Balarat

The fifth grade students from both 204 and 206 had a wonderful trip to Balarat, Denver Public Schools' outdoor education facility, this past week. For more pictures, click here or see slideshow below. The weather was cold but clear and sunny, and we came home just in time to avoid Wednesday night's big storm! We split up into two mixed groups, giving students a chance to spend some time with those in the other fifth grade class, and hopefullly get to know new friends. Each group was small, only 18 students, which meant a lot of opportunities to try new things and work in teams.

After a bus ride up to Balarat, which is located in the mountains northwest of Boulder, my group of students started our trip with a snack and some playtime on the frozen pond near the pioneer cabin before heading out on an ecology hike. Students learned a lot about the montane environment, including the names and characteristics of many common plants and trees. Ask your child how to recognize Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir, and Rocky Mountain Juniper! We stopped for lunch at a shelter built near an old mine, one of several on Balarat's 720 acres. This one has been shored up and is safe to go inside, and that's just what we did! It was exciting to be far inside a hill, experiencing life as a miner in the 1800s. We also learned how to drill into rocks using a single jack (in order to place dynamite), how to use a sluice to separate gold-bearing ore from rocks, and how to assay ore to determine whether a mine site would be profitable. Most of the students agreed that life as a gold miner was not easy.

When we had all finished the mine activities, we walked back up the hill to the lodge, where we worked as teams to complete some difficult challenges. Students had to use communication, caring, cooperation, and creativity to solve these puzzles as a group! Finally, we got to settle into the lodges, unpacking our duffel bags and claiming our beds. Students were excited to see a flush toilet. We met up with the other half of the fifth grade for dinner, which was yummy -- food always tastes great after being outdoors all day. It was good to catch up with our friends who we hadn't seen all day. We stayed together as one large group for our evening activities, which included drawing our favorite memories (so far), learning more about common mammals, and eating S'Mores.

The last thing we did before bed was our night hike, something most fifth graders look back on with excitement and pride. We walked up the main gravel road as a team, stopping to find landmarks and noticing features of the path. It was dark, but the moon gave a lot of light, and the stars were amazing! We circled up at the top of a hill to observe some constellations and hear the stories of their names, then one by one we walked back down to the lodges on our own. If walking at night was a first for most students, a solo night hike was definitely a new challenge, but every fifth grader rose to the occasion. They were all very proud of themselves!

In the morning we woke up early (an even bigger challenge for some) for a sunrise hike. Our leader took us up to Bonsai Point, one of my favorite spots at Balarat. From the top of the ridge, you can see forever! It was a beautiful morning. We met up with the other group again for breakfast, packed a lunch and cleaned up our lodge, then headed out for our next activities. We first hiked up to the Ranch House, a log cabin built in the style of the pioneers who had settled at Balarat. There we talked a little about all the different groups of people who had lived on and around this land -- Native American groups like the Ute, Araphahoe and Cheyenne; trappers and traders coming out to explore the frontier; and finally settler families taking advantage of the Homestead Act, which promised free land if you could work it for five years. Splitting up into small groups, we experienced a little bit of what daily life might have been like for these different people. Students built a tipi and tried to use a bow-and-drill to start a fire (it's hard work!); set traps, drew maps, and dipped candles to trade; and baked biscuits in a woodfire stove. It was like living history -- much better than a textbook.

We ate lunch on the porch of the Ranch House before our last activity, a low elements challenge course. The course pushes students to step outside their comfort zone in a safe and supportive environment. Teams work together to get each member around the entire course. Students swung from tires, crossed shaky logs and tightrope wires, and hung from a zipline, always surrounded by helping hands. It was exciting to see everyone complete the course and working so well together. I was really impressed.

All in all, it was a great time. Students learned a lot about their natural environment, the cultural history of Colorado, and themselves and each other. Some of them can't wait to go back as high school counselors, helping new groups of fifth graders experience all that Balarat has to offer.