Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things you can expect:

1. We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
2. Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
3. Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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Click here to jump down to the most recent posts!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 17

By: Amy (GLA Mentor)

Sunshine and clear skies welcomed the group to Anchorage today! While we are still waiting for one of our friends to arrive (thunderstorms in Newark have led to delayed travel!), the remaining 13 have arrived safe and sound with all luggage in tow. Upon everyone’s arrival, we made the 40 minute drive to our home for the next 3 nights: Birchwood Camp. This camp is situated in a forest of trees and along a beautiful glacier lake with views of the mountains. One of our first activities was to hike around the lake, where we identified moose and bear scat and some native plants. We ate a delicious dinner of chili and cornbread and then did some introductions and icebreakers. We are looking forward to a good night of sleep in our cabins and an exciting day tomorrow around Anchorage!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 18

By: Amy (Mentor)

Today was another great day in and around Anchorage! We began our day with a delicious breakfast of French Toast Casserole and sausage before starting our orientation. We all got excited as we discovered what we will be doing the next 9 days and continued to get to know each other a little more. We grabbed our lunches to go and headed out to explore the surrounding areas. Because the Alaska Native Heritage Center was closed, we changed our course and headed to Eklutna Lake. It was the most stunning scene of turquoise blue water, mountain peaks, and spruce trees all around.

We dipped our feet into the glacier water and then headed uphill for a short hike. After our hike, we headed to the Reindeer Farm in Palmer. Here we had hands on experiences feeding reindeer and moose. Some of us even got to kiss the moose! We also saw yaks, alpacas, elk, and a bison. They also had a super cute farm dog and two cats!

It was a lovely day seeing wildlife and surrounded by beautiful views and sunshiny weather. When we got back to camp, we ate a tasty dinner then headed out to the lake to kayak, canoe, and paddleboard. The water was surprisingly warm so we took a little polar plunge in the water before heading back to camp. We finished the day with a group activity and were so excited to welcome our final member to the group, EllaMae. Tomorrow we head to Girdwood. Can’t wait to see snow and more natural beauty!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 19

By: Sam & Lily

Day three of the trip and wow, what a day! We started off with some breakfast burritos and then piled into the car and van to take a breathtaking drive along the Turnigan Arm. There we learned about beluga whales and why they are endangered. From there we drove a few minutes further to a ski resort, where we took a tram up to the top. We enjoyed a lunch 2,000+ft in the air overlooking mountains and water. We were then pleasantly surprised with an incredible hike in which we encountered snow, which we of course had to slide down. When it was time to leave, we split up and some hiked down while other took the tram and possibly a nap. We then traveled to a gold mine where we attempted to pan for gold. Let’s be real though, the only gold take was from our bank accounts. We drove home to an awesome campfire in which we ate reindeer hotdogs, played games, and discovered newfound musical talent. It truly was an incredible day, and we are psyched for our travels tomorrow. The end!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 20

By: Ella and Jack C.

Day 4!! We started off with an early morning walk around the lake at Camp Birchwood. This hike was a great opportunity to observe some wildlife in their natural habitats. We saw a porcupine climbing up a tree and a moose crossing a pasture just behind the boys cabin. After getting dressed, we had a delicious breakfast of cinnamon rolls and eggs prepared for us by the lovely staff at Camp Birchwood. They also packed us BLTs to took with us for later. We waved goodbye to Camp Birchwood and we packed everything in the van for a long ride to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Before arriving, we pulled over to a small parking lot on the shoulder of the highway to check out some cool views of the cook inlet. We got to experience some insane views and crazy wind, but unfortunately we didn’t see any whales. The large rock structure just beyond the roadside parking lot provided us with a short climb to take some great pictures at the top. We then climbed down and got back in the car to finish our journey.

Once we arrived at the conservation center, we once again pulled out our cameras to take pictures of the rescued alaskan animals that the center took care of. We saw bison, caribou, bald eagles, lynx, wolves, bears and more, while on a tour of the center.

After lunch, we then ventured into the reindeer enclosure to help out the center and do some community service. We stopped by the gift shop and food stand before getting back in the car to go to a new hotel in Coopers Landing, Alaska. An ice cream store, coopers landing merch, and showers were the next activities during our free time before a bonding exercise in Dash and Amy’s room. Andy the salmon man prepared us a delicious dinner of fresh wild caught salmon that night, which we ate beside a campfire just outside the hotel. We then retired back to Dash and Amy’s room for a brownie making party and a movie night. Everyone hit the hay hard that night, exhausted after yet another fun-packed, exciting day in Alaska.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 21

By: Maya and Enrique

Today some of us started the morning with a hike up a mountain. After we all enjoyed some breakfast crepes. Our main activity today was rafting down the kenai river. The rapids were awesome and the views were amazing. We saw around 30 eagles and some bears on the ride back. Then we headed to the new hotel and had some time to relax and get ready for dinner. We had dinner at Addie Camp where we enjoyed some fine dining. To end our day we stopped by Dairy Queen and had our closing circle.

