Hiking San Jacinto

Although we didn't plan to be there for the occasion, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway celebrated its 50th birthday on Saturday.  The free cupcakes we received at the top of the tram were just one of many unexpected surprises we had on our journey this past weekend.  Another: all 15 Webbies who went on the trip made the peak. A hearty group of hikers forged over rock and trail to a celebration at the peak involving salami, cheese, crackers, and even a brief meditation.  And despite a couple of altitude-induced headaches, this crew was defined by its happiness and spirit.  It had me wondering why we don't do this every weekend. Hmmm...

Free cupcakes set the tone for what would be a day-long picnic.

 The Wellman Divide, which connects the Palm Springs side of Jacinto to the Idyllwild side, was our spot for lunch and grand views.

 If you haven't heard, Dolly gets along pretty well with granite.

 Mr. Owers, Andrew, Alan, Adrian, Dolly, Danielle, David, Lauren, Robin, Bulat, Alvin, Lucas, Kristen, and Susan at the peak of San Jacinto, elevation 10,804'.

Kristen and Lauren (and Dolly).

 Bulat.  Of course.

 Lucas, levitating

 Did I mention this group was characterized by its happiness?

 Finally, picking our way down the boulders strewn around the peak.

 Susan, Danielle, Alvin, Alan, and David pose for a junior class picture.  Some among them were talking about a "20,000 Foot Club," which they plan to join by hiking all three 10,000 foot peaks TWICE.

The last of our pleasant surprises on the day was this deer we saw on the way down.  Thanks everyone for a fantastic trip!

Rock Climbing at Malibu

Rock climbing at Webb has boomed in recent years, thanks in part to an afternoon activity that takes repeated trips to Hangar 18, a local indoor gym. This practice gets translated to outdoor climbing with the outdoor program on the weekends, where students get the chance to practice their techniques in natural settings.  Last weekend's trip went near Malibu, where students first had to climb around a lake before getting to the site.  Special thanks to Dave Hamilton from Hangar 18 for helping with the trip, and to the faculty who led it, Ms. Blomberg and Mr. Dahlstrom.

Before top-roping, students had to scramble around a lake to get to the climbing site.  They ended up taking a dip there on the way home.

Surfing at Seal Beach

Dr. Durrer and Mr. Maffris took two vanloads of students surfing on Saturday, escaping the late summer heat.  Though many were beginners, it didn't stop them from having a great time.  And it didn't stop us from learning that Bulat might be the most photogenic surfer ever. 

 Alexis

 Bulat!  (Click to enlarge.)

 Bulat, Suyeon, McKenna

 Jonathan

 Lindsay and McKenna

 Bulat

McKenna, Kevin, Bulat, Johnathan, and Lindsay

Stand-Up Paddle Boarding and Sea Kayaking at Laguna Beach

Late August means stand-up paddle boarding and sea kayaking at Laguna Beach.  For our traditional first trip of the fall outdoor season, we took to the waters on a hot 90 degree inland day.  Laguna Beach was mild but balmy, with the morning fog still resting on the water when we set off.  Though it burnt off by afternoon, we had a mostly calm and quiet ride in the morning.  

 Most everyone was paddle-boarding for the first time, but it didn't take them long to get the hang of it.

 Max

 Amara doing her best imitation of the sea lions behind her

 Letitia was set on doing her morning yoga.

 Kevin riding bow in the kayak

 Max and Amara continuing the trend toward mindfulness with some morning meditation.  Kind of.

Amara, Chandler, and Letitia's glamour shot

WSC Freshman Retreat on Mt. Baldy

Imagine traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles to a new school.  Imagine 100 degree heat, saying goodbye to your family, organizing a new room, and having to make a first impression on 50 other people doing the same thing. Now imagine that you are whisked away from the school, driven high into the mountains, fitted with a harness and helmet, and attached to a rope.  The rope plummets over and through a series of waterfalls -- four rappels in all.  And that's your way down.  Who wants to go first?  As it turns out, there was no shortage of excitement in the WSC Class of 2017.  They self-rappelled one after another, getting soaking wet, and taking the plunge -- literally and figuratively -- into high school.  Congratulations on a great freshman retreat!

 On the first rappel, which was dry, Adrian was belayed by Gabe, one of the student leaders on the trip, and the first to volunteer for belay duties.

 The second rappel provided the boys with their first shower of the retreat.  Below are "before, during and after" shots of Parsa entering and emerging from the waterfall.

 

 David happy to be clean.

Andrew F. on the second rappel.

Andrew C. starts his descent down the more technical third rappel.

 Ilya at the base of the third rappel.

Wyatt makes his way beside the waterfall on the fourth rappel.

 One shower wasn't enough for Darren, who jumped back in once he got off rope.

 Since we spent so much time enjoying mother nature, we also spent some time giving back.  The boys did trail maintenance on the Bear Canyon Trail, which runs from Mt. Baldy village all the way to the peak.

And of course there was relaxation.  Here the boys bond over a lively card game.  

Adventure, work, and fun.

Not a bad start to the new year.

The Honor Committee on Mt. Baldy

To kick off the 2013-14 school year, the WSC Honor Committee conducted the first part of their orientation retreat on the peak of Mt. Baldy -- the perfect place to set lofty goals and plan an ambitious year.  After a strenuous hike, we set up camp just below the peak, talked leadership styles, and discussed the educational role of the HC at Webb.  Right before sunset, we all settled in for some quiet reflective time, and then crawled into our sleeping bags and turned our gazes skyward, catching a spectacular show from the Perseid meteor shower.  This group of young men came together both physically and mentally as they set a course to challenge themselves.  Special thanks to Dr. Farke, the HC Advisor, for his leadership on the trip.

 Dr. Farke, James, Joe, Daniel, Ziyad, and Anthony on the way up.

 James looks out over the Baldy Bowl.

 Daniel near our campsite

 Mt. Baldy -- 10,064'

 The 2013-14 WSC Honor Committee

 Joe at sunset

 After camping under the shooting stars, the groups heads back into the valley the next morning.

 On our way down, we were fortunate to have a close encounter with a fearless ram, which the group quickly decided would be its mascot this year.