Goannas - Adventure Expedition This week was full of adventure and teamwork for the Goannas. They started off the week at a favorite site of theirs, which also happened to be the site where some of the members had begun their journey at outBACK. The weather was amazing, with sun and a light breeze. It gave the Goannas an awesome chance to work on skills and spend time as a community. We had an inspiring trail naming ceremony for Mellow Stingray where all the group, guides, and a few dogs attended. We also had a goodbye ceremony for Lunar Eclipse on their way to the next big thing! The G ..read more

Goannas: This week at outBACK the Goannas experienced some rough weather conditions, only to shatter its attempts and persevere through challenges. Lunar Eclipse led a gathering on regret in which many students shared their opinions on regret and different things they did and did not regret. It was productive, vulnerable, and well-done. The Goannas held a welcoming ceremony for a brand new Goanna this week. The Goannas all took an opportunity to share some of the experiences they have had at outBACK and what they have learned. Our newest member of the Goannas took strides at making his fir ..read more

Goannas: As the snow melted from the Goanna’s site so did their hearts. The Goannas shared goodbyes with senior members of the group which opened the door for the immergence of a new culture and new beginnings within the group. The Goannas thought long and hard about the kind of environment they wished to create and live in during their stay at outBACK as well as at home. The group decided that they wished to live by hard work and unconditional acceptance. The shift that came with this culture brought in new games and new names as well. Gatherings pushed personal growth and culture each ni ..read more

Photo Credite: Alyssa, "ERV" @ outBACK Goannas: This week the Goannas started out with enthusiasm and spirit. Welcoming in a new student with joy and fun. We were so excited for a new member, we went coocoo for sun butter in an attempt to show our enthusiasm. Our new member was completely unphased and blended into the group seamlessly. To hop right in, the group moved into a gathering where all members went and searched for things needed to complete fire sets. We collected bows, spindles, top rocks and fireboards to set us up for the week. With the weather, as a group, a decision was made t ..read more

Goannas: The Goannas had an exciting week filled with beautiful sights. adrenaline fueled games, and stunning conflict resolution skills. The Goannas went far this week with their hikes and with their words. The start of the week brought new guides and new trail names for group members. Radiant Star received his trail name in a beautiful ceremony circle surrounded by juniper boughs and sage. One member of the group led the naming ceremony and explained that the six juniper sticks in the middle in the shape of a dwelling represented the seven group members and how they lean on each other fo ..read more

Photo Credit: Trevor Allen, CMHC - Primary Therapist Goannas: The theme of the week for the Goannas this week was family. Everything about it. Chosen family, given family, and trail family. Each member of the group experienced something relating to family. Through the joys of being together and the struggles of cooperation, each member displayed growth and resilience as they learned how to navigate being in relationship with others. Dreaded Phoenix and Gay Racoon both had family visits that were both welcomed and filled with anxiety. Visits can bring forth an array of emotions. Students cal ..read more

Photo Credit: Trevor Allen, CMHC - Primary Therapist Goannas: The Goannas had a rockin’ week with a lot of laughter and snow. We started the week trying to go sledding, with not enough snow but plenty of dirt. The students slid down only about 10 feet down the hill and yet it was a hysterical event, nonetheless. The theme of the week was vision, with all the Goannas being seasoned, they are all starting to look towards their next steps, and there were many conversations about what that might look like for each of them. We were able to present one student with a token, Solid Ground, and comm ..read more

Photo Credit: Trevor Allen, CMHC - Primary Therapist Goannas: This week the Goannas started off with the group saying farewell to their most senior group member, Authentic Raven. The group held a goodbye gathering for him where they reminisced on their favorite memories of him during his time here and their hopes for him in the future. The group packed up and headed out on their first hike of this backcountry expedition week, crushing it easily! The Goannas had a week filled with laughs and games as they played “Dogs” a hacky sack game mixed with dodgeball aspects, salad bowl, a charades ba ..read more

Goannas: This week was a week filled with adventure and introspection as the Goannas headed down south to kick off the new year! They excitedly got prepared for their adventure expedition with the help of everyone in the group. We managed to not only listen to “Way of the Peaceful Warrior”, but we also shared lots of laughs along the way. We got to camp with plenty of daylight to explore and hunt for rocks and the night ended with setting up our shelter and making dinner. The first day of our adventure expedition was filled with teaching the Goannas how to trust themselves and others with ..read more

Goannas: The week started with excited Goannas. One of the guide’s dogs named Oakley (trail name Savory Sausage) soaked in all the group members’ initial energy. Once the group settled down, they started working on skills that took up a substantial portion of the week. The newer group members worked on busting sets while the more seasoned Goannas worked on H-frames for their packs made of willow. Each night group members had a busting hour where they practiced getting coal with their crafted bows and spindles. Other notable individual crafts include a two-foot-long spoon made of juniper an ..read more