Catherine Freer Expeditions

In June I quit at Sage Walk, and in August I went to work for Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Expeditions. Freer is a different kind of wilderness therapy company. A small, indipendantly owned and operated company, Freer runs intense, three week expeditions into some of the most remote places in the North West. I worked three expeditions with Freer into three different use areas: the Blue Mountains in Southern Washington, Beatty's Butte in the high desert of Central Oregon, and the winter wonderland of Waldo Lake in the Cascade Range, Oregon. Every trip was memorable for something, and working at Freer put to the test my skills as a Field Instructor, especially the last. After almost 3 years and over 400 days in the field at 4 different programs, I still believe in the power of Wilderness to change lives.


Mushrooms grow abundantly during Fall in the Blues.


At an elevation around 6000ft, the bald ridgelines of the Blues are beautiful camping. Lead Guide Brooke and his dog Action.


The group gathers for a Psycho Ed group to learn about Levels of Communication.


Staff looks out on a beautiful sunset and a beautiful moment in Wilderness Therapy; the kids sit by themselves reading Impact Letters.


The dried lake in the High Desert makes an awsome space for hand stands (and Yoga!).


Cold Night falls, but with the Kids on Solo for 4 days, there is peace in Staff Land!


Through a rip in my tarp I spy the blood red sunrise spelling out bad weather for the day, precipitation and high winds.


40 mph gusts blow showers of sparks from our fire of Juniper. Another day at the office.


Our Winter Training crew, but where's the snow?


A great feature of being an independant company is Freer's ability to have dogs out on Expeditions. This Great Pyrenees named Lacy was in her element snow camping in Waldo Lakes.


Winter Expeditions are dropped off in the middle of no where by Sonny and one of his Snow Cats. Talk about Bad Ass logistics.


Hostel de Freer, the office that doubles as a home for a number of vagabond Field Instructors.