Waldorf 8th Grade Challenge: Adventure, Courage, and Community
By Marlis Sandwith, 8th Grade Teacher
In September, our oldest students set off on their annual multi-day 8th Grade Challenge trip in the Methow Valley—an unforgettable journey that combined wilderness skills, teamwork, and plenty of adventure.
The Preparation and the Pivot
Backpacking at this level takes a whole lot of preparation—hours and hours, in fact—for the teacher, the chaperones, and the students themselves. By eighth grade, this was our third time backpacking together, and the students are becoming well-versed in what they need and how to prepare. They’ve also learned firsthand that when something is forgotten or doesn’t function properly, it doesn’t just affect one person—it impacts the whole group, and even safety.
Gear check is therefore highly involved. The students set up all their tents on the wood chips on campus the week before, and our amazing chaperones—who bring a wealth of outdoor experience—oversaw a system for preparing backpacking food that avoided “astronaut food” packets. Instead, students packed their own meals into Ziploc bags: Thanksgiving dinner or beans-and-rice pie, breakfast oats, snacks, and lunches. At camp, chaperones simply poured boiling water into the Ziplocs nestled in cups. No dishes, no fuss—just delicious, filling meals. As often happens with mountain travel, we had to pivot at the last minute. Our original destination, Cutthroat Pass, was compromised by high smoke levels, wildfires, and the risk of thunderstorms. Even after careful summer scouting, we had to change plans just hours before departure. Our solution? A return to Park Butte, our previous year’s backpacking spot.
Backpacking at Park Butte
This year’s backpacking trip brought a few new challenges, including high, rushing stream crossings from late snowmelt. Students and chaperones worked together to cross safely, demonstrating teamwork and care for one another. The weather was clear and beautiful. Highlights included a sunset hike to the fire lookout, gazing across to Mt. Baker—also known as Komo Kulshan—a majestic sight that brought a profound silence and wonder to the group. Later that night, students fell asleep in their tents to the calls of pikas among the rocks of Cathedral Crag.
And of course on this trip, the students filtered their own water and carried everything they needed (and waste they created) on their own backs. Under a nearly full September moon, some woke early to watch the sunrise and hike up the Railroad Grade toward the glacier before we descended and crossed streams once more back to the trailhead. On our way down, we even crossed paths with the WHWS 7th grade class just setting out on their own trip, and helped them cross the stream. It was now time to head east toward the Methow Valley.
Car Camping in Winthrop
From the Park Butte trailhead, we drove about three hours to Pearrygin Lake State Park in Winthrop, where we met up with classmates who weren’t able to join the backpacking portion. Students swam in the lake, played cooperative games, and enjoyed an evening “campfire” lit by fairy lights.
The next morning, we visited the North Cascades Smokejumper Base of the U.S. Forest Service, the oldest operating smokejumper base in the country. Our timing was remarkable: we were welcomed by smokejumpers just back from three grueling days on a fire. They graciously gave us a tour of their parachute loft, where we learned so many fascinating things about the incredible and courageous work they do. Did you know that they sew a lot of their own gear? For our eighth graders—many of whom are currently learning sewing machine skills in their fiber arts class—this was eye-opening. We even got to sit in their airplane to see how and where they jump onto active fire areas. We left humbled and inspired by this noble profession.
Reflections & Legacy
After ice cream in Winthrop and more lake swimming, volleyball, and faraway storm-watching, we ended the day with a campfire talk about WHWS alumni Jake Merrill. For those who don’t know, the Eighth Grade Challenge with North Cascades Mountain Guides is funded by the family of Jake Merrill, a beloved WHWS alum whose adventurous, outdoor spirit continues to inspire. His parents, Glenn Merrill and Jill Heckathorn, have generously funded this trip year after year in his memory, and we are profoundly grateful. Before we left on our trip, Emma Zook (our Pedagogical Director) and Jessie Pemble (our Development Director), both of whom were close to Jake, shared his life story with the class. That connection—to Jake, to his family, and to the Methow Valley—made this experience all the more meaningful. His last journal entry, which Emma shared with our class, reflecting on wilderness and silence, sparked heartfelt conversation among our class about what silence means to each of us.
The next morning’s routine at Pearrygin showed just how capable eighth graders can be: they broke camp, ate breakfast, made their own lunches, prepared for the day ahead and packed everything up in under two hours. We were even visited by wild turkeys, and kept company by two beloved dogs from our class families, Sucia and Rocky.
Rock Climbing in Mazama
Our final adventure took us to Fun Rock in Mazama, where we spent the day rock climbing and rappelling under the guidance of North Cascades Mountain Guides. The guides—Paul, Larry, Chris, Josh, and Kiera—outfitted all the students, and we headed up to Fun Rock in two groups. It was an incredible thing to witness as a teacher. I had tears in my eyes more than once watching my students in this completely new environment.
Every single one of them challenged themselves.
Every single one of them tried.
Every single one of them encouraged one other.
And I think every single one of them discovered something new about themselves.
I, too, discovered something new. As someone who is deathly afraid of heights, I thought, If these kids can do it, then I can. Though I didn’t make it to the top, I did climb—and found that I really love belaying! It was less scary than climbing, and I want to try it again. I thank my students for inspiring me to take that leap. We spent a full day climbing and rappelling, and then ended with pizza before the long drive home on Thursday evening. We returned tired but more connected than ever, ready to take on the eighth grade year with courage, resilience, and a deeper sense of community.
