Donation protected
Four friends set out to hike the historic John Muir Trail, 211-miles through California's great Sierra Nevada range in the midst of one of the deepest snowpacks in state history. They will carry everything they need to survive on their backs for nearly a month, but the memories forged along the trail will be with them for life.
"Into the Sierra" is a feature-length film that shares their story.
Who....
Jordan Drew, 22, is a Kinesiology major at the University of Nevada, Reno. He aspires to become a Doctor of Physical Therapy in the near future. Jordan feels a deep connection to the ability to experience and document the wonders that Mother Nature has to offer, all while living a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
Emmit Kavert, 22, is currently working towards becoming a firefighter at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, California. Emmit believes that people should try everything they can in order to discover what they like. This belief has lead him to form a love for backpacking and the outdoors.
Sam Dale, 21, will be studying at California State University, Chico. He is pursing a degree in Nutrition and food science with hopes of becoming a registered dietician. His passion for the outdoors drives him to keep exploring and he hopes others gain the motivation to get outside through this film.
Nicholas Makrakis, 20, is majoring in Economics at Western Washington University. He competes on his university's track & field program. Nicholas hopes to use his passion for photography and documenting as a medium to inspire people towards pursuing healthy and fulfilling lifestyles.
Process
On July 8th, 2017 starting from the Yosemite Valley in northern California, we will spend nearly the whole month of July hiking upwards of 15-20 miles a day consecutively. We will keep trekking until we reach the end of our journey at the summit of Mt. Whitney in central California, the highest peak in the contiguous United States (14,505').
* Snowpack is currently at 164% of average as per the annual consensus taken on April 1st.
Why?
This is an effort to raise awareness surrounding the widespread deforestation of regions throughout the country and the recent measures to defund National land throughout the United States. We will be hiking in honor of the Sierra Club Foundation. This non-profit organization is based out of the San Francisco Bay Area and was founded by grassroot environmentalists such as John Muir himself. The Sierra Club was founded in 1892 and is devoted toward protecting and preserving our planet while promoting healthy and equittable lifestyles for all.
Sierra Club's Mission Statement:
"To explore, enjoy and protect the planet. To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out those objectives."
How Will Your Donation Help?
Everything we need to survive in these rough alpine conditions will be strapped to our backs. Our backpack loads will weigh an average of 45 pounds on any given day throughout the process. This does not even take into account the film equipment neccessary to produce the documentary.
In order to sustain enough food to survive for a month in the wilderness it is imperative that we send in resupply packages to various points along the trail. Having enough nutritious food and an adequate caloric intake as well as water supply will be vital to our survival in these conditions.
Because it has been one of the wettest winters in California to-date, we will need a substantive amount of snow gear to complete this venture.
Your donation will help fund for food and essential gear that will be needed along the trail.
Still Not Convinced?
Each one of us has already spent a substantial amount of money to acquire a portion of the gear needed for this trip.
We are all full-time students who hold jobs outside of our academics. We are setting aside a month out of our lives; forgoing work, school, and time spent with family.
If you choose to join our fight, you can rest comfortably knowing that any donation made will be used toward making this project a reality.
The Bigger Picture
In order to get this story out into the world and create a real conversation about recent measures to defund our natural lands, your donation is crucial. If we wish to affect a real change throughout this process it is going to take a coalition of people willing to fight and become vocal. Your donation will make this film a reality, and ensure that your voice be heard.
If you aren't in a position to donate monetary funds we do hope you would feel strongly enough about this issue to simply share our story.
"Into the Sierra" is a feature-length film that shares their story.
Who....
Jordan Drew, 22, is a Kinesiology major at the University of Nevada, Reno. He aspires to become a Doctor of Physical Therapy in the near future. Jordan feels a deep connection to the ability to experience and document the wonders that Mother Nature has to offer, all while living a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
Emmit Kavert, 22, is currