Outings Week: The Weight We Carry

By Jin Sun '28

Every September, Cate students shoulder more than just backpacks; they carry a lesson of responsibility, through the meadows of Yosemite, across the rivers of Kern, and upon the peaks of San Jacinto. Outings Week, the traditional start to a school year, is a lesson in what it means to carry weight both literally and figuratively. 

For freshmen, there are no physical packs during their 5-day journey at Pyles, a camp in Sequoia National Forest. The real load, however, is the uncertainty of beginning high school in a brand new environment, one that is at times far from home. As Vihaan Prabhakar ‘29 recalled, “The first day, I was really nervous, not really sure where I was or what I should do.” This uncertainty is followed by the challenge of stepping into a new community, learning how to open up, connect, and be vulnerable in front of their peers, who will make Cate truly feel like a home away from home over the next four years here. That transformation was perfectly encapsulated for Vihaan during the Pinecone Ceremony. “Many came forward to share their deepest feelings and most impactful experiences. The night was cold, but my heart felt warm.” For ninth graders, their emotional journey from quiet wariness to warm empathy is the lasting weight of Pyles, their doorway to a new home.

Sophomores enter Yosemite National Park, where their pods embark on backpacking trips through iconic landmarks such as May Lake and Half Dome. Here, each student carries a bear can, a hard and heavy container for the purpose of preventing bears from coming for the food at night, along with their two litres of water and a share of group gear like tents and stoves. The heavy weight leads to shared efforts: trading loads, adjusting straps, and learning the rhythm of making space for each other, to be caring and understanding, to foster harmony that the group can work in. Sofia Wang 28’ reflected, “The packs are heavy at first, but after a while, you realize everybody’s carrying the same thing. It makes you feel stronger together.” The packs in Yosemite test not only physical strength, but the resilience of students’ bonds as well.

For Juniors, the trip breaks into three unique challenges: the 40+ miles grind of Rae Lakes, San Jacinto, and the rugged terrain of the Kern River. For Kenny Wang 27’, embarking on the Kern was a real testing ground for his pod. “Even though the lack of bear cans lightened our packs, the extra mileage made up for it. Being a team was really important,” Kenny explained. “The route forces teamwork; if one person falls behind, everyone falls behind, as the trails are long, and a broken pod risks getting lost.” This fosters an environment of support, where words of encouragement are constantly shared, and looks over shoulders to check on everyone regularly. 

Seniors can go on college trips or choose to return as leaders, shouldering responsibility not for themselves but for others. They guide freshmen through their first nights under the stars, teach sophomores life lessons by May Lake, and encourage juniors as they face long trails. Eric Jin ‘26, leader of a Yosemite Pod, reflected, “The sophomores were super responsible, they took charge and had a great team spirit”. For Eric, this leadership opportunity also reshaped his own worldview. After summiting Mount Hoffamn, the view left him thinking: “everyone seems to think we constantly try to make reality beautiful. However, I think material reality is beautiful; it's good for being beautiful.” In that moment, he was rewarded by beauty for the physical effort of the climb, a lesson he is now determined to pass on. Their weight is therefore less about their packs, but the trust placed in them by countless younger students, to pass on the spirit of Cate, to model resilience, and to keep the tradition of Outings Week alive.

Each year, when the buses roll back on campus and the smell of campfires fades, students bring back not just dirty hiking boots and tired smiles, but also the lesson of what it means to carry weight: not as a burden, but as a bond.