 

BLOG POST FOR JULY 22

By: Bridget & Rachel

Today was our first big service experience and another beautiful day in Alaska. To start off the day we ate at Everything Bagel’s, then drove to Russian River trail head. There we hiked under the power lines and trekked through miles of mud. Many of us fell victim to the mud, but it brought laughs all around. We saw countless moose and bear tracks. On the way back we cut the seeds of the Reed Canary Grass, to prevent further spread of the invasive species. Once we hiked back, we ate our lunch by the river. After eating, we went back to the Kenai river to learn about salmon. We discovered there were multiple types of salmon and identified a few babies. For the last part of our service work, we picked up trash on the beach and were lucky to witness Alaskans Dip Net Fishing from the shore. To wrap up a great day, we went to Ginger’s Diner and rushed around Fred Meyers for tomorrow’s meals. It was great to make a positive impact on the environment and we can’t wait to do more.

 

 

BLOG POST FOR JULY 23

By: Jack S. & Peyton L.

Today was another beautiful day in Alaska.

We started off the day with a nice breakfast in the hotel and then got ready to go. We packed and left the hotel, headed for Bear Creek Weir.

Today was another big service day. We learned more about salmon and identifying them at the weir before heading on a hike.

We filled up sandbags to help keep them stream intact. Then we started picking up salmon and checking if they were fertile and ready to spawn by feeling their lower belly. Finally we arrived at the yurt village and had some free time followed by a bonfire.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 24

By: Peyton W.

We kicked off day 8 with some homemade chocolate chip pancakes and waffles (and gluten free pancakes made by yours truly!). Next, we headed over to Seward, a bustling town with plenty of gift shops, cafes, and stunning views. As we walked and shopped around the downtown, we could choose to either look to one side and see an endless mountainside forest or look across the sparkling (and quite windy) Resurrection bay.

After a little exploration of the town, we headed over to the Alaska Sealife Center, where we learned about the history of marine life and ocean geography in Alaska. We also got to see some local wildlife up close! The crowd favorites were the puffins, sea lions, and seal otters.

With some time to spare before lunch from Zudy’s, we spent some more time wandering around downtown Seward. A few of us even bought matching friendship rings from a local artist in Seward, to remember the time we had together here in Alaska.

After lunch, we boarded our last activity of the day, a wildlife cruise around the bay. On the tour, we got to admire wild puffins, sea lions, and seal otters, but the highlight was definitely catching a few glimpses of a Northern Pacific humpback whale!

For dinner, we enjoyed pasta cooked by Luca and an assortment of other delicious food. Then we ended the day with our closing circle, which included our usual traditions plus an affirmations circle and a tootsie roll hug! (Thank you Amy :))

Everyone is looking forward to the activities planned for tomorrow, but we are all definitely upset to only have one day left.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 25

By: Luca

Last day! To kick off the day we went to a sled dog center, where we were able to pet some sled dogs, ride a sled (with wheels for anyone confused), and see some 5-day old puppies. Afterwards we headed into Seward where we did some final shopping and walking around, from which we then went to the Exit Glaciar hike. Exit Glaciar is a large glaciar fed by the Harding Icefield, and we were able to see it up close and personally. After our hike we headed back to Seward, where we grabbed dinner and got on the Alaska Railroad back to Anchorage. The train ride was about 4 hours and took us through some pristine wilderness. After the train ride we got to our hotel and prepared to leave in the morning.

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things you can expect:

1. We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
2. Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
3. Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

---

Click here to jump down to the most recent posts!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 5

By Amy (Mentor)

We’re in Alaska! We are so happy that everyone arrived safely and on time to Anchorage. Upon arrival, we were greeted with some light rain as the first group of 10 drove to camp to get settled into our home for the first 3 nights. The drive to camp treated us with some beautiful mountain views and we got our first moose sighting off the side of the road! We all are so excited to encounter more wildlife in the next 9 days!

