Field Expeditions

List of 32 items.

• Water in the West 2024

  Maddie Smith & Caleb Kulfan & Gordon Stewart
  Water in the West is a field expedition that immerses students in the stunning landscapes and complex issues surrounding our most precious resource. Students will learn to paddle water craft including canoes/kayaks, and how to camp along the river. With the Colorado River Watershed serving as the focal point of our trip, we will explore the ecological, cultural, and socio-political aspects of this lifeblood of the Southwest. Students will travel the reaches of the Colorado River below Hoover Dam for four days, including side-hikes to geologic vistas, seeping hot springs, and places of historic and cultural significance, giving participants a grounding in place. We’ll finish with a 6 day expedition down the lower Colorado, from Blythe California to the Imperial Dam. Students will experience the different interests involved in public and management, including energy needs, wildlife conservation, and recreation such as boating and fishing.
  Watch Video

• Wilderscapes 2024

  Todd Richardson & Kristen Tobin
  Seeking to combine visual art with natural scenic beauty, Wilderscapes was created to be the ultimate blend of the wild and the imaginative. We will begin in the Gila Wilderness on its 100th birthday! Designated in 1924, the Gila Wilderness is 560,000 acres of rugged, nearly untouched terrain in SW New Mexico. In the Gila we will embark on a multi-day backpacking trip that will include streams, ponderosa forests, massive high desert meadows, unique rock formations, native cliff dwellings, and hot springs. Students will be given sketch books and other art making supplies and can expect to hike each day of the trip while creating works of art in the field. These works will demonstrate the importance of maintaining these wild spaces and will be exhibited at the Field Expeditions Expo upon our return. From there we will head to Sante Fe where a thriving art community sits nestled among the high desert mountains. We will explore the scenery on foot both on the trails and the city streets before making a stop at the world famous Meow Wolf Santa Fe. This interactive exhibit is an artistic experience that cannot be easily described. Join us for an unforgettable experience in a couple of the wildest places in the Southwest!
  Watch Video

• Southwest Adventure Through Time & Space 2024

  Chris Bolton & Jacob Jeffery
  Learn about cultural geography as we travel along the expedition trail of the Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza. We’ll visit historical sites and Catholic missions, desert landscapes, wildlife sanctuaries, and inland seas. We will be road-tripping from Nogales, Arizona to Los Angeles, California, hiking, climbing, touring, and yes, snorkeling our way across the far Southwestern reaches of our nation. Our final destination is a snorkeling adventure for two days on Catalina Island in the Pacific Ocean!
  Watch Video
• 

  Sonoran Summits 2024

  Andy Gill & Kate Stanley
  This trip travels to the majestical, magical, and mystical Cochise Stronghold in the Sonoran Desert of Southern Arizona where students will learn the skills required to safely scale the granite domes of the Dragoon Mountains. On days when our fingertips are raw we will contribute to local Sonoran Desert environmental service projects. The trip culminates with a group ascent of Baboquivari Peak, Southern Arizona’s highest and most revered peak and the land of the spirit, I'itoi. This unique trip blends adventure and purpose, as students will be challenged with thrilling climbs and rewarded with stunning vistas while also dedicating time to supporting local conservation efforts. Students will learn more about the historical and cultural importance of the area and travel through a unique “sky island” mountain area, where desert grassland meets woodlands and granite rock outcroppings. Students will develop climbing skills, forge lasting friendships and make a tangible impact on preserving the beauty of an incredible landscape.
  Watch Video
• 

  Solitude 2024

  Leigh Carter & Mike Spielman
  This journey will explore the wilderness of Capitol Reef National Park. We will be backpacking through Upper and Lower Muley Twist Canyon. Midway through our journey, students will spend 48 hours of this experience on "solo", a time spent alone with the raw power of nature. Students will be self-reliant during this time, setting up camp, preparing meals and reflecting on their place in the Universe.
  Watch Video

• Guatemala 2024

  Lindsay Wellman & Micheal Jorgensen
  In Guatemala, we will partner with Constru Casa to construct two homes for families that are currently living in inadequate tin shacks. The families will work alongside us to build their new homes, allowing us the rare privilege of witnessing and becoming part of a remote indigenous village community. After Constru Casa, we will take a spectacular overnight trip to ascend the dormant volcano, Acatenango. From our campsite on Acatenango, we will have incredible views of the nearby Fuego Volcano spewing glowing lava into the night sky. We will then work with Fotokids on stunning Lake Atitlan with indigenous teens that are being taught to use cameras, video and graphic design to create brighter futures for themselves and their communities. We will spend our final day at Camino Seguro learning about the powerful programs they have developed to serve the families who live in Guatemala City’s garbage dump. Our hope is that this trip will ignite a passion in students to embrace new cultures and to understand why it is essential that they find ways to serve and improve our world. They will have an opportunity to live our mission by focusing on international understanding, world citizenship, service to others and the value of physical labor.
  Watch Video

