Nadia Carrie’s Summer Semester in Alaska

The 19-year-old recently finished a 75-day expedition in Alaska, kayaking, hiking and mountaineering hundreds of miles over land, sea and snow. Carrie’s expedition was part of a summer semester with the National Outdoor Leadership School, a program that runs wilderness programs for students.

The expedition “was really great,” she said. “You’re really just thrown into it from the beginning. There are no cellphones. You’re completely cut off from the outside world.”

Nine other students and three instructors were with Carrie during the expedition. One instructor was along for the full 75 days, while the other two alternated. With a small group for weeks at a time in the wilderness, the group became close, Carrie said.

During the trip Carrie did three sections of expeditions. First, her group sea kayaked 181 nautical miles over 22 days in the Prince William Sound. A 24-day, 103-mile hike through the Healy Mountains followed. The final piece of the trip was a 23-day mountaineering portion in Denali National Park, where she racked up another 90 miles under her belt.

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