Eden is the General Manager for Sports Basement Outdoors and he recently led a group of young teens on an incredible backpacking trip through Lake Tahoe's backcountry. Learn more about the trip and how you can help provide experiences like this to deserving teens!

When I was young, my parents made a concerted effort to expose me to the wilderness and outdoor activities, such as camping and hiking.  I remember spending summer days camping in an RV in Joaquin Miller Park, and wandering the California foothills on our small piece of land near Volcano, that had no running water or electricity.  Those experiences meant the world to me.  They have expanded my view of the world and have helped shape who I am. 

Having access to and being surrounded by the great outdoors had a profound impact on me, and has the potential to shape the lives of all youth. It's a chance to get away from all of the distractions and turmoil of urban life and for them to experience something breathtakingly pristine and beautiful. Sadly, many urban youth have little access to the outdoors and aren't exposed to many empowering and enriching experiences.

Last week I had the privilege to take eleven well deserving youth backpacking, as part of a collaboration between Sports Basement Outdoors and YMCA Camp Jones Gulch.  YMCA Camp Jones Gulch is 927 acre property located in the Santa Cruz mountains that provides year-round wilderness access to Bay Area communities and serves all San Francisco YMCA's. 

This 5 day camping and backpacking trip to Desolation Wilderness, sponsored by Sports Basement Outdoors, was part of the YMCA's Boys Outdoor Leadership Development (BOLD) and Girls Outdoor Leadership Development (GOLD) program.  BOLD & GOLD is an amazing nationwide youth leadership development program that understands that access to these types of programs can sometimes be cost prohibitive.  As a result, they provide a number of financial assistance, transportation and gear options to youth in need, ensuring a diverse and inclusive program.  In that spirit, as part of this collaboration, participants were offered an abbreviated version of the curriculum, at NO cost. Participants simply had to explain why they wanted to be part of this experience and the submissions were truly touching.

During their week in the wilderness, youth aged 12-17, got an opportunity to act as the Leader of Day, Navigation Leader, Leave No Trace Leader and more.  They learned a myriad of survival skills, including how to put up a tent, prepare meals, purify water to drink, and even how to navigate using just a map and compass. 

I won't soon forget the laughs, the smiles and the experience of seeing these incredibly diverse youth bond and work together in such a completely foreign and challenging environment. For many, this experience pushed them beyond what they they thought they could accomplish and they finished the trip stronger leaders and people.

Of course, we'd also like to give a special thank you to Bauer Transportation for generously donating multiple buses to transport participants from San Francisco to Desolation Wilderness and back. 

If you are interested in helping more youth participate in amazing programs like this, you can donate to YMCA Camp Jones Gulch HERE!