of everyone in the Origin community, I would like to express my genuine appreciation for everyone's support!
- Joe