After getting settled at camp, those of us who were here went on a hike around the lake. While the only creatures we encountered were a lot of mosquitos and a cute little squirrel, we did get to identify some moose and bear scat along the trail. After the remaining 4 of our new friends arrived, we did some quick activities and orientation, and learned a little bit about wildlife and Alaska. We are quite exhausted from a long day of travel but are looking forward to a fun-filled day tomorrow.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

By: Amy (Mentor)

First full day in Alaska did not disappoint! Our day was full of engaging and educational experiences that were a great introduction to Alaskan culture and wildlife. We started off the day at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, where we learned so much about the different Native Cultures! The facilitators at the Museum demonstrated their cultural games and took us on a tour of six authentic life-sized Native dwellings. We learned a lot about historical and current practices of the indigenous people. It was fascinating and our guide, Junior, was great!

Following this we headed to the Musk Ox Farm. We were all very excited for this stop as none of us had seen a musk ox before and didn’t know much about them. Dani took us on a tour of the farm and we got to meet several of their musk ox. After we did a bit of service work helping to clean out hay and dung from the qiviut, which is the soft underwool from the musk ox. Our last stop of the day was at the Reindeer Farm. We loved this experience because we got to interact with and touch a couple of moose and a lot of reindeers! The farm also had a 1-day old alpaca. Many of us tried fireweed for the first time in a milkshake as well as reindeer sausage. Although it was rainy all day, we had a great first day and are excited for the many activities in the coming days.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 7

By: Olyvia & Jo

We woke up this morning and had some delicious cinnamon rolls. We started off the day with a walk on the Potter’s Marsh Boardwalk. Continuing the adventure, we next stopped at Bird Point, where the Alaska Wilderness Alliance gave us an educational talk about the endangered Cook Inlet Beluga Whale. We learned that human interference greatly impacts the population growth of the beluga whales.

After this, we took a scenic tram ride to the top of Alyeska ski resort, where we ate a delicious lunch. We trekked up the mountain and saw a great sledding opportunity. Many sacrificed their warmth and slid down penguin style. After shaking the snow out of our jackets, we were welcomed with rain at the Crows Creeks Gold Mine. For the next hour, we learned how to pan for gold. We brought back our mighty treasure (small specks of gold). Getting back to camp we paddle boarded and ventured into the freezing water for a polar plunge. Ending the day, we warmed up by the bonfire, we cooked reindeer hot dogs and s’mores.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

By: Jaden and Luc

Today we left camp at Birchwood after three nights and headed
back to Girdwood to help at the Animal Wildlife Conservation Center. There we fed three moose and for our service work helped move sticks away from the fence line in the moose’s enclosure and into piles so they won’t weigh down the fence in winter. After that
we went on a tour of the animals and picked up trash at the same time. On the tour we saw porcupines, moose, elk, caribou, wolves, lynx, a bald eagle, black and brown bears, wood bison, musk ox again (we also saw two baby musk oxen).

Plenty of the animals had a friendly attitude towards the group and came close to the fences. After the tour, the group headed to a dining hall for lunch and ate some delicious sandwiches. After eating lunch, we headed into the gift shop and bought plenty of souvenirs while some
bought more food. After everyone was satisfied with their purchases, the group headed out in the van once again on our way to Cooper’s Landing. On the ride there, almost everyone took a small nap while listening to calm music.

After arriving at the new location, we decided to enjoy the sunlight by sitting around outside and planning the night. Then we took part in a few activities: chicken fighting (a Hawaiian game) and a bonding activity. Next we ate some of the most delicious salmon, it was freshly caught only a few days before and cooked in front of us. As we ate around the fire the sun went behind the trees and it began to drizzle. We then passed on the torch of leadership to the new leaders. After we shared the rose/bud/thorn of the day, the group went to shop for snacks at the store next door. We finished off the night with a movie, Princess Bride, as we ate our snacks. The whole group is looking forward to the coming days and the exciting rafting tomorrow.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 9

By: Lindsay and Andrew

Hi Blog!

Today we went on a rafting adventure. We woke up in Cooper’s Landing to our first glimpse of the sun and ate breakfast crepes. We played a round of birdie on a perch (jump into partners arms before peers jump into their partners arms), then we set out for ARC where we strapped on our gear and got ready to raft.

The 20 mile ride down the river resulted in spottings of quite a few bald eagles and some saw a bear. Parts of the river were rapid and we were not dry. After a few hours we landed the rafts and ate our lunch crepes by the Skilak Lake.

After lunch, we embarked on a hike back to the vans. The hike was filled with cool plants and fun stories from our guide. After arriving back at the vans we bonded as a group like never before while awaiting our departure.

We ended the day with a nice dinner at Addie Camp in Soldotna. We are excited to do some service tomorrow and explore Alaska more!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

By: Jess and Max

Today we had an early morning. We woke up at 6:30 and then went to Alaska’s best bagel store, Everything Bagels, for breakfast. Popular items were egg and cheese bagel sandwiches and various other bagels with different cream cheeses. Then we went to the Kenai Watershed Forum and collected and recorded data about baby fish from the Kenai River. A highlight of something we learned from this was how important salmon are for nature to flourish.