• Grand Canyon Backpacking 2024

  John Chorlton & Natalie Plueger
  Students will descend into one of the world’s most iconic landscapes with everything they will need for a week of hiking, camping, eating and exploring the Grand Canyon. The group will practice Leave No Trace camping while learning about the magic of the canyon at a walking pace. The days will be filled with challenging hikes from campsite to campsite, fun meals, comradery and profound accomplishment. The nights will be spent under the stars and the shadows of the great walls of the canyon. This expedition is a VVS classic and sure to bring stories for a lifetime.
  Watch Video

• Energy Cycle 2024

  Lianne Lydum & Josh Crawford
  This trip will give students the opportunity to mountain bike some of the most breathtaking trails in southern Arizona, while learning about energy production and consumption in the state on our path to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change. As we travel south, between mountain biking rides, we will visit key power generating sites in Arizona, and reflect on current issues around energy and resource consumption, as well as how it impacts our lives and our planet. Our group will practice two of the key VVS pillars, physical labor and service to others, by doing volunteer work with alum Chris Schraeger at Camp Rucker. We will culminate our journey in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico and stay at CEDO (Intercultural Center for the Study of Deserts and Oceans) in order to discover a greater awareness of ocean and desert ecosystems, and local communities along the Sea of Cortez.
• 

  Crossing the Rift 2024

  Beth Suby & Noah Suby
  A rebirth of a classic VVS field trip, Crossing the Rift explores connections between spirituality and place while remembering that we are active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right. We’ll explore the Rio Grande Rift Valley in New Mexico and Colorado, both the physical landscapes and the spiritual undercurrents they instill in the people who live there. The trip focuses on two areas of spiritual significance for many: Taos, New Mexico and Crestone, Colorado. We’ll be visiting various religious and spiritual institutions that have found inspiration in the rugged mountains and broad valleys of these regions. Students will have the opportunity to engage in daily yoga, meditation, and mindfulness practices when they are offered as part of a community's traditions. We might not be summiting mountains, but we’ll spend each day climbing the mountains of the mind.
  Watch Video
• 

  Borderlands 2024

  John Sheedy & Zane Dickey
  This trip will introduce students to the rich environments and cultures of the borderlands around Tucson, Bisbee and Agua Prieta, exploring multiple perspectives of the US-Mexico border. The trip will base out of Tucson, Arizona and students will cross the border into Agua Prieta, Sonora to participate in important cultural exchanges with schools, fair trade organizations, and art cooperatives. Students will also be involved in cross-cultural, sustainability, and service projects with organizations such as Sierra Club, and Rancho Feliz, a local NGO.
  Watch Video

• Costa Rica 2023

  Caroline Diehl & Lindsay Wellman
   

  VVS unfortunately had to cancel the Guatemala FE last week due to ongoing civil unrest.  In an effort to still be able to offer those students an immersive, mission-aligned, international FE in a Spanish speaking country, we decided to pivot to Costa Rica. Caroline and Lindsay both have personal and professional experience leading trips in Costa Rica.  The new FE is focused less on service and more on environmental sustainability, although there still is a cultural immersion and service component.  For that segment, we will be partnering with Costa Rica Explorations and be based in Turrialba.  We will teach art in a local elementary school, share a presentation about our community and life in AZ, paint murals on the walls of the village bus stop, play soccer and take dancing lessons with peers.   We will also spend 6 nights at a completely off-the-grid eco resort, http://www.ranchomargot.com/, where we'll learn about the rainforest, agroecology, natural energy production, and organic gardening.  We'll also have opportunities to tend to the animals, do daily yoga, hike, swim and make chocolate, soap, and cheese.  We'll then explore the Caribbean coast around Puerto Viejo and visit the Jaguar Rescue Center and Sanctuary, http://www.jaguarrescue.foundation/  and Cahuita National Park, http://www.sinac.go.cr/EN-US/ac/aclac/pnc/Pages/default.aspx. We'll end our trip with world class white water rafting on the Pacuare River with  http://exploradoresoutdoors.com/rafting/  
  Watch Video

• Desert Dwellers 2023

  Andy Gill & Kate Stanley 
  
  

