Week One

Our first week of the American Southwest M-term was very dificult, but
also fun and educational. We did a lot of very challenging mountain
biking around the school, in Sag Harbor and in Montauk. The most
challenging day was probably in Sag Harbor. It was outrageously bumpy
and sandy. On Wednesday we took a hike in Montauk to see the seals and
they were fat! We read about them and learned a lot. We also read
during the week. We started reading a book called Thief Of Time. It is
a mystery that takes place in Navajo land in Utah. It is a very
interesting and fun book to read. The group also read short chapters
from two other books with writers that had opposite writing styles.
The first was a chapter from Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire, a book
about the harsh unforgiving landscape of Utah. The other was an
introduction to a book about the clashing of two cultures, Navajo and
Mormon which also takes place in the American Southwest. Can't wait
to go to Utah! -Matt Rice

See you Monday morning

Well, that wraps up our first week. Get the boys rested up for a big
day Monday and four days of skiing/riding in what looks at the moment
to be spring conditions. The bummer is we may not experience Utah's
famous powder, but the good news is we may be skiing in fleeces and
not have to battle the cold. Please be sure to get your equipment
rentals taken care of. And don't forget novels, journals, cameras,
swim suits, and board games. See you Monday bright and early.

Hither Woods, Montauk

Today, we biked through the largest tract of preserved land on the South Fork of Long Island, Hither Woods, Montauk.  We started out at Walking Dunes on Napeague Harbor and wound our way along the Stephen Talkhouse Path, which runs along Napeague Bay and which is named for the Montaukett Native American that was known for his daily 25 -50 mile round-trip walks from Montauk to East Hampton.  The trail was hilly, narrow, rocky, sandy, and windy -- in short, a great challenge and a lot of fun.  All ten boys, along with our three intrepid faculty members, rode hard and looked out for one another.  Friday looks to be a lighter day, as we prepare a bit more for our trip out west and continue our discussion of Thief of Time, a book the boys are getting a lot out of so far.  This will likely be the last blog before we leave on Monday morning. Remember to rent ski/snowboard equipment in advance if you can.  

Day Four

Hither Hills, Montuak New York

Southwest Wednesday

Today we left the bikes in the rack and headed out to Montauk to visit the seals, timing our visit with low tide to increase our chances of seeing the flubbery fellows.  We found them resting on the glacial erratics, read the placards about their migrations patterns, dusted off the two boys that took spills (yes, two actually FELL DOWN while hiking the gentle trail), and drove back to school in time for a delicious late lunch.  Tomorrow, a longer bike ride, also in Montauk, is planned.  Tonight, the boys continue their journaling and begin reading Thief of Time, a Tony Hillerman novel set in Navajo country (where we'll be next week) that deals with the uneasy interaction of white and American indian cultures.

Seal Trail...Montauk, New York

Day Three

Week One in and around Campus

After our first two days biking the trails around Ross and Sag Harbor,
our legs and butts are a bit sore, but our spirits are high. The boys
maintained a torrid pace both days, working up a good sweat despite
the sub-freezing wind chills. The Tuesday ride was particularly
enjoyable as we toured the Sag Harbor "lakes region" just south of
Mashashimuet Park. We even visited a little known memorial for Truman
Capote beside one of the ponds. In the classroom in the afternoons,
the crew was introduced to the literature of Edward Abby (Desert
Solitaire) and Terry Tempest Williams (PIeces of White Shell), two
writers whose work is based on the landscape in southern Utah we'll be
visiting next week. Scheduled for Wednesday is a hike to the seal
haul out in Montauk where, hopefully, we will see some seals soaking
up some sunny, above freezing, weather.

southwest mterm

Full Course Description

This course will focus on the land, people, and history of one of the most diverse and spectacular regions of the world – the American southwest. During the first week, students will prepare for a trip to the southwest by reading and discussing several southwestern writers, including Edward Abbey, Terry Tempest Williams, and such Native Americans as Sherman Alexie and Joy Harjo. At the center of their study will be the essential relationship of human being to natural environment and how the extreme landscape and arid climate of the southwest dramatizes this relationship. Because the trip to the southwest will also include a great deal of physical activity (skiing, hiking, and mountain biking), during the first week, students will also undertake a rigorous fitness regimen, biking and hiking the trails of Long Island’s east end.
During the second and third weeks, students will take a ten-day trip to Utah and southwestern Colorado, where they will explore the southwestern landscape, skiing in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains and hiking and biking through the high deserts of southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado. Guided by park rangers, students will hike through Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, exploring mile-deep canyons and naturally occurring red rock arches that have been formed over millions of years. Local tour guides will also lead students on mountain biking expeditions to a series of Native American “rock art” sites. Finally, students will visit the archeological sites of the Ancestral Pueblan people in Mesa Verde National Park and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. In a medium of their choosing (such as video, photography, or creative writing), each student will document her/his experience, responding to the central question, “How does natural environment affect people and societies?”

The trip includes 4 days of skiing and a professionally guided mountain biking tour in Moab, UT. This is a physically demanding course. Students must be prepared for rigorous outdoor exercise in all kinds of winter weather.