Published September 28, 2026
BY ANYA GRIESSER
The Great Outdoors–or GO–club is an outdoor recreation club that hosts hiking and backpacking trips ranging as far north as Big Basin Redwoods State Park, as far south as Big Sur and everywhere in between.
“We’re capitalizing on the fact that we live in this incredible place,” says club adviser Victoria Deckelmann, a science teacher at Carmel High School. “Within 100 miles both ways, it’s incredible pretty much everywhere you go.”
The club’s mission is to help students expand their comfort zones and connect with their peers in nature by hosting outdoor adventures throughout the year for various skill levels, ranging from short day hikes to multi-day backpacking trips.
GO club has an upcoming three-day backpacking trip planned for Halloween weekend, which will feature fall-themed meals, candy and costumes. The club is also planning several other trips all over the county, including local trails, regional parks and an annual trip to Pinnacles National Park.
The Great Outdoors club backpacks through Ventana Wilderness, one of the many club efforts throughout the year. photo by MILENA MEYERS
In the upcoming year, junior co-presidents River Mello and Liam Stafford plan on building the club’s outdoor skills, such as safety, knot-tying, navigation and cooking, all of which can be applied to future expeditions.
“Helping kids experience the outdoors and also be social in that environment–it’s really powerful,” says Mello.
The club meetings offer a place for members to connect and plan their own outdoor adventures.
“The mission of GO club is to get young people outside,” Stafford says. “We live in a generation where we spend an increasing amount of time indoors. It’s important to foster that connection, sustainability and a future healthy life exploring the outdoors.”
Another value of the club is to form deeper connections with the land and other members by abandoning phones. Aside from pictures, members are strongly encouraged to stay off their screens and fully immerse themselves in nature.
“It’s a reminder that grinding up a mountain, capturing an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean is better than anything you can do on your couch,” club adviser and social science teacher Marc Stafford points out. “If you’re not out there experiencing nature in a meaningful way, you’re missing out on a big part of what it means to be a human being.”