  One of the best backpacking trips in the Grand Canyon isn’t actually in Grand Canyon National Park.  One of the major tributaries of the Colorado River, Kanab Creek is the largest tributary canyon system on the north side of the Grand Canyon. From its origin about 50 miles north in southern Utah, Kanab Creek has cut a network of gorges with vertical walls deep into the plateau. In the creek bottom are walls sculpted by wind and water into a maze of fins, knobs, and potholes, surrounded by riparian vegetation.  This trip explores the Kanab Creek Wilderness area, descending deep into Kanab Creek, navigating across open desert and rock-filled plateaus, and through narrow canyons. This challenging 50+ mile itinerary will allow for a combination of tranquility, beauty, solitude and reflection.

• Solitude 2023

  Kaylyn Oates & Mike Spielman 
  
  

  This journey will explore the wilderness of Capitol Reef National Park. We will be backpacking through Upper and Lower Muley Twist Canyon. Midway through our journey, students will spend 48 hours of this experience on "solo", a time spent alone with the raw power of nature. Students will be self-reliant during this time, setting up camp, preparing meals and reflecting on their place in the Universe.
  Watch Video

• Wilderscapes 2023

  Todd Richardson & Kristen Tobin 
  
  

  Seeking to combine visual art with natural scenic beauty, Wilderscapes will explore New Mexico’s wild spaces from Santa Fe to the Gila Wilderness - America’s first designated wilderness sanctuary. We will begin in Sante Fe where a thriving art community sits nestled among the high desert mountains. We will explore the scenery on foot both on the trails and the city streets before making a stop at the world famous Meow Wolf Santa Fe. This exhibit is an artistic experience that cannot be easily described. From there we will travel south to the Gila where we will prepare for a multi-day backpacking trip that will include streams, ponderosa forests, massive high desert meadows, unique rock formations, native cliff dwellings, and hot springs. Students will be given sketch books and other art making supplies and can expect to hike each day of the trip while creating works of art in the field. These works will demonstrate the importance of maintaining these wild spaces and will be exhibited at the Field Expeditions Expo upon our return.
  Watch Video
• 

  Arizona Footprints: Heritage & Service 2022

  • AZ Footprint seeks to enhance students' understanding of the biodiversity, culture, and history which enriches the modern landscape of Southern Arizona while focusing on the VVS principles of environmental stewardship, the value of physical labor, and service to others. Our trip begins with one night at Kartchner Caverns State Park where we’ll visit a pristine living cave system.  From there, we’ll head to historic Camp Rucker, nestled in the Chiricahua Mountains, for four nights.  While at Camp Rucker, we will complete historic preservation projects with VVS alum and esteemed Forest Service archaeologist, Chris Schrager.  We will then spend time in Bisbee (3 nights), Tucson (3 nights), and the surrounding areas visiting essential sites.  These include Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area, the Mexico/United States border wall, the San Pedro River, the Dragoon Mountains, the Bisbee Mining Museum, Coronado National Monument, Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum, El Presidio San Agustin del Tucson and Catalina State Park.  Poet, Logan Philips, will help us put our experience on the page as we think about all this region has shown us.

    Watch Video

• Arizona Footprints: Heritage & Service 2023

  Beth Suby & Noah Suby 
  
  

  AZ Footprint seeks to enhance students' understanding of the biodiversity, culture, and history which enriches the modern landscape of Southern Arizona while focusing on the VVS principles of environmental stewardship, the value of physical labor, and service to others. Our trip begins with one night at Kartchner Caverns State Park where we’ll visit a pristine living cave system.  From there, we’ll head to historic Camp Rucker, nestled in the Chiricahua Mountains, for four nights.  While at Camp Rucker, we will complete historic preservation projects with VVS alum and esteemed Forest Service archaeologist, Chris Schrager.  We will then spend time in Bisbee (3 nights), Tucson (3 nights), and the surrounding areas visiting essential sites. These include: Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area, the Mexico/United States border wall, the Dragoon Mountains, the Bisbee Mine Tour, Coronado National Monument, Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum, Catalina State Park, Mission Gardens and Juan de Anza Trail. 
  Watch Video

  
  
  
• 

  Canyonlands 2022

  This expedition explores the richness of life in Canyonlands from within the canyon walls, rather than the view from above. We will be camping at Sand Island Recreation Area, along the shores of the San Juan River to explore the richness of indigenous culture in the area around Bear’s Ears National Monument. We will be bunking in cabins in Escalante, UT so we can explore the amazing slot canyons of Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument. We’ll camp below the north rim of the Grand Canyon to explore the canyon away from the beaten path. While we are at the Grand Canyon, we will work with a National Park Ranger on some service projects to give back to this majestic area. And finally, we will be camping near Hoover Dam to explore canyons from the water in a day-long kayak excursion.
  Watch Video
• 

  Grand Canyon Backpacking 2022

  • Students will descend into one of the world’s most iconic landscapes with everything they will need for a week of hiking, camping, eating and exploring the Grand Canyon. The group will practice Leave No Trace camping while learning about the magic of the canyon at a walking pace. The days will be filled with challenging hikes from campsite to campsite, fun meals, camaraderie and profound accomplishment. The nights will be spent under the stars and the shadows of the great walls of the canyon. This expedition is a VVS classic and sure to bring stories for a lifetime.
  • Watch Video
• 

  Colorado Sustainability & Sense of Place 2021

  • This trip will be based out of John’s property in Durango where we have three acres and a strawbale house that borders the National Forest and the Falls Creek Archaeological Area. The students will learn about straw bale construction and sustainability while camping on our property, which was once inhabited by the Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellers of the region. Students will take on a sustainability project such as building a pizza oven on the property, while learning about the Ancient Puebloan culture that was present in the valley 800 years ago.  Challenging day hikes and excursions could include a guided hike to the Falls Creek Archeological Area, day hike on the Colorado Trail, which starts a half mile from the property, a day excursion to Mesa Verde, and a day hike to the Canyon of the Ancients near Cortez. The trip will conclude with a pizza party cooked in the oven that students build.
• 

  Death Hollow Solitude 2021

  • This unique and powerful journey explores the power of the desert to invite reverie and contemplation.  The group will spend seven nights backpacking through Paria Canyon and in the Buckskin Gulch of Utah, the longest navigable slot canyon in the world. The backpack begins near Page on the Utah/ Arizona border. Midway through our journey, Students will spend 48 hours of this experience on "solo", a day spent alone with the raw power of nature. Students will be largely self-reliant during this time, preparing meals & camp for themselves.
     
• 

  Pueblo Archaeology 2021

  • Students will gain an appreciation and deeper understanding of ancient architecture, rock art, ceramics, and other artifacts considered “footprints” of Ancestral Puebloans. The journey begins on Ute tribal land in southern Colorado, then scrambles through canyons and cliffs in Utah, and finally ends with a service project at a contemporary Hopi farm near Kykotsmovi,AZ. The trip includes daily hikes to archaeological sites, art journaling skills, and a 3-day backpacking trek. A highlight of this trip is the inclusion of Native American voices, as our trip will be joined at various points by cultural experts from the Ute, Navajo, and Hopi tribes.
• 

  Wilderscapes: Art & the Sante Fe Wilderness 2021

  • Combining the rich heritage of wilderness landscape artistry with Northern New Mexico’s robust local art scene, Art & the Santa Fe Wilderness seeks to immerse students creatively, physically, and culturally in the rich tradition of American Western Art.. Students will spend four days exploring the Santa Fe mountains on day hikes, maintaining a base camp in the front country. Students will then transition to a four-day, 25 mile backpack through the Taos area wilderness. All the while, students will walk in the footsteps of frontier artists whose striking imagery of the American West inspired settlers, filmmakers, and prospectors from around the world. Each student will complete artwork on a daily basis that will culminate in an exhibition of the sketches, watercolors, photographs, and other forms of artistic design they completed in the wild.
     
• 

  This Land Is Our Land 2021

  • This expedition explores the fight for public land in Southeastern and Central Utah. Indigenous peoples, ranching, mining, and recreational enthusiasts each share a claim to this land with their unique perspectives. We will be camping in Bears Ears National Monument, Escalante, UT, and Bryce Canyon National Park to explore the diverse and oftentimes intense issues facing these communities. We’ll be hiking through beautiful slot canyons and breathtaking scenery. We’ll visit ancient indigenous ruins, natural rock arches, dinosaur tracks and petrified forests. We’ll ride horses through Bryce Canyon and take a hike through the national park under the light of a full moon.
• 

  On The Edge

  • Combines community service, environmental stewardship, physical labor, and outdoor experiential education as students spend time camping, mountain biking, and rock climbing in two Southern Utah areas: Moab and Kanab.

    In Moab, the focus is on outdoor experiential education, team building, and camping, while in Kanab it’s on community service at the Best Friends Animal Shelter. Here students complete several animal-related work projects while learning about neglected and abandoned animals. While camping near Best Friends at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, students continue to work on team building, camp craft, and environmental awareness.
• 

  Guatemala

  • Introduced in 2018, this international Field Trip sees students exploring the culture, history, and diverse landscapes of Antigua and the Lake Atitlan region of Guatemala.  For the service component, the group will construct two homes for indigenous families in the village of Xepatan; work with students in Santiago studying with Fotokids, a non-profit organization breaking the cycle of poverty through training in photography, visual arts, and technology; visit Camino Seguro (Safe Passage) which provides education and training to the Guatemala City garbage dump community, and hike the Acatenango Volcano. 
• 

  Grand Canyon

  • is one of the most physically and mentally demanding Field Trips at VVS. After a service project for the National Park Service, students descend into the Canyon, covering over 5,000 feet of descent, shouldering packs containing food, clothing, and necessities for the next 10 days. Students cover over 50 miles, as well as an additional 25 miles of day hikes. On the final day they ascend over 4,000 feet. In return, students are exposed to some of the most breathtaking scenery in North America including the rim of the canyon,  impressive slot canyons and waterfalls, and swimming in the Colorado River.
    
    View Photos
• 

  Exploring the Anasazi and Hopi

  • During the first half of the trip, students day hike to many of the ancient Anasazi ruins and rock art sites in Colorado and southern Utah, while camping out at night under the stars. Ute Mountain Tribal Park in southwestern Colorado, near Cortez is the first stop where students hike into Lion Canyon and take a guided tour of the cliff dwellings. Next stop is Bluff, Utah where Jerome West, a VVS alum from the class of ‘66, will guide students hiking to remote sites that are rarely visited. 
    
    

    The second half of the trip explores the Hopi reservation in northeastern Arizona where students are accommodated in a church in the village of Kykotsmovi. The days are spent on substantial work projects in the villages, helping families get in their corn crops, and chopping firewood. Other highlights include a visit to a Kachina doll maker and a Hopi potter, and learning about the Hopi culture.
• 

  Sonoran Explorations

  • Students explore the nature, food, art, and cultures of urban and rural areas of the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona. They participate in the Day of the Dead Parade, work at a permaculture farm, eat a cactus, encounter animals, hike canyons and peaks, watch sunsets over saguaros, and make a mural with youth from another community. The service part of the trips includes working on an adobe restoration work project with Chris Schrager, VVS ‘69, who works with the US Forest Service.
• 

  Yellowstone

  • This adventure takes students through the canyons of Southern Utah to the northern reaches of Yellowstone National Park. The first half of the trip explores the unique rock formations and slot canyons of Canyonlands National Park and the San Rafael Swell. The trip then shifts to the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park where students volunteer time working with The Yellowstone Institute exploring geothermal pools and the backcountry looking for and learning about bison and wolves.
• 

  California Ecosystems

  • Explores the various ecosystems of Southern California, from the Mojave Desert basins through the coniferous forests perched 10,000 feet above Palm Springs, to the rocky Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara.  There are three main stops: Joshua Tree National Park, Santa Cruz Island and San Jacinto peak near Palm Springs. In Joshua Tree National Park and on Santa Cruz Island students participate in ecological service projects and many outdoor activities including a hike to the top of San Jacinto Peak during a three-night backpacking adventure along a section of the Pacific Crest Trail.
    
    

    View Photos
• 

  Desert Dwellers / Escalante

  • The Escalante Canyons include some of the most remote, wild, and beautiful country in the Southwest and offers some of the finest opportunities for desert hiking on the Colorado Plateau.  This trip follows a classic extended backpacking route down Harris Wash to the confluence with the Escalante River, which is followed downstream for several miles to Coyote Gulch, the beautiful exit tributary. Side canyons that used to be the home of the Ancestral Puebloans are explored and provide the setting for a short solo camp.  This 50+ mile loop allows for a combination of tranquility, beauty, solitude and reflection and the extreme physical challenge of carrying a heavy backpack over rough terrain. Leave No Trace principles will be taught and modeled throughout, and campsites, trails, and trailheads will be improved as students pass through this stunning wilderness area.
    
    View Photos
     
• 

  Crestone: Spirituality & Sustainability

  • During the first week of this trip, physical labor and environmental stewardship take the fore as students spend a week building a radical form of sustainable housing at Earthship Biotecture in Taos, New Mexico. The rest of the trip is spent in Crestone, Colorado, where a variety of spiritual groups and monastic sects have established centers for pilgrims and seekers. Destinations include a Buddhist Zendo, a Catholic monastery, and an Ashram where daily activities explore service, meditation, and intercultural understanding.
    
    View Photos