For more questions about our programs, please read the following. If there are questions that aren’t answered here, please contact us at [email protected].

**2025 YOUTH PROGRAMMING ANNOUNCEMENT** Youth trips (ages 6-14) are currently pending due to funding uncertainties. However, Ascend is still accepting sign-ups for these programs, and interested families are encouraged to join the waitlist via the registration links on Ascend’s website. Should funding be secured, these trips will proceed as planned.

We will do our best to communicate through our email newsletter and youth program registration waitlist if any youth trips will indeed occur. But just in case, no news is no news. Thank you for your understanding.

How do I apply for Ascend’s programs?

Applications can be submitted through our registration page on our website (preferred), but you can also request a printed copy be sent to you at no cost, a pdf emailed to you, or you can pick up a printed application outside our office. Printed/physical applications can also be dropped off at our office in our mailbox outside our front door. Our office is located at 420 Main St., Weaverville CA. Although we’re around the back via Forest Ave underneath/behind Kay’s Bookstore. Call us if you have any concerns or needs applying.

How will I hear from Ascend after applying?

Ascend relies on email to communicate with our participants. We’ll be using [email protected] to send confirmation and informational emails regarding your application or confirmed trips.

After applying, you should get a confirmation email from us acknowledging we’ve received your application. (This is NOT a confirmation of attending trips, that step comes a little later).

If you applied through our website (online fillable form) you’ll likely receive an automated email immediately. If you applied via email with pdf attachment or physical copy dropped off at our office, we will manually send a confirmation email. We generally send this confirmation email within a week we received it but please allow time if you sent it in the mail or sent it outside of business days.

If more than two weeks have passed since you submitted an application and you have NOT heard from us, it means we might not have your application and something is amiss.

The most common issues have included:

• If you used a phone or tablet to fill out our online application, it may not have worked? Our online application should be fine, but sometimes internet connection or other unknown tech issues can arise.
• Our confirmation email went to your spam folder.
• Sometimes when people use their work email addresses (aka not the usual hotmail, gmail, etc.), our confirmation emails get lost. (We think it has to do with how work emails have a higher level of security and spam filters).
• If you wrote your application by hand, we may not have been able to read your handwriting.
• You haven’t thoroughly checked your email inbox. (I know we get inundated with emails! So try searching a little deeper in case you missed it).

Information about Teen Internships:

Teens can apply for our Teen Internship programs from April 1 to May 15. While we gladly accept applications after this date, priority will be given to those who apply by our deadline. Occasionally, spots remain open until just before a trip, so we encourage teens to apply at any time.

We will wait until the May 15 deadline before reviewing all applications. It takes us 1-2 weeks to review applications and respond to everyone. We know families are trying to plan their summer, so please know we prioritize this task to get you confirmations as soon as possible.

We take multiple factors into account when selecting teen interns, including but not limited to:

• Group Size – Our selection is limited by the wilderness permit group size.
• Group Diversity – We aim for a diverse mix of participants, including co-ed groups and teens from various backgrounds and locations.
• New Opportunities – Preference is given to those who have not yet participated in Ascend programs.
• Commitment to Preparation – Priority is given to families and teens who can attend required orientation and pack meetings before trips.
• Application Quality – We view this as a chance for teens to gain real-world experience by “applying for a job.” Strong applications will be prioritized.
• Demonstrated Interest – Teens who show a clear, genuine interest in the internship(s) as a pathway to future education or career goals will be given preference.

Teens are welcome to sign up for multiple internship trips if they’re interested. If space allows, we’ll do our best to accommodate them. However, we typically receive more applications than available spots. That said, waitlisted teens often get a chance to participate, as peoples plans frequently change between May and July, opening up new opportunities.

Questions about Youth Trips:

When will I know my child is confirmed for a trip?

Initially, we’ll send out an email confirmation to let you know we’ve received your application. This does not guarantee participation, merely that we are establishing a line of communication. Please see above for troubleshooting options if this hasn’t happened.

Under normal circumstances we try to confirm youth for trips by May 25.

If funding is secured for 2025 youth trips:

Since most of our funding comes from federal grants, we have yet to receive any updates on the status of our usual support for youth programming. At this time, it is unlikely that youth trips will move forward, but we are still holding onto hope. If you’ve signed up for a trip, we will provide updates as soon as we have any information, though it’s possible there may be no news—or that we won’t know anything until last minute. We know this uncertainty makes planning difficult, and we truly appreciate your patience and flexibility.

Can we still apply for youth trips after the May 15 deadline?

