ESOL

ESOL spent seven days/six nights exploring the Colorado Plateau. The team began their adventure in Moab, Utah where they hiked, river rafted the Colorado River, watched the sunset at Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, and mountain biked. They passed through Monument Valley on their way to Page, Arizona where they hiked to Horseshoe Bend, boated down Glen Canyon, and kayaked on Lake Powell. The team spent an afternoon hiking down the South Kaibab Trail of the Grand Canyon to Ooh Aah Point before heading to Kanab, Utah.  While in Kanab, they sandboarded the dunes of Pink Coral Sand Dunes, hiked down into Bryce Canyon on the Queens Garden Trail, and climbed to Scout Lookout in Zion.  During the six-day adventure, they witnessed the geology of the Colorado Plateau, interacted with the native cultures that have lived in the area for thousands of years, and learned about the Colorado River Compact and the drought that is affecting the Southwestern United States today.

ESOL spent three days/two nights exploring the wonders of Joshua Tree National Park.  The team made camp at the Cottonwood Campgrounds but explored many areas of the park including hiking to Lost Horse Mine, scampering in Hidden Valley, and finding the Hall of Horrors.  Each night in camp, the team enjoyed stargazing which is ideal as Joshua Tree is an International Dark Sky Park.  The team concluded their weekend by climbing up Mastodon Peak where they took time to reflect on their experiences in the park and have a prayer service.

ESOL backpacked the Trans-Catalina Trail from Avalon to Two Harbors.  During their journey, the group hiked 22.6 miles with a total elevation gain of 4,737 with overnight stops at Hermit Gulch, Blackjack Little Harbor, & Two Harbors Campgrounds.  Before setting off on the hike, the team spent an afternoon snorkeling in Lovers’ Cove exploring the kelp forests of Catalina Island and encountering the garibaldi fish.  Along the way, they encountered Channel Island Foxes, bison, and deer all while taking in expansive views of the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Catalina Channel with the Southern California mountains in the distance to the east.

ESOL spent five days/four nights camping just outside Zion National Park.  During their time there they hiked several iconic Zion trails including the Riverside walk to the Narrows, the hike to the Emerald Pools, and most impressively the hike up to Angels Landing.  The team took one day to explore the greater Southern Utah area which included sand boarding at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park and exploring Kolob Canyon at the northern end of Zion.

ESOL spent four days/three nights river rafting the lower third of the Grand Canyon.  The team entered the Grand Canyon via Diamond Creek Road and embarked on an adventure through several rapids, side hikes up slot canyons, and nights under the stars.  While in the canyon, the team took part in a bat migration study in conjunction with the USGS. 

Following their arrival to Ecuador, the ESOL team headed up into the Andes Mountains to the town of Cotacachi.  While there, they learned about the culture and traditions of the native community, had the opportunity to stay with local families in their homes and eat authentic meals and attend community celebrations in preparation for the Easter holiday.  The team also had the opportunity to work with a local environmental group, by first planting saplings at their nursery in town before heading into the cloud forest to plant trees in an effort to combat the deforestation that is happening in the area. 

ESOL traveled first to Isla Santa Cruz where they explored the Darwin Research Center in Puerto Ayora.  They next traveled by boat to Puerto Villamil on Isla Isabela.  While on Isabela, the team had the chance to snorkel with diverse wildlife, hike to the top of Sierra Negra (an active volcano on the island), enter subterranean lava tubes, and explore the island’s history through various hikes all while interacting with the local population.

ESOL spent a week exploring the natural wonders of the island nation of Iceland.  From the airport, the team went straight to the world-famous Blue Lagoon before heading to the capital city of Reykjavik.  From there, their journey took them along the southern coast of the Island with stops to see powerful geysers, breathtaking waterfalls, majestic black sand beaches, an incredible iceberg lagoon, and the once-in-a-lifetime chance to hike on a glacier.  Their journey concluded at a farmstead on the island's east coast where the group was able to experience the awe and wonder of the northern lights.

After spending one night in Lima, ESOL headed to the city of Cusco, the capital city of the Inca Civilization, to begin their journey through the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu high in the Andes Mountains.  Along the way, the team stayed in Ollantaytambo before mountain biking through over forty miles of the cloud forest, camping along the Urubamba River next to sacred Incan Hot Springs, zip-lining back and forth across a canyon high above the jungle, before hiking to Aguas Calientes, the modern city below Machu Picchu.  The team had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend a day exploring the ruins of the ancient citadel that was believed to be the winter palace of the Incan emperor.

ESOL arrived in the Amazon Rainforest in the town of Puerto Maldonado.  From there, the team traveled by boat two hours deeper into the forest to a lodge that would be their home for the next three days.  During their time in the rainforest, ESOL explored the jungle learning about the plants and animals from local guides, went bird watching for local parrots, searched for giant river otters, and fished for piranhas.  They also helped a local town repair the gardens and rebuild their greenhouse that was damaged during recent storms.  Before leaving Peru, the team had the opportunity to tour Carmelitas, a Carmelite school in Lima.