Overland SUMMER CAMPS FOR 4TH - 12TH GRADERS Family Login
for 6th graders only Overland’s Sierra Adventure offers the opportunity to explore California’s high country at its finest. For two weeks, we’ll hike the Sierras, raft the exciting American River and kayak scenic Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America.
We’ll gather in San Francisco before heading east to Lake Tahoe, where we’ll swim in Tahoe’s brilliant blue water, kayak pristine Emerald Bay and hike high above the lake. We’ll then drive south to tackle more challenging hikes in the wildflower-filled valleys and granite peaks of Stanislaus National Forest. We’ll wrap up our time in the Sierras with a day of rafting on the American River—a great way to finish a fantastic two weeks in California.
For our last night, we’ll return to San Francisco to celebrate all of our accomplishments in the rugged and beautiful California mountains.
“Sierra Adventure was fantastic. The leaders made such a difference—both were amazing. Julia will definitely return next summer.” Suzanne Fox, Falmouth, Maine
• Discover California’s spectacular Sierras
• Hike in the Sierra high country
• Explore Lake Tahoe on foot & by kayak
• Raft the American River
For students completing grade 6 in June 2013
Call us (413-458-9672) to check on current availability
2 (1-10, 1 is easiest)
Starts and ends in San Francisco, California
2 Weeks
Sunday, June 23 to Friday, July 5
Sunday, July 7 to Friday, July 19
Sunday, July 21 to Friday, August 2
$2995
What the trip fee includes:
What the trip fee doesn't include:
“Both leaders were excellent and helped me make new friends.” Danny Sysler, Short Hills, New Jersey
This is an introductory trip. The selected activities, their duration and intensity are designed for adventurous 6th graders. The challenge level is a 2 on a scale of 1-10, where 1 is easiest. While this trip is designed for some of our younger students, it is essential that parents make a good choice for their child. Every Overland program requires independence, age-appropriate maturity and good fitness.
“Thank you for another great year. My favorite part of the trip was reaching the top of our challenge hike.” Max Cavallaro, Pipersville, Pennsylvania
Itinerary shown below subject to change
Day 1: Trip Start
On Sierra Adventure, we’ll begin our trip in San Francisco, CA at the San Francisco International Airport. Once everyone has arrived, we’ll drive to our first campsite just outside San Francisco and spend the rest of the day getting to know each other, playing games, checking through our gear, learning how to pack a backpack and getting ready for our adventure.
Day 2-7: Lake Tahoe
We’ll spend the next several days exploring the Lake Tahoe region on foot and by kayak. We’ll take day hikes on southwest Tahoe’s Emerald Bay, on the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe, and in the Desolation Wilderness and Meiss Country in nearby Eldorado National Forest. When we’re not hiking, we’ll hang out on the beach, play fun games, and swim in the crystal clear waters of the lake. On one of our days at Lake Tahoe we’ll kayak Emerald Bay with Kayak Tahoe. Kayak Tahoe has been guiding watercraft tours of Lake Tahoe for 22 years and our day with them is often a highlight of the trip. From the water we’ll get amazing views of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding mountains and hope to catch a glimpse of wildlife on the shores.
Day 8-10: Emigrant Wilderness
After exploring Lake Tahoe, we’ll head south to the Emigrant Wilderness. The Emigrant Wilderness boasts a remote wilderness of granite peaks, wildflower-spotted meadows, and crystal clear alpine lakes. For our first hike in this amazing landscape we’ll travel along a ridge that offers spectacular views of Yosemite National Park to the west and the Nevada desert to the east. While we’re here, we’ll also take on our challenge hike that follows alongside a babbling creek splashed with colorful wildflowers to reach the deep, vivid blue East Lake.
Day 11: Rafting the American River
After conquering our challenge hike, we’ll head west to the American River. Here, we’ll meet up with professional guides from the American River Touring Association (ARTA). A reputable and trusted outfitter, ARTA has been guiding water adventures all over the west coast since 1963. Their experienced guides will lead us on a spectacular trip down the American River complete with beautiful scenery and even a few low-grade rapids.
Day 12 & 13: San Francisco and Trip End
After rafting on the American River, we’ll head back to San Francisco where we’ll celebrate our amazing adventure together in California’s High Sierra.
The group will stay at a hostel in San Francisco at trip start and trip end. The hostel has dormitory style accommodations with beds, showers and laundry facilities. The rooms are divided by gender.
All other nights the group will be tent camping at frontcountry campsites. Two of the campgrounds have hot water sinks, flush toilets and showers. The third campground has hot water sinks and flush toilets; showers and laundry are available nearby.
Stay active in sports and get out for some walks and hikes this spring. The more you prepare, the more you'll enjoy your program and the better able you'll be to hike safely this summer.
