The Trip Leader You Don’t See: What happens behind the scenes

Backcountry trips are a significant part of Teton Valley Ranch Camp, as they bring magic to the culture and depth to the experience of Camp. You may know where we travel, how we hand-pick each trip for our campers, and how these trips shape each camper in a positive way. What you probably don’t know is how we make it all happen. How do we get a cabin of eleven 12-year-olds trip-ready? How do we get the actual trip packed, prepped, and trip-ready? Well… Let’s pull back the curtain and look behind the scenes of the art of trip prep.

Throughout the off-season, we work tirelessly on hiring and crafting a qualified team of 19 to 22-year-old Trip Leaders (TLs) who will be tasked with leading our campers into the remote wilderness of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. I know how it sounds…don’t panic! Our Full-Time team is also continuously refining our specific week-long Trip Leader training over those off-season months. The Trip Leader Training, which is in addition to the two weeks of Full-Staff Training that the TLs also receive, is designed to prepare the team for a safe and successful TVRC trips season. The TL training covers everything from the overall structure of the program to the nitty-gritty topics and training needed to keep our campers safe and happy in the backcountry and at camp. By the end of the week, Trip Leaders feel prepared and confident— ready to lead their assigned trips for the TVRC season.

Interesting Fact: Did you know that almost all TVRC trips are on some form of State or Federal Land, and depending on which land jurisdiction manages the area a trip is traveling over, it dictates the rules and regulations TVRC needs to follow? These rules and regulations include things like whether or not you can have a fire, how to handle waste, and how many people TVRC can take on a trip at a time. Each trip is different, and it is our responsibility to follow the permitting regulations. Early planning and organization of trips, paired with proper preparation in the days before a trip, is essential to ensure we are in full compliance with our permits and maintain access to public lands for future TVRC seasons and campers.

Next, let’s dive into the finer details of trip-prep and the controlled chaos of the day before a trip departs the Ranch to the morning that the trip departs. To properly highlight all that goes into a trip launching from the Ranch, I must explain that the trips department is the one department that requires consistent and clear communication with all of the various departments on the Ranch. Depending on the trip, this includes the Infirmary, Kitchen, Programming, Barn, Maintenance, and Van Drivers. Paired with the Director’s Team for any parental communications, Ranch logistics, or marketing needs. All this to say, either I could run for president or have a really compelling TED talk from all the communication and logistics I manage.

The day before a trip, Trip Leaders are responsible for the following tasks:

• Make an initial trip announcement to meet with the cabin to introduce themselves

• Hand out the trip’s packing list and schedule a time to visit the cabin and help the campers pack.

• Help the Trip Foods department pack the meals for their trip, with an eye to any dietary restrictions

• Gather the needed group gear from the Backcountry Basement for themselves, the campers, and the counselors

• Meet with a member of the Trips Department Leadership, which includes me or a Trips Assistant, for a pre-trip brief to go over trip logistics, route, and maps

• Meet with the Infirmary for a Medical Brief about camper medications and allergies

• Craft an epic departure skit with the Cabin they are leading

• Lastly, before they turn off their light, pack their own personal gear

Many of these steps are essential to safe travel in the Wyoming backcountry, and some are cherished TVRC traditions, all of which warrant further explanation.

The pre-trip briefs with the Trips Department Leadership and the Infirmary is when the transfer of critical trip and camper information occurs. TLs receive their trip-specific packet of information, including the trip’s route, mileage, weather forecast, wildlife concerns (if any), permitting regulations, and any additional logistics that are needed for a successful adventure. This Trips Department brief always has at least one Cabin-Counselor present to share additional information regarding the campers in their respective Cabin. The Medical Brief with the camp Nurses is when camper medication needs and allergies are discussed in greater detail. The Infirmary team, which includes Nurses and Infirmary Assistants, will have pre-packaged camper medications with a clear labeling system to streamline medicine administration while on the trip. They will review which medications are to be administered to which camper and at which time of day. All the camper medications are placed in the trip’s “med-bag” that houses essential wilderness first-aid materials that our Wilderness First-Aid or Wilderness First-Responder Certified TLs are trained to utilize. The pre-trip briefs also provide an important opportunity for the TLs, generally two per trip, to ask questions or share concerns ahead of their outing, which leaves them feeling more confident as they prepare to head out with their group.

Our Trip Foods Coordinator works hard to prepare and pack the food needed to eat well on the trial. Every meal is portioned and weighed for the specific number of people on the trip, packaged into travel-safe containers— all with precise attention to dietary restrictions. The food is then separated into trip-specific bins and labeled for the TLs to pack prior to their morning departure. TLs assist in the process to ensure they know what meals they are taking on the trail and are able to gather the necessary equipment needed to cook and eat, such as bowls, pans, pots, and silverware.

Coming out of their initial packing conversation with a Cabin, Trip Leaders know what gear they need to pull from the Backcountry Basement to equip everyone appropriately for their travels. This could include backpacks, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, stoves, and fuel, among other necessary gear. Once a TL has gathered all of their necessary gear, they will place it into a trip-specific bin and store it until the morning their trip departs. Some mornings, we have up to seven trips leaving the Ranch, so having gear organized and clearly labeled is essential. The Trip Leaders are hands-on and helpful with the cabins when they are packing their bags, especially with our younger Adventure Groups. This help ensures everyone has what they need and also makes sure that unnecessary items, like the entire book series of Harry Potter or the fully inflated basketball, stay at Camp.

Now it’s time for my favorite part: the trip skit. Skits are a longstanding tradition at TVRC. Camp alumni will often share stories about epic trip skis of their era. The creation of a skit is a collaboration between the TL and the Cabin, as they come up with an idea for a short skit to perform at dinner the night before they leave to announce where they are headed. This could be anything from songs and one-act plays, to interpretive dances and tales of past travellers. Last summer, I not only met the female Snoop Dog rapping about a Wind’s backpacking trip, but I also got to meet an idol of mine…you guessed it, Elsa from Frozen.

Finally, at the morning of a trip’s departure, everything should be organized for a seamless launch thanks to the TL’s preparation the day before. The Cabin and TLs meet at the Backcountry Basement for the even distribution of gear and food, so everyone on a trip is helping carry the weight. Van drivers pull their vans around and do a pre-departure van check to make sure everything is in order. The Kitchen staff is on hand starting at 5:30 am every day to make sure trips have a rounded breakfast— fueling bodies for the trail ahead. Trips Department Leadership goes through a full A-Z checklist with the TLs before waving goodbye, to ensure the trip is fully equipped for a great few days on the trail. As the van pulls away and the dust settles on the driveway, the Trips Department turns its attention to a new set of Trip Leaders to start this process from the top, with a new journey in mind.

The most rewarding part of all this time, coordination, and work, is when a TVRC van returns full of dirt-covered, smelly, and smiling campers and staff who can’t wait to tell you all about the “best trip ever”. Everything from campfire stories, the views, goofy moments, to that exceptional trail fajita at the end of the day. For the Trip Leaders, returning to the Ranch means it’s time to unpack, de-issue gear, wash dishes, and de-brief their trip with the Trips Department and the Infirm all before hopping in the shower and then performing their return skit at the next meal to let the rest of camp know they are back and better than ever! As the team closes the book on one trip, it’s time to rinse and repeat for the next Cabin to hit the trail. All of this choreographed work comes together day in and day out for an epic summer full of one-of-a-kind TVRC trips.

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