Old Growth Wisdom: NW Backpacking

August 30-Sept 5

Location: Cascades Ecoregion / Chinook, Kalapuya, Clackamas, and Molalla territories

Meetup: Portland, OR

Application: due February 15

Guides: Julie Perini and Blanca Villalobos

Price: None. Artists are responsible for their own travel to and from the meetup location.

Activities: backpacking, day hiking, and base-camping

Level of Difficulty: moderate to challenging. We will be backpacking in remote and challenging terrain for the duration of the week. That said, we welcome beginners and will teach backcountry skills from the ground up. This trip is appropriate for anyone in good physical health, regardless of previous backcountry experience. 

Description:

On this trip, we will journey through Oregon’s Cascade mountains, experiencing first-hand the region’s natural wonders, including old-growth forests, volcanic peaks, and the mosses and mushrooms that thrive in this temperate rainforest. At the same time, we will observe the impact that logging, mining, fire, and colonialism have had on the landscape, and the resiliency of the land to respond to change and heal itself. Taking inspiration from the environment, participants will engage in personal and creative reflection throughout the week, addressing questions of healing and renewal.

 “Love and Justice are not two. Without inner change, there can be no outer change. Without collective change, no change matters.” – angel Kyodo williams in Radical Dharma.