Sixth & Seventh Grade: May 12-16, 2025

May 9

Hello, Middle School Families,

What a great trip! Is everyone rested after the weekend? A huge thank you to Michelle and Ki Derek for chaperoning the trip. We could absolutely not have done it without them!

When the class left early on Wednesday morning for the field trip, we left in the rain, and while the rain stayed with us consistently throughout the trip, the class was positive and resilient. After many stops (!), we made it to the trailhead around lunchtime and were met by Mr. Lee and one of the cabin owners, Mr. Doug. The class was so eager to get hiking that after the “gear shakedown”, we started right on hiking. Mr. Doug took our heavier stuff up on the Polaris, and most of us were wishing we had snuck more onto the Polaris after hiking for just a few minutes. The hike was challenging- it was not an easy trek up the mountain. In fact, it was straight up at a fairly consistent steep incline. The mountain was delightfully green, and we were treated to facts about the growing foliage as we made our way with Mr. Lee. Ginseng, Mayapple, Birch trees, etc., were all pointed out to us as we took stops to catch our breath. Halfway up, Mr. Doug had left a snack for us on a cute covered bench area. We rested for a few and devoured several apples and oranges before making our way.

As we reached the top, the cabin came into view. Sandy Mush Bald is called for the “bald” area of the mountain where the two cabins sit. A large meadow field abuts the main cabin. This cabin had a beautiful porch with a view of the mountain valleys and range, as well as a kitchen, a bathroom, and a loft where the girls slept. A smaller cabin slightly up the hill housed the boys, along with a smaller sitting area.

We got a quick tour of the property, so everyone knew where everything was, along with the rules. Everyone unpacked, showered, had some tea, and rested before heading back down to the main cabin to prep the Team dinner. The class then split into groups to help make tacos. Everyone pitched in with chopping, mixing, sauteing, etc. After dinner, we took a hike up to Big Bald, which was another 1,500ft of elevation to climb! We topped out at 6,000ft, which is the highest point in Madison County. The clouds and rain were good to us, and it broke for a bit to give us a stunning view of the surrounding mountain ranges. We returned to the cabin for some delicious banana bread dessert and to dry our very wet clothes, shoes, and socks before turning in for the night.

Breakfast was a feast and included Doug’s signature huge, fluffy pancakes! After everyone had their fill, the class took some time to sketch the view of the mountain range from the Main Cabin porch. After that, Mr. Lee gathered us up for a foraging hike to Little Bald. We hiked up to the top, which was definitely our easiest hike of the whole trip. At the top, Mr. Lee spoke about foraging; what to look for, what to stay away from, etc. As we made our way back down the mountain to the cabin, we collected plantain, dandelion flowers (yellow only) and leaves, violets, clover, ramps, and a few other edible leafy greens. By the time we reached the bottom, we had a basket full of greens for our lunch salad. The class helped to make a blueberry vinaigrette for the salad, and we cooked lunch over the fire. We had tenderloin, chicken, and steak with the ramps, squash, mushrooms, corn on the cob, and our beautiful foraged salad! What a feast!

In the afternoon, Mr. Lee gifted the class with high quality compasses. He talked about how to use the compass, what a “heading” is, as well as how to signal using the mirror if you are in distress while out hiking. Ki Derek put together a compass scavenger hunt, which required the class to work in pairs to navigate to a hidden treasure. We were briefly thwarted by a giant storm that came through quickly - even bringing in hail! It was wild! The class rested a bit more, read, sketched, or napped while we waited for it to pass. It did pass, as the students were able to finish the orienteering.

The plan that evening was to do a sunset hike (since the rain the evening before did not allow us to see a sunset); however, the rainy weather continued to threaten. We decided to stick closer to the cabin and have a muffin cookoff and build a campfire. That way, if the rain did come, we would be right by the cabin. The students were split into three groups and given a base recipe. From there, they could add anything they wanted to the muffin. Each team selected one spokesperson to present their creation along with the team name, muffin name, and description of the muffin. We laughed a lot!

After the cookoff, we headed to the campfire where the students would hear their parents' letters. About halfway through the second letter…. Well, the storm came! We ran back up to the cabin, set up a mini solo stove “campfire,” and finished the letters on the porch. It was such an incredible experience; the students all listened intently, taking in the wonderful, beautiful, and heartfelt letters.. What a memorable experience for all of us! And, yes, of course I cried. I had warned the students I would! We finished the evening playing card games and chatting around the kitchen table together

Before we knew it, the final morning had arrived! It was time to pack everything up and head down the mountain! We were sad to leave! Mr. Lee had one final treat and gift for us: H2Go Filtration bottles. These bottles are top of the line in bottle filtration for hiking. When Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina, these filtration bottles helped Mr. Lee and his family have clean water to drink. At the halfway point down, we stopped at the stream to learn the importance of Leave No Trace, as well as safe filtration practices when hiking. The students were able to experience firsthand how these filtration bottles work, as well as learn about the source of the stream we were standing by; the freshwater spring that we had seen the source of up by the top of Big Bald Mountain!

Thoroughly exhausted, but happy, the class made it down to the bottom of the mountain. I am so proud of all of them for sticking with it. We hiked several hard miles, and we hiked high up in elevation. That is not easy! What persistence, resilience, and grit they all showed. Overall, it was a wonderful trip and finale to the school year. Since I took so many pictures, I have created an album here.

Last but not least, thank you also to all the families who donated towards all the goodies for Teacher Appreciation week: breakfast, lunch, wellness treats, and all the faculty meeting snacks, oh my! The end of the year can get busy and hectic, and your generosity was much appreciated by all!

Announcements and Reminders for Sixth/Seventh Grade: