Wilderness Rec Students Complete 24-day Expedition

Students pose for a photo on a mountaintop

Oct. 4, 2024

SARANAC LAKE -- Students in the college’s Wilderness Recreation Leadership program recently completed a 24-day expedition in the Adirondack backcountry.

Students paddle in a canoe across Middle Saranac This year’s Fall Practicum started in early September, when WRL students and instructors paddled the Seven plus Nine Carries route in the St. Regis Canoe Area, followed by the Saranac Lakes, into the Raquette River and ending in Long Lake.

After the paddling portion of the journey ended, the mountain section picked up from Long Lake. Students and instructors traveled on foot along the Northville-Placid Trail into the Western High Peaks, and then into the Upper Works area and Avalanche Pass in the Eastern High Peaks.

Throughout the Fall Practicum, WRL students focused on several areas including leadership development, group dynamics, itinerary planning, outdoor skill building, minimum impact techniques, and personal and professional growth.

The WRL program also includes a 10-day Winter Practicum in the Adirondack backcountry.

To learn more about the Wilderness Recreation Leadership program, visit www.nccc.edu/wilderness.

Students at a campsite along the water with fog covering the mountains in the distance