They support the ecosystem by being predators and prey and providing nutrients to the environment when they die. Afterwards, we had a lunch provided by Everything Bagels of turkey or ham bagel sandwich with cheese and various toppings and tomato basil soup. Lunch was followed by a trash cleanup. We then drove to Beaver Creek where we helped with cutting the invasive canary grass, which overcrowds native grasses and puts the salmon’s health in jeopardy. This was one of everyone’s favorite activities of the day because we could see the impact we were making.

After that, we attended a beach cleaning on the first day of dipnetting (a way to catch fish in 5 feet nets) and did a marine debris survey. Everyone was kind of tired after the service, so Amy and Dash taught us how to play an energizing game called Giants, Wizards, and Elves, a full body version of rock paper scissors. We split into Team Sockeye and Team Beluga, and after a highly competitive game, Team Beluga won. Everyone had so much fun, and the game definitely did a good job of getting everyone’s spirits up.

After a long day we got dinner at a special spot in Soldotna called Ginger’s, and it’s seriously the spot. They had a mix of breakfast pancakes and hamburgers and vegetarian options for everyone. After that we went to a grocery store to get breakfast and lunch for the following day. We each had a limited amount to spend, so we all communicated to make a giant picnic meal. To end the night we had mentor groups to describe what it takes to be a leader and played games and had fun till our lights out at 10PM.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 11

By: Kaye and Chloe

We started our day off at 7 am. After packing our bags, we went down to the hotel lobby, we ate a breakfast that consisted of bagels, muffins, donuts, and danishes. Then we drove around two hours, jamming out with our new aux cord and a great playlist. When we arrived at bear creek weir, we learned how they caught and protected salmon. We also met the amazing team, including their cute dog named Remy. We hiked up a trail to where we had our service, filling sandbags to prevent flooding from the river. This allows them to have an easier time finding their hatching site.

After service, we hiked more around the area and got amazing views of the creek. Once back in the car, we drove through a little town with a view of the ocean. Finally, we got to our new home, the Nauti Otter. We were pleasantly introduced to our Yurts with a beautiful common space and layout. After some warm showers, we sat around the campfire and sang some songs. Closing off the day, we played a couple games and ate pizza.

 

BLOG POST FOR JULY 12

By: Logan and Victoria

Today was the first morning of waking up in the yurts. Jess, Lindsay, and Kaye teamed up and cooked breakfast for everyone. This consisted of chocolate chip waffles and pancakes as well as the daily morning coffee. Then we left to go to the Seward Sea Life Conservation Center. There we saw many different fish, starfish, and other sea life in addition to the sea lions and seals.

Once we had wrapped up gift shopping, it was finally time to get on the water and cruise around Derby Cove, looking for different sea creatures. We immediately spotted jellyfish even before we stepped on the boat, and proceeded to spot hordes of seagulls and sea lions, as well as a mama and baby humpback whale, and two sea otters. Many people sought refuge on the inside of the boat to hide from the cold, but a few brave souls stood on the bow of the ship, ever vigilant for Belugas.

After discovering how popular The Salmon Bake is, we headed back to camp to rest for a bit, before getting a wonderful feast from Safeway, Chicken and Pasta and Fruits, among other things. Finally, to close out our day, we all celebrated our time here with a nice big group hug and a game of Werewolf by the fire. The mood was kind of somber as we realized how close we were to the terminus of the trip, but we have a full day left, and it’ll still be full of fun adventures to come.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 13

By: Montana and Audrey

To begin our last full day in Alaska, we whipped up some homemade, delicious pancakes and waffles. Then we checked out of our yurts and headed off to the Turning Heads Kennel for our sled dog experience. We met the dogs as well as the playful puppies and even rode on a sled carriage! After that we had a couple hours in downtown Seward where we shopped for souvenirs and got some delicious gelato. We enjoyed bagel sandwiches from a Deli in downtown Seward as we overlooked the ocean. We said goodbye to the town and headed to Exit Glacier. We learned about the massive ice lake which starts almost 40 different glaciers in southwestern Alaska.

Our hike to the viewpoint of Exit Glacier went longer than expected as we chose to get closer to the glacier and explore more parts of it. We threw rocks and aimed for small crevices within the glacier then took pictures. We hiked back then drove to a fjord to have our final activity. We then dropped off our beloved vans Bona and C Lion. We boarded the train and began the journey to Anchorage. On the 4 hour train ride, we saw 3 moose and 3 black bears. Today was a great way to sum up the trip and a very nice last full day in the beautiful state of Alaska.