YES! We will prioritize applicants that turn in their applications prior to the May 15 deadline, but we encourage you to still sign up for our waitlist. Things are constantly evolving, and often space opens up. Most waitlisted participants end up going on a trip with Ascend each year. Sometimes, we have last minute openings! It’s always worth calling/emailing to ask about available opportunities. (Tip: if you sign up for our email newsletter, we often send out updates about openings on our trips, even past the deadline).

What does Ascend staff consider when curating youth groups for backpacking trips:

This is by far the hardest part of planning our summer. Each year we get more applicants than we have space on our trips for. There are many factors we consider and appreciate your understanding. Filling out an application does not guarantee participation.

• Our wilderness permits have group size limits. In the Trinity Alps, we’re only allowed 10 people (8 youth and 2 adult guides). On a good note, we’re expanding with trips into the Russian and Marble Mountain Wilderness areas which allows up to 12 youth per trip.
• We try to make our groups as diverse as possible: equal number of boys and girls, kids who go to different schools, etc. 
• We can’t guarantee a youth goes with their friends they signed up with. It’s good for us to know about it, and if it works out, great! With that said, we try to curate groups of kids who may not know each other yet. We find this increases group cohesion and minimizes “cliques”.
• We try to offer these experiences to youth who haven’t had a chance to attend an Ascend trip before. Not all families can afford summer camps, and Ascend offers programs that help disadvantaged youth get experiences they may not have access to otherwise.
• We prioritize youth who want to attend. Although we’re very conscientious of planning age appropriate itineraries, backpacking is physically challenging. If you sign up your child but they are not interested in this kind of physical challenge it can impede the overall experience for the entire group. It can also add undue stress on the adult guides or increase safety risks for the entire group. Please do not sign up your youth if they’re not willing. If you’re not sure, we highly encourage you to day hike or do more physical activities with your youth leading up to an Ascend trip to help them mentally and physically prepare.
• If multiple youth from one family apply, we may confirm only one of your children. This allows Ascend to serve a greater number of families. If we confirm only one of your children, please know that we’ll increase the priority of the unconfirmed sibling the following year, and they will go on a waitlist for the current year.
• We will prioritize families/participants who are able to attend our orientation meeting (if you’re new to Ascend) and the pack meeting (2 days prior to your trip). These are important meetings and although absolutely anyone is able to apply, it adds administrative burdens to accommodate too many participants who are unable to attend those meetings. We do hope this doesn’t keep you from applying, as we may be able to accommodate you, but not guaranteed.

Stewardship Volunteering

For the most comprehensive information about volunteering for Ascend, visit our Volunteer Learning Center webpage.

All of Ascend’s stewardship projects are guided by experienced Ascend Wilderness Trails Staff who are trained in Wilderness First Aid, CPR and Forest Service certifications like Trail Building and Cross Cut Saw certifications. Most of our stewardship trips also include Forest Service staff. These opportunities are awesome for anyone interested in learning about trail work, getting more hands on experiences, or giving back to the wilderness trails you love.

Ascend provides everything necessary: tools, safety talks, proper protective equipment such as gloves, safety glasses and hard hats. Additionally, all our guides each carry emergency communication devices such as Garmin inReach and Satellite phones as well as first aid kits.

What do you mean by stewardship?

All of our adult and all-ages trips involve stewardship projects. We scale the level of projects according to the length of trip and age bracket.

Multi-generational, all-ages trips are designed for absolutely any level of experience or age. We intentionally design these trips to accommodate families, people new to backpacking, anyone wanting to learn more about gear or anyone who simply enjoy companionship during hikes. Our stewardship projects during these hikes are simple. It usually involves “brushing” which means using small hand tools like loppers to cut back brush in the trail. On these trips, groups will hike to beautiful locations as well as dedicate a portion of the day to the stewardship project.

Adult-only day hikes and weekend trips step it up a notch with longer hiking distances and more involved projects. These are also fantastic opportunities for anyone new to backpacking, hiking or trail work. We may increase the tasks to include log-outs (when you use a cross cut saw to clear a fallen tree across a trail) or treadwork (when you dig into the trail to re-define it or clear debris). If you’re hesitant about these tasks, rest assured we will not expect participants to jump in as pro’s. We always have a number of people attending who are able and experienced, and it matches well with the folks who are new and learning. The groups work together, build camaraderie and generally have a lot of fun! Think of these experiences as really cool opportunities to try out a cross cut saw for the first time and learn about trail maintenance.

Adult-only backcountry trips are Ascend’s most arduous and involved stewardship trips. We have had plenty of first-timer trail workers on these trips, so if you’re new to trail work this is still an opportunity to learn and participate. However, we do expect anyone signing up for these projects to commit to a more involved week. These trips include pack mule support to hike in all the gear and food, and groups base camp in the backcounty. Each day groups will hike anywhere between 2-6 miles on average and participate in logouts, treadwork and brushing.