Please note the following important policies:
Our programs offer the opportunity to strengthen independence and self-reliance. To maximize these benefits, we do not permit phone calls to or from our students (except in the case of emergency).
If it is important for your son or daughter to be able to call you while en route to Overland, we recommend that you purchase an inexpensive prepaid cell phone. Please do not send an expensive smart phone like an iPhone or BlackBerry. On arrival we will collect all phones but we have found that safeguarding these phones is problematic given that our programs move from place to place. Despite our best efforts over $25,000 in phones have been lost, damaged or stolen in the last two years alone. We regret that due to the expense involved in replacing these items, we take absolutely no responsibility whatsoever for phones, electronics or personal property brought by students and we will not make any reimbursements for lost, damaged or stolen phones, electronics or personal property.
Communications
Cell Phones
Personal Electronics
Personal Property
No Reimbursements for Lost, Damaged or Stolen Phone, Electronics and Personal Property
Questions or concerns? Please call us. Your understanding and cooperation are appreciated.
Sierra Adventure is a great trip for an adventurous 6th grader who has done some hiking and camping before. Previous hiking and camping experience is not required, but it is helpful. Although this is an introductory trip, the hiking is slightly more difficult than trips in New England because of the elevation. It is also a great trip for a student who completed Berkshire Adventure or Mountains & Sea Adventure last year and is looking for an option outside of New England.
The day hikes range in length from three to eight miles. The group will pack up snacks, lunch and layers and be on the trail early—normally by 9 am—in order to avoid any afternoon showers. The terrain varies, from shoreline hikes along Lake Tahoe, to more difficult alpine hikes in Meiss Country (pronounced “mice” country) and Stanislaus National Forest.
We will meet up with our experienced guides from Kayak Tahoe for a day trip in Emerald Bay on Lake Tahoe. We’ll explore the bay, starting around 9 am and return to our campground in the afternoon. No previous kayaking experience is required.
The group will spend one day on an eight-mile stretch of the Middle Fork of the American River. Professional and experienced guides from American River Touring Associations (ARTA) will guide our students and leaders on the river. Most of the day will be spent on relatively flat water, but the group will encounter Class I and II rapids. These rapids will be exciting, but are low-grade and will be tame.
Lake Tahoe is a popular vacation spot for weekenders from the Bay Area; as a result, it is busier than Stanislaus. There are still plenty of great trails and campgrounds, but the Lake Tahoe area as a whole is more developed then Stanislaus. The hikes around Lake Tahoe range in elevation from about 6,200 feet to 8,500 feet and are through forested terrain. The Emigrant Wilderness hikes are at about 9,000 feet in a high alpine environment; the landscape is less wooded and more open, and these hikes often end at waterfalls or alpine lakes.
Leaders will supervise meals and give the students reasonable responsibilities in a supportive environment.
Our leaders are trained to help students who may feel homesick at times. The group will also be active and busy all the time, which is often the best way for students to get over missing home.
We offer four introductory trips for 6th graders (New England Adventure, North Country Adventure, Sierra Adventure and Yellowstone Adventure). North Country Adventure, Yellowstone Adventure and Sierra Adventure are two weeks long, while New England Adventure is one week long. The western trips (Yellowstone Adventure and Sierra Adventure) are slightly more challenging due to the higher elevations of these trip locations. The activities on all trips for 6th graders are similar; however, our New England trips combine hiking and biking, whereas our western trips emphasize hiking. North Country Adventure, Sierra Adventure and Yellowstone Adventure all kayak and raft, while New England Adventure only rafts due to the length of the trip.
Please refer to the table below for a summary of our introductory trips for 6th graders.
|
Trip
|
Challenge Level
|
Highlights
|
Elevation
|
|
New England Adventure
|
1
|
Hike the Berkshires
Bike, hike & swim in Vermont & New Hampshire
Climb Mount Greylock
Raft the Deerfield River
|
Highest point: 3,491 feet
|
|
North Country Adventure
|
2
|
Hike, bike & swim at Lake George
Kayak on the Battenkill River
Raft the Hudson River Gorge
Bike along Lake Champlain
Hike the Green Mountains
|
Highest point: 4,098 feet
|
|
Sierra Adventure
|
2
|
Discover California’s spectacular Sierras
Hike in the Sierra high country Explore Lake Tahoe on foot & by kayak Raft the American River |
Average elevation: 7,000 feet
Highest point: 11,120 feet
|
|
Yellowstone Adventure
|
2
|
Hike Yellowstone National Park
Explore the Tetons with a naturalist
Kayak Yellowstone Lake
Raft the Snake River
|
Average elevation: 7,700 feet
Highest point: 10,219 feet
|
Stay active in sports and get out for some walks and hikes this spring. The more you prepare, the more you'll enjoy your program and the better able you'll be to hike safely this summer.
Please note the following important policies:
Our programs offer the opportunity to strengthen independence and self-reliance. To maximize these benefits, we do not permit phone calls to or from our students (except in the case of emergency).
