Warm temperatures and over three feet of snow contributed to making the 2023 Triton ninth grade Wolf Ridge trip a memorable one! Seventy-five Cobras embraced the opportunity to experience the 32-year Triton tradition January 13-16, and they were not disappointed! The weekend was full of adventures in learning, connecting with classmates, and building lifelong memories. It is always inspiring to see our students come together to get out of their comfort zones, and that was certainly the case again this year.
Highlights of the weekend included sliding down the stairs at Gooseberry Falls State Park, catching perch in the frozen Wolf Lake, and traversing cables thirty feet in the air on the high ropes course. We strapped on snowshoes and skis and explored the woods in the deep snow (the snowshoes were appreciated after our first night of hikes without them!).
While adventuring, we not only learned about science, but we practiced many of the skills highlighted in the Triton Profile of a Graduate. Students exhibited critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they worked together to construct fires and shelters in the snow in winter survival. They built communication skills and demonstrated dependability as they completed team-building tasks. They became more self-aware as they tackled challenges and got out of their comfort zones. And they showed resilience as they fell and got back up, and then did it again - - on skis, snowshoes, or just trying to walk through the 3-foot snowpack!
The skills and core memories built on this trip would not be possible without the support of our Triton community. Scholarships were made possible with the help of McNeilus Steel, the Dodge Center Lions, the Somers family, Claremont Service Center, McMartin Electric, the Kenworthy and Marquardt families, Freerksen Trucking, Lloyd Henslin, and a Wolf Ridge LCCMR grant. The Triton Taher crew also supported the trip by sending us with delicious cookies to enjoy each evening. THANK YOU to all that made it possible to keep the cost of the trip attainable for all.
Besides funding, it also takes a village to make this experience happen, and we sure have a great village! The Triton School Board and Superintendent Schlichting support the journey, and the Triton Transportation department makes sure that we can get there and home safely. Our staff and parent chaperones donate their weekend to ensure that our students can continue to have this experience. THANK YOU to Triton staff members Brian Felten, Christi Runnells, Sadie Short, and Elijah Gray, and bus drivers Rod Marquardt and Jeremy Dostal. Our all-star parents and grandparents included Karla Martin, Scott McMartin, Aaron Geers, Braxton Deml, Lindsay Oakland, Luke Dobbs, Mark Kanable, Adam Bills, Josh Kasper, and Bruce Huber. These people stepped up in big ways, modeling awesome attitudes and consistently offering support for students as comfort zones were expanded.
With the 2023 trip in the books, we’re already looking forward to next January, when the class of 2027 gets their chance to make Wolf Ridge memories!!
