NEW for 2025!
Spring Break Utah Backpacking Expedition
Our first Utah Expedition, and it’s going to be a grand one! Spend Spring Break exploring Utah’s stunning red rocks canyons and impressive vistas.
JOIN US FOR A SPRING BREAK EXPEDITION
7 days exploring southern Utah’s colorful and inspiring backcountry.
Dates: March 16-22, 2025
Trip dates include travel time to and from Southern UtahParticipants: Current 10th–12th graders
Group size: max 9 students/3 instructors
Length: 7 Days
Tuition: $2,230
Includes transportation, gear, travel, and instruction
Course Highlights
Backpacking in a unique desert ecosystem
Learning navigation, orienteering, and wilderness travel skills
Building community, strengthening decision-making, and enhancing communication
Course Description
Set off on an unforgettable week-long backpacking adventure through the breathtaking desert landscapes of Southern Utah! As you explore the intricate canyons, you’ll develop key skills in leadership, desert backpacking, navigation, and backcountry cooking. Along the way, you’ll dive into lessons on Leave No Trace®, land stewardship, campcraft, and advanced navigation techniques. Evenings will bring the group together at camp to prepare communal meals and reflect on the day’s adventures, guided by the instructor team.
This experience is perfect for those eager to step outside their comfort zones, connect with peers, and embrace the challenges of wilderness living. Be ready to hike 4-8 miles a day, learn how to thrive outdoors, and share some fun moments with new friends.
No prior experience is needed to join! MWS will provide all the necessary gear, food, transportation, and expertise. Just bring a sense of adventure and a readiness to learn.
If you have additional questions please check out our FAQ page or reach out to contact us.
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
TEAMWORK AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Learn positive communication skills with diverse group members to create a healthy community, build trust, and make sound decisions in the backcountry together
Develop an expedition philosophy, apply it to the course, and understand how it can transfer back to the student’s home environment
SAFETY AND WILDERNESS BASED DECISION MAKING
Backcountry hazard evaluation and risk reduction guidelines and tool
First aid awareness for backcountry settings: identification and treatment of common backcountry illness and injuries
Learn to collaboratively make decisions in remote environments that prioritize individual and group safety
CONSERVATION ETHIC
Use basic observational and interpretive skills to demonstrate an understanding and respect for the natural environment
Discuss the history, facts, and potential solutions to pertinent environmental and social issues affecting the wilderness in the expedition area
Reflect upon and discuss the conveyance of wilderness conservation ethics into personal life. and build a capacity for commitment and stewardship to wild places
Develop comprehensive understanding of Leave No Trace® ethics and apply them during the expedition
BACKCOUNTRY CAMPING AND NAVIGATION SKILLS
Use safe backcountry kitchen practices to cook nutritious meals on a camp stove or fire
Demonstrate an ability to select an appropriate campsite and set up a shelter while minimizing the impact on the ecosystem
Understand and demonstrate how to stay healthy, warm, and comfortable in the backcountry
Understand and demonstrate techniques for camping and traveling in bear habitat
Use various navigation and route-finding tools and methods for on- and off-trail travel
Travel efficiently in the alpine environment using map and compass skills
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Experience backpacking through the delicate ecosystem and canyons of the desert
Learn to properly pack and adjust a backpack
Travel off trail and discover unpopulated areas of the Utah wilderness
Become competent with water filtration systems
“I would never do stuff like this if It wasn't for this school. I learned so much. I now have the experience to go outside and live and have fun doing it. The skills I've learned will forever be used and appreciated. I'll never forget the serious conversations we had and the respect that was given to me to speak my opinion and my values. It's an amazing feeling to be heard.”
—2022 MWS Participant