If it is important for your son or daughter to be able to call you while en route to Overland, we recommend that you purchase an inexpensive prepaid cell phone. Please do not send an expensive smart phone like an iPhone or BlackBerry. On arrival we will collect all phones but we have found that safeguarding these phones is problematic given that our programs move from place to place. Despite our best efforts over $25,000 in phones have been lost, damaged or stolen in the last two years alone. We regret that due to the expense involved in replacing these items, we take absolutely no responsibility whatsoever for phones, electronics or personal property brought by students and we will not make any reimbursements for lost, damaged or stolen phones, electronics or personal property.
Communications
Cell Phones
Personal Electronics
Personal Property
No Reimbursements for Lost, Damaged or Stolen Phone, Electronics and Personal Property
Questions or concerns? Please call us. Your understanding and cooperation are appreciated.
Families are responsible for making travel arrangements to and from San Francisco, California. Overland staff will be at the airport to welcome students at trip start and to assist with departure at trip end.
Flight Arrival Window:
San Francisco Int'l Airport (SFO) between 10:00am and 12:00pm on Sunday
Flight Departure Window:
San Francisco Int'l Airport (SFO) between 8:00am and 12:00pm on Friday
Trip Start Drop Off:
San Francisco Int'l Airport (SFO), Terminal 2, ticketing level at 10:00am Sunday
Trip End Pick Up:
San Francisco Int'l Airport (SFO), Terminal 2, ticketing level at 9:00am Friday
For alternative travel plans or questions, please call us at 413-458-9672.
During the trip, students will be able to receive mail at several mail stops. More detailed information about sending mail to your student will be posted on the Overland Portal in May.
Once your child is enrolled you will be directed to the Overland Portal. Please take the time to read through all of the pre-trip information and prepare appropriately. All programs—not just our outdoor trips—require thoughtful preparation and good fitness. It is important to stay active and fit through sports and exercise. In addition, hikers need broken in boots and bikers need to practice safe riding.
We will upload photos of every group during the summer. Details will be provided in the spring. We’ll also upload all the leaders’ photos from the summer by mid-August (which you can download for free).
Once our programs start the Overland office is open seven days a week from 8am to 11pm. After 11pm, for all routine calls, please leave a voicemail, and we will call you back as soon as we return to the office. In an emergency, follow the instructions on the answering machine to contact our answering service, and we will return your call promptly.
Overland programs are wholesome, structured experiences with high expectations of each student’s behavior. Our students are expected to be enthusiastic, positive, helpful and supportive of each other and of their leaders; they are expected to have chosen an appropriate trip for their interests and abilities; they are expected to have prepared adequately so that they can keep up physically and participate in all of the group’s activities; they understand that smoking, using any tobacco product, drinking alcohol or using any drugs (other than prescribed medications) is strictly prohibited. We reserve the right to dismiss any student for any reason whatsoever-- including but not limited to: rule breaking, a poor attitude, misbehaving, an inability to fully participate or to keep up physically. Students who are dismissed receive no refund and all costs associated with the dismissal are the sole responsibility of the parents/guardians.
To maximize independence and self-reliance, we do not permit phone calls, emails or text messages to or from our students; the exceptions to this are: (1) your child will call home on arrival and departure with our phones and assistance and (2) in the case of an emergency. If your child brings a phone for use while en route to his/her Overland program, please do not bring an expensive smart phone; instead bring an inexpensive prepaid cell phone or calling card. Please do not bring personal electronics (e.g., iPods, Kindles, iPads, GPS or similar devices) except for digital cameras. Any cell phones or electronics (except cameras) brought by a student will be collected on arrival and mailed home or returned at departure.
Originally from Rockville, Maryland, Talia Lieber graduated from Tufts University in May 2013, where she double-majored in international relations and art history. At Tufts, Talia co-led outdoor backpacking and trail crew trips for incoming freshmen through the Tufts Wilderness Orientation program. The summer after her sophomore year, Talia led a service-learning trip for 22 Tufts students to a youth village for teenage orphans in rural Rwanda. Talia returned to Kigali, Rwanda, for her semester abroad, where she studied post-genocide restoration, conducted research on contemporary Rwandan art and lived with a host family. In her free time, Talia enjoys being outside (whether she is reading by a lake or going on a run), visiting museums and spending time with her friends and family. She writes, "I am excited to lead for Overland because I'm eager to share my love for the outdoors with young people in a beautiful place and see them develop a similar appreciation for hiking and fun adventures. Overland's program is unique in that it provides us with opportunities to overcome challenges as a team, which will help us develop new friendships and learn more about ourselves as a group and as individuals."
Overland P.O. Box 31 Williamstown, MA 01267 | 413.458.9672 | Fax: 413.458.5208 | info@overlandsummers.com
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