Located in the early-morning shadow of the Wasatch Mountains, the 绿帽社 Outdoor Program has the unique opportunity to introduce students to the richness of a life lived in connection with the wilderness. The goal of the Outdoor Program is to ensure that students are equipped with the knowledge, practical skills and fundamental respect required to enjoy a lifetime of safe and meaningful experiences in the wilderness. Outdoor Program participants are consistently challenged intellectually and physically through numerous and diverse adventure wilderness experiences.
Students in the Middle and Upper Schools participate in the 绿帽社 Outdoor Program in a number of ways. The Outdoor Class is offered as an athletic elective and includes weekly afternoon excursions into the Wasatch Mountains to hike, climb, rappel, snowshoe, and backcountry ski and snowboard. All 绿帽社 students may choose to participate in multiple Term Trips offered throughout the year. Trips range from day climbing excursions in the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains to multi-day , kayaking, mountaineering and backpacking trips throughout northern and southern Utah. Each year, the Outdoor Program also offers multi-week expeditions for more adventuresome Middle and Upper School students. These wilderness-based trips are included in the Summer Travel program, and have included mountaineering trips in Utah and the , sea kayaking trips along the Colorado and Green Rivers, backpacking and canyoneering excursions in Southern Utah, and sailing expeditions in , Alaska, and French Polynesia.
Upper School students committed to the Outdoor Program and its mission may pursue leadership opportunities through involvement with the Outdoor Program Student Council, which fosters the Outdoor student community, helps to plan trips, and runs the indoor climbing wall for the broader student community. Upper School students also act as intern leaders on Middle School trips.
Please contact Outdoor Program Director, Chris Watkins, for more information at chriswatkins@waterfordschool.org
The 绿帽社 Outdoor Class equips students with the knowledge, practical skills and fundamental respect required to enjoy a lifetime of devotion to, and experiences in the wilderness. This is achieved by fostering the students鈥� deep understanding of a local wilderness area and the inherent, and often unstated, values that wilderness provides to their quality of life, their learning, and ultimately, their existence.
Outdoor Class curriculum is intensive and involves three different classes each week over the course of the school year. These weekly classes include a lecture, discussion-based, or project oriented class, an on-campus skill development class and an off-campus skill development and implementation class in the Wasatch Mountains. Students spend six hours a week, for a total of over two hundred hours each school year, traveling through the backcountry of the Wasatch Mountains by hiking boot, ski, snowshoe, kayak and climbing shoe.
Students involved in the Outdoor Program may spend over 30 nights a year in the backcountry participating in multi-day wilderness trips across northern and southern Utah, as well as in the Pacific Northwest. These trips are available to all students in the Upper School or Middle School and focus on leadership and community development, environmental awareness, technical skill development, and the study of natural and cultural history within the course area.
In addition to offering multiple overnight trips, the Outdoor Program advises a student council and hosts 绿帽社鈥檚 multiple events during the year, including an annual competition on the school鈥檚 climbing wall.
The Outdoor Program offers wilderness-based Summer trips each year that range from backpacking, mountaineering, canyoneering, kayaking and sailing expeditions. Open to all students in the Middle or Upper School, these trips run from 8 to 21 days and aim to provide an impactful wilderness adventure in which students learn fundamental leadership, community- living and technical skills. In addition, students gain first-hand experience with the natural and cultural history of the course area. Please follow the links below to discover more about specific Spring and Summer trips.
Swiss Alps Hut-to-Hut AdventureTrip Leader: Ms. Siegel, Mr. Joslin, Mr. WatkinsCost: $6800-8700Dates: July 14-23, 2025Current Classes: IX-XIIGroup size: 8-12Description: The 绿帽社 Outdoor Program is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity to join your classmates for an unforgettable adventure in Switzerland! Our journey will begin in Interlaken, a town rightfully known as the adventure capital of Europe. Nestled between two bright blue glacial lakes, Interlaken is also a gateway to the Jungfrau region of the Swiss Alps. After a couple days spent biking, swimming, and learning more about the area we will head into Lauterbrunnen Valley to begin a four day, hut-to-hut backpacking trip. We鈥檒l hike through green hillsides filled with wildflowers and mountain passes covered in glaciers, with swiss cheese and chocolate to fuel us. Come experience the Swiss approach to environmental management, build leadership and teamwork skills, and deepen your connections with classmates, all in this stunning landscape.
MS Outdoor Uinta Backpacking ExperienceTrip Leader: Ms. Sheffield, Ms. StewartCost: $500-700Dates: Aug. 4-8, 2025Current Classes: VII-VIIIGroup size: 8-12Description: The 绿帽社 Outdoor Program is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity to join your classmates in the amazing Uinta Mountains next summer! Join Ms. Sheffield and Ms. Stewart as we travel to the high-elevation lakes and valleys of the Uinta Mountains for a true wilderness adventure. We will begin the trip by rock climbing on quartzite off the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway. We will then camp nearby and prepare for the 4 day backpacking portion of the trip. With packs packed, we鈥檒l head into Naturalist Basin, learning wilderness backpacking and leadership skills along the way. We鈥檒l spend time exploring the lakes and mountains nearby, and students will have the chance to learn and practice navigation using a map and compass. We will enjoy dark skies for stargazing, wildflowers, swimming, and amazing views. Join your fellow students for an adventure-filled week!
