The Morningside Adventure Program (MAP) is an intensive program were clients can participate in a wide range of outdoor activities throughout their stay in treatment. We recognize that the natural beauty of the outdoors is a catalyst for serenity and the MAP takes advantage of the experiential elements we find in outdoor challenges to help produce positive changes in our clients. For our Adventure Program October Trip, Morningside residents visited the beautiful sites along the Colorado river.
The Morningside Adventure Program October Trip
The Adventure Program October trip was a 34 mile Canoe trip down the Colorado river. The program was invented to help push the clients to achieve goals and to promote bonding in an outdoor setting. Forcing clients to rely on each other and work as a unit/team to achieve these goals.
We started the first day with an adventure zip line at La Jolla Indian reservation. It was a scenic drive through the canyons on Southern California. The zip lines were fast!! Some clients were forced to face their fears of heights. It was an exhilarating 3 hour tour!
We ended the first day at the banks of the Colorado river. We set up our tents and started to make dinner. BBQ steak was on the menu. We ran into a few friendly local tarantulas and we heard coyotes howling late into the night.
Adventures of MAP
The next morning we loaded the canoes with all our gear and set out on the river. We had no idea what was ahead of us. It was about 8am. There were 2 people per canoe and we had to work in unison in order to steer the canoe and make headway. We paddled for 4 hours before we stopped for lunch on a sandbank.
We continued for about 3 more hours after lunch and made camp at a secluded campground named Taylor Lake. Afterwards, we had to navigate through several hundred yards of reeds and water brush and could have easily got lost if it weren’t for our canoe guide!
We feasted on homemade jambalaya cooked over hot coals in a Dutch oven because we were famished after paddling for 20+ miles. We all slept pretty well that night!
The next morning (day 3) we once again loaded up the canoes and set sail on the Colorado river. Even though we were all pretty tired from the first day of paddling, we all were excited to get back on the river. We paddled another 6 hours and 14 miles before we came to our landing spot called Martinez Lake (10 miles north of Yuma, AZ) and we were all pretty wiped out. We loaded up the van and drove into Yuma AZ and stopped for dinner at the Golden Corral restaurant.
Rehab and Therapy at Morningside Recovery
At Morningside Recovery, addiction and mental health recovery aren’t just about psychotherapy and counseling. Sight-seeing, adventure, and recreational activities are all part of it, too. Our Adventure Program October Trip is evidence of that. If you’re interested in learning more about Morningside’s residential treatment program, outpatient treatment, or aftercare program, call us today at 855-631-2135 to begin your journey.