High School Students Welcome Winter on Overnight Backpacking Trip

Feeding the fire during the 2nd Annual Cozy Cabin Kickback was one of several key chores to keep things cozy!

For the second year in a row, Wilderness Kids students headed out to the Appalachian Mountains for their “Cozy Cabin Kickback” trip.

On this year’s trip, six WKA high schoolers began by learning the essentials of packing a backpack effectively. They also discovered how to organize and share the responsibilities of group gear. After working together to get everything packed, the group drove to Pennsylvania, where they put their packs on and hiked over a thin layer of crunchy new snow to the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club’s Hermitage Cabin.

Upon arrival, the theme was all about being cozy! The cabin, built in 1977, gave a very welcoming and rustic energy as the group settled in. Students got right to work building a fire on the wood stove to heat up the cabin. Others went outside with the important task of finding and chopping more wood, in order to feed the fire all night. The group also learned several different ways to treat water from the nearby stream for drinking, as well as the science behind composting waste in the soil.

Students had a short hike with full backpacks to reach the PATC Hermitage Cabin.

This kind of simple living is why Wilderness Kids savors the opportunity to take students on primitive camping trips. Daily routine is stripped down to just caring for one’s basic needs, and hanging out face-to-face with others. That said, in the absence of modern amenities, there is always something that needs to get done in preparation for later. Although chores often feel tedious or uncomfortable, they are always worth doing and remind kids and adults alike of the value of delayed gratification.

Sitting around the wooden table in the cabin, lit by candles and warmed by the fireplace, with a delicious pot of chili that the students started cooking at 3PM in order to catch the early sunset atop the nearby cliffs, the group shared a sense of fulfillment from a day well spent.

The rest of the evening included laughing over card games, feeding the fire, and sipping hot chocolate. Plenty of heat rose up to the loft level of the cabin, keeping students warm all night.

In the morning, though hesitant to leave the coziness of their sleeping bags, they greeted the morning light and the crisp, cold air as they walked out onto the porch. The group made oatmeal and chocolate chip pancakes, a staple on all Wilderness Kids camping trips. Students got their blood flowing with more collecting and chopping wood, for the cabin’s next visitors to enjoy!

Top row: Students enjoy the views and breezes from a classic Appalachian rocky outcrop.

Bottom row: Students carried what they needed up out to the cabin in backpacks--and that included some Uno cards for evening entertainment around the kitchen table.

After cleaning up the cabin, everyone hiked back to the van, this time with slightly lighter packs, and enjoyed a restful ride back to Alexandria.

Wilderness Kids is grateful for all the learning opportunities that winter brings, and excited for the adventures of the upcoming season. Above all, the students are already looking forward to the next time they can plan another cabin trip!