Chrysalis Continues Glacier Tradition

This summer, nearly 60 travelers from Chrysalis School renewed a tradition of community service at Glacier National Park.

Chrysalis, a therapeutic boarding school, is located in northwestern Montana near the Canadian border. The school is about 35 miles from Glacier National Park, which features more than 700 miles of trails set among mountains, meadows, forests and lakes.

Thirty-two Chrysalis students took part in the summer service project at Glacier, accompanied by school staffers and family members. Their trip marked the 12th consecutive year that Chrysalis students have journeyed to Glacier for a service project, according to Chrysalis founder Kenny Pannell.

During the weeklong Glacier trip, the Chrysalis group built three trail turnpikes (a total of 35 feet). The school volunteers also performed 3,700 feet of tread improvement, 430 feet of check and fill, 200 feet of lateral drain construction, 320 feet of lateral repair, 375 feet of drain maintenance, 80 feet of trail realignment, 12 feet of log retaining wall and 350 feet of hand brushing, according to Corey Shea, a Glacier trails foreman.

Building a trail turnpike involves felling a tree, constructing a long log box (10 to 20 feet) along the damaged section of the trail, and then filling the sections with about 12 inches of rock and gravel.

"We've built dozens of those turnpikes over the years. It's really hard, heavy, difficult work," Pannell said. "Our students discover that they can do things they never thought they could do before."

Another sweaty endeavor for the Chrysalis students involved using a Pulaski trail tool for trail "grubbing," or using "loppers" to cut back branches and undergrowth in order to widen the trail.

"Girls who sometimes have difficulty focusing their attention in one direction were content breathing slowly the fresh air and observing the stillness of the forest," said Chrysalis therapist Sarah Jones. "I found myself overwhelmed with amazement at our students - working for hours on end, digging drains, chopping roots the size of tree trunks, and lifting tools that weighed almost as much as they did.

"Many of the girls worked with intensity and focus, without complaining. In the end, the sense of accomplishment for their efforts could be seen in their beaming, mud-covered smiles."

Chrysalis students developed a deep appreciation for the benefits of hard work there in Glacier. Many of the students grew up in urban areas and are unaccustomed to spending that much time in such a setting.

"Trail work physically and mentally challenges teenagers to a level that is hard to replicate outside of service trips such as this," said Jeremy Meyer, an adventure staffer at Chrysalis.

"I work year-round with the girls here at Chrysalis and the time that I see most of them make the largest leap in their personal growth of confidence, ego strength and personal strength is when they walk into a work site and see a washed out trail that's muddy and murky and three days later see a 15- or 20-foot turnpike."

Despite the sweat, the Glacier work resonates with Chrysalis students long after graduation. In fact, more Chrysalis graduates return for the Glacier trip than any other school trip or activity.

Visit Chrysalis School to learn how the Chrysalis experience serves as building blocks toward a higher education.

Another Perspective on the Glacier Trip

Nearly 60 Chrysalis volunteers recently visited Glacier National Park for a week-long service project.

Staffer Ken Kudick offered the following thoughts on the Glacier trip.

"Our trip to Glacier National Park is one of the most exciting times of our Chrysalis year. At first many of our students aren't excited about the idea of doing trailwork, but by the end of the week they are telling stories and bragging about the rocks and stumps they've moved, the turnpikes they've made, and blisters they've earned. The scenery, the work they've done, and experiences they've had will stay with them the rest of their lives."

The fall semester of school starts Tuesday at Chrysalis, the therapeutic boarding school for teenage girls. Chrysalis in located northern Montana near the Canadian border.

Chrysalis Students return for Service at Glacier National Park

Some 60 travelers from Chrysalis School journeyed this summer to Glacier National Park to participate in a service project that's become a Chrysalis tradition over the past decade-plus.

"As I started to set out my clothing into piles of work, hiking and camp clothing I had a chance to reflect back on my previous three trips to Glacier National Park with Chrysalis and what I looked forward to the most in this year my fourth trip," said Jeremy Meyer, a member of the adventure staff at Chrysalis. "There is always the abundance of food to look forward to, but I really think why I keep going back is to see our students growing in a way that is hard to achieve elsewhere.

"Trail work physically and mentally challenges teenagers to a level that is hard to replicate outside of service trips such as this. I work year-round with the girls here at Chrysalis and the time that I see most of them make the largest leap in their personal growth of confidence, ego strength and personal strength is when they walk into a work site and see a washed out trail, muddy and murky and three days later see a fifteen or twenty foot turnpike.

"The sense of accomplishment is even still great for me after four years. I always seem to walk away amazed as to how much we can get accomplished in just three or four days. But to see the smile of triumph on our students' faces and to come back to campus and see them brighter, happier and walking taller is what the trip to Glacier is truly about to me."

Making a Difference in Eureka, Montana

For more than a decade, Chrysalis School has helped girls overcome their personal challenges. This therapeutic boarding school now hosts students from across the United States, with about half coming from the Western half of the country.

Chrysalis is based in Eureka, just five miles from the Canadian border. The 65-acre school originally began as a home-based program with about eight girls. Today the school has a capacity of 36 students, according to founder and co-director Kenny Pannell.

Staff at Chrysalis includes the co-directors, teachers, case managers, clinicians, adventure staff, house parents and business office personnel.

Classes at Chrysalis include English, mathematics, foreign languages, art, physical education and music. Another emphasis is physical fitness, with the girls taking part in activities like tennis and soccer. The students also take part in adventure activities like horseback riding and mountain biking.

Each year, the girls can participate in an optional international trip. Past trips have been to countries including Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, France, England, Costa Rica, and Vietnam.