This summer, ten Belmont Hill students and faculty trip advisors, Mr. DeCaprio ’16 and Mr. Palandjian ’13, traveled to Yosemite National Park for a weeklong exploration of “Water in the American West,” combining outdoor adventure with lessons about the environmental, political, and economic forces shaping the region’s water supply. The trip began in Hetch Hetchy Valley, where students examined the significance and controversy of California’s watershed & the construction of the O’Shaughnessy Dam. After hiking across the dam, the group trekked through the California wilderness and camped overnight near Rancheria Falls. For Duncan Beirne ’29, the hike to the falls was the trip’s most memorable experience: “I would look back, and […] eventually, we couldn’t see the dam at all, giving us all a feeling of isolation. It was just us.” During the trip, the boys certainly felt one with nature. Midway through the trip, the boys headed to Yosemite Valley, where they experienced the sheer scale of the park firsthand: the high, glacier-carved walls, the massive vertical granite monoliths, and the striking Half Dome. The trip concluded with a two-day whitewater rafting expedition on the Middle Fork of the American River. Students navigated intense rapids while learning concepts, including siphons and hydroelectricity. Beyond the scientific lessons, however, the trip emphasized teamwork and environmental stewardship. Mr. DeCaprio ’16 asserted that experiencing protected wilderness gave students a deeper understanding of human environmental impact, and, he hoped, left them with “an appreciation for our public and protected lands.” Reflecting on the trip’s transformative experience, Mr. DeCaprio further claimed, “You can connect with nature in a completely different way—through dark skies, pristine lakes and rivers, and intact ecosystems. It helps you to understand humans’ impact on our environment.” As Mr. Palandjian ’13 puts it, “it was hands-on in a way that many classes aren’t or can’t be.” Altogether, through a week of adventure, scientific exploration, and immersion in the wilderness, the ten intrepid students returned not only with new memories and friendships, but with a deeper appreciation for the landscapes nad resources they had traveled so far to experience.
