All-in on outdoors
<p>New Vision High School students participating in the new Outdoor Adventure Club include, from left, Nathan Davis, Casey Murray, Lora Berg, David Bracamonte, Tyler Hartman, Madison Ellis and Dillon Mahoney.</p>
POST FALLS — This was one time Casey Murray didn't mind being told he should go take a hike.
Murray is among about 25 students at New Vision High School who are participating in the new Outdoor Adventure Club at the alternative school this year.
The club's first outing was a hike on the Pulaski Tunnel Trail near Wallace. The trail brings hikers to the tunnel where Edward Pulaski saved all but six of his 45-man firefighting crew from fires in 1910.
"I never thought that I'd be able to hike to something cool like that (as an extracurricular activity)," said Murray, a junior. "It's a great way to be outdoors and have fun with people. We normally don't get the opportunity to go on hikes, so it's nice that our teacher takes time to go out of her way to do it.
"I love hiking and it's even cooler when you're learning things where you are hiking. I would have never gotten the opportunity to do it if it wasn't for Ann."
Teacher Ann Rosenbaum said she started the club because some students don't have the financial means to take advantage of this area's outdoor opportunities.
"The kids had a blast on our first hike," she said. "None of them had been there before and only two or three of them had even been on a hike before."
Rosenbaum brought her water purifier and the students refilled their water bottles from Placer Creek.
"It was great to see them pushing through the difficult parts of the hike," she said. "Even though some struggled, they never gave up. And they felt so happy and accomplished when we got back to the bus. As soon as we got on the bus to head home, they started asking me when we were going on our next hike."
The club has been fundraising to fund the field trips and Rosenbaum has received some funding through grants to start the group. The club will learn survival skills at Q'emiln Park in Post Falls on Dec. 6. It will also be going on a snowshoeing adventure with Peak 7 Adventures on Jan. 20.
Senior Lora Berg said she's excited to see what adventures the club will bring.
"I automatically knew that I wanted to be involved because I go on hikes and it's with a fun teacher," she said. "I like seeing all the trees and different plants and being outdoors. My mom likes the thought of me going on field trips as well."