Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Adventure Learning Trip Report : Emigration Canyon Yurt Trip





We always look forward to our annual yurt trips, generally taking place in February or March to capitalize on the winter weather. This time around was no exception as we were heading into a new yurt that none of our adventure learning staff had been to before. 



Wednesday, February 18, 2015

The Hero



Logan River Academy offers the opportunity to both students and their families to begin the hero’s journey. This journey will be challenging, sometimes overwhelming, rewarding, as well as worth it if it is able to be completed. Many young people begin or start a variety of activities, clubs, and programs, but very few have acquired the skill set, fortitude, and motivation to finish what they started. In order to better prepare for a stronger commitment to finishing what has been started within Logan River Academy, let’s review the phases of the hero’s journey.

The initial steps are listed below.

Separation:
The Call to Adventure
The hero begins in a mundane situation of normality from which some information is received that acts as a call to head off into the unknown. This is any example of when behaviors escalate to the point where the seeking out of a higher level of care is presented.
Refusal of the Call
Often when the call is given, the future hero first refuses to heed it. This may be from a sense of duty or obligation, fear, insecurity, a sense of inadequacy, or any of a range of reasons that work to hold the person in his or her current circumstances. This includes many empty promises and commitments that this time things were really change, however this has been found to be very unaffected as this would discontinue a continuation of the same actions, attitudes, and beliefs.
Supernatural Aid
Once the hero has committed to the quest, consciously or unconsciously, his guide and magical helper appear or become known. More often than not, this supernatural mentor will present the hero with one or more talismans or artifacts that will aid him later in his quest. This is the initial stages of the therapeutic relationship established during weekly individual, family, and group therapeutic sessions.
Crossing the Threshold
This is the point where the person actually crosses into the field of adventure, leaving the known limits of his or her world and venturing into an unknown and dangerous realm where the rules and limits are not known. This phase is very critical and the need for clear cut rules, limits and boundaries within the family dynamic, as well as within Logan River Academy are essential as consistency now becomes the norm.



Wednesday, February 11, 2015

When Life Gives You Lemons, You Still Go Skiing





January is one of my least favorite months; the ski season is well under way, but for our portion of the world, the real winter weather hasn’t shown up. Sure we’ve got snow from a few generous November and December storm cycles, but generally January is hesitant to add to the snow pack. This creates alarm amongst winter-loving folks; I have a hard time not falling into the same trap. However, there is that short month everyone dismisses, February. That is the month storms around our area come alive, when staying in a yurt for three days gives you a true sense of what 36” over a 48-hour time period really feels like. I love February.