NEWS
Staff Video Series: How to Make a Green Smoothie
How many vegetables can Henry Cordeal fit in a Vitamix? More than you think. Watch this veteran Kooch-i-ching staff man turn his blender up to 11 as he teaches you how to make a nourishing green smoothie.
Staff Video Series: How to Baton Wood With a Knife
Is Andy Howell kissing a stick? No, he’s just testing it for moisture—one of several skills that this Kooch-i-ching staff man will teach you in “The Art of Batoning,” a masterclass in splitting wood with a knife. Be sure to wear closed-toe shoes when you try this at home!
'Greased Pig Portage' Demands Teamwork and Grit
A lot of sweating and swearing take place on a portage, and sometimes bugs try to chew on your neck the entire way across a swampy expanse, but the true spirit of our experience involves using teamwork, along with grit and determination, and then laughing when it is all over.
A Doting Dad's Letters Find Fame on 'Humans of New York'
When Brandon Stanton, author of the popular blog Humans of New York, put out a call for “quarantine stories” last month, he received thousands of responses from around the world. One of those responses was from Rosie Ecker.
Staff Video Series: How to Do a Handstand
From beautiful Salt Lake City, Kooch-i-ching climbing instructor Michael Martinez shows you how to do a handstand. Don’t forget to stretch!
Staff Video Series: How to Make a Tuna Melt
“We all know that feeling on [a] trip after a long, hard morning of endless paddling and wet portaging…and then your trip head announces that you are going to be stopping and making tuna melts. Although I cannot replicate that feeling, we can make a dang delicious tuna melt.”
Staff Video Series: How to Tie-Dye a Shirt
From her home in Mexico, Ogichi staff woman Teresa Baños shows you how to transform a boring white T-shirt into a tie-dyed masterpiece in just a few simple steps.
Staff Video Series: How to Tie Four Useful Knots
Back by popular demand, Alex Ernst shows you how to tie four useful knots in this video: the bowline, the slip knot, the square knot and the timber hitch.
Staff Video Series: S'mores Official Music Video
“Sitting by the campfire in the woods, nothing ever really tastes so good.” We’re talkin’ s’mores! May this melodious rendition of “S’mores”—sung by Ogichi staff women around the world—bring some campfire warmth into your home.
Staff Video Series: How to Use an Ice Hook
Nice day for a paddle indeed! Except that in this video, Alex uses an ice hook—not a paddle—to maneuver his canoe across a semi-frozen lake in Maine.
Staff Video Series: How to Make a Face Mask
“I can’t wait until the day when we get to tie on headbands instead of face masks,” Erica says in this video—and we feel the same way! Until then, enjoy this fun tutorial on how to make your own face mask using materials you can find at home.
JD Oberklein Was Making Bustles Before You Were Born
Each set of bustles requires between 35 and 40 hours of labor. Many are dedicated to our distinguished traditions and alumni, and all are reserved for Kooch-i-ching’s most deserving dancers.
Annual Fund Raises Over $825K—Most Ever
Through efforts to engage current staff members and young alumni, and a lofty goal of 250 new donors, we raised more than $825,000 for the annual fund in 2019, the most we’ve ever raised in a single year.
Joyful Soul: A Tribute to Tom Deupree
He made it about three-fourths of the way across the field before he got stuck. By the time I caught up to him, all that was left was his prosthetic leg, standing at attention, peeking out of the snowpack.
Mapmaker Played 'Vital and Brilliant Role' in Inuit LAND Project
Bill was indeed a giant, Inukpaq. He was a wonderful geographer, a brilliant maker of people’s maps; and he was these things because he cared for others, listened, and was unfailingly loyal to all who had looked to him for help.
The Profound—and Electrifying—Impact of Kooch-i-ching
I was the first camper to enter my tent, which was attached to the tallest pine on the island. The moment I crawled in, I experienced the simultaneous deafening roar of thunder and a brilliant flash of light.
Feeling Alive on the Mountain River
Each day, there was something new to excite and dazzle us: caribou, beavers, bears, lightning, crystal-clear pools, waterfalls, rainbows, rapids, canyons—it felt like we were in Narnia.
Kooch-i-ching Men Complete 2,800-Mile Arctic Trip
“At one point, James’ boots, socks and pants were completely frozen.” Axel recalls. “I still remember him saying, ‘Everything is frozen. I am not having fun anymore!’ I could not stop laughing.”
To Increase Its Reach, Foundation Goes Year-Round
To stay relevant, we must strive to be best-in-class, to be year-round, and to reach as many young people as possible.
Arctic Adventure Beckons Kooch-i-ching Men
On challenging expeditions such as this, success is often measured rapid by rapid, portage by portage, mile by mile, and day by day as each individual wrestles with his or her own mental and physical fortitude.