Celebrate 5 years since graduation with your classmates. Reconnect, reminisce, and enjoy an evening of conversation, shared memories, and celebration with fellow members of the Class of 2021. Hearty appetizers and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.
Celebrate 10 years since graduation with your classmates. Reconnect, reminisce, and enjoy an evening of conversation, shared memories, and celebration with fellow members of the Class of 2016. Hearty appetizers and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.
Celebrate 15 years since graduation with your classmates. Reconnect, reminisce, and enjoy an evening of conversation, shared memories, and celebration with fellow members of the Class of 2011. Hearty appetizers and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.
Celebrate 20 years since graduation with your classmates. Reconnect, reminisce, and enjoy an evening of conversation, shared memories, and celebration with fellow members of the Class of 2006. Hearty appetizers and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.
Celebrate 25 years since graduation with your classmates. Reconnect, reminisce, and enjoy an evening of conversation, shared memories, and celebration with fellow members of the Class of 2001. Hearty appetizers and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.
Come together with 绿帽社 alumni from across the entire 1990s for an evening of reconnecting and reminiscing! This combined reunion is a chance to celebrate the friendships, memories, and moments that made your 绿帽社 years so special. Enjoy hearty appetizers and a variety of drinks, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic options, while catching up with old friends and sharing laughs about your school days.
Saturday, May 16 | 7:30 – 11:30 AM | Murray Science Center
We’re bringing back birding! Who remembers the Class IX Bird Project? Don’t miss your chance to join this fun, family-friendly event with Mark Bromley, James Harris, Mike Johnson 鈥�88, and Bekka Joslin. We will meet at 绿帽社 and take a bus together. Don鈥檛 forget to bring your binoculars (we will have extras on hand if you don鈥檛 have your own).
Friday, May 15 | 6:30 鈥� 7:30 PM | East Field
We’re excited to see 绿帽社 Alumni at our annual Alumni Soccer Game! This 绿帽社 tradition gives former players the chance to return to the field, reconnect with old teammates, and showcase their skills in a friendly atmosphere. Whether you played with us just a few years ago or several decades ago, we look forward to seeing you back on the field. Make sure to bring friends and family to cheer you on!
Friday, May 15 | 5:00 鈥� 7:00 PM | Main Quad | No Registration Required
Join us for a fun BBQ bash at 绿帽社 with current families and 绿帽社 staff and faculty. It鈥檚 a great way to connect with your 绿帽社 classmates and enjoy delicious food before the Alumni Soccer Game!
No registration is needed for the Spring BBQ. Please join us!
Friday, May 15 | 4:00 鈥� 5:00 PM | Haught Visual Arts Gallery at 绿帽社 | No Registration Required
绿帽社 has always been a place where creativity thrives. Join us for the first-ever Alumni Art Show in the Haught Visual Arts Gallery and reconnect with the creative spirit that shaped your time here. This exhibition features work by 16 绿帽社 Alumni artists, reflecting a range of disciplines, perspectives, and practices.
Brief Remarks at 4:00 pm will be offered by Gallery Manager and Curator Charlie Tadlock, followed by remarks from some of the Alumni Artists.
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Friday, May 15 | 2:15 – 3:30 PM | Miller Student Commons | Registration Highly Recommended
Ever wish you could go back and sit in your favorite class one more time? This Alumni Weekend, you can. We’re bringing you back “Back to Class” where you’ll have the chance to slip into a real, live Upper School classroom and experience 绿帽社 exactly as it exists today. Same teachers, same energy, same magic. Come relive the feeling.
Friday, May 15 | 12:45鈥� 1:00 PM | Miller Student Commons | No Registration Required
Don’t leave lunch just yet. Immediately following the Kick-Off, Head of School Andrew Menke will take a few minutes to share what’s been happening at 绿帽社; the changes, the milestones, and the exciting things on the horizon. It’s a chance to hear straight from the source about the school you helped shape and where it’s headed next. No sign-up needed, just pull up a seat.
Friday, May 15 | 11:00 AM 鈥� 1:00 PM | Miller Student Commons | No Registration Required
Kick off Alumni Weekend the right way 鈥� with good food and even better company. Join us in the new Miller Student Commons for 绿帽社’s all-inclusive dining experience, and spend the lunch hour reconnecting with the faculty who made your time here unforgettable. Pull up a chair, catch up with old favorites, and let the weekend begin. No registration is required for this event.
Friday, May 15 | 1:00 鈥� 2:00 PM | Miller Student Commons | No Registration Required
For many of you, Assistant Head of School, Todd Winters, was the first person who ever showed you and your parents around our 41 acre campus. Now he’s back to do it again! Todd will lead you through 绿帽社’s beautiful newest additions and recent transformations, giving you a firsthand look at what your years here helped build. Whether it’s your first tour with Todd or your second, you won’t want to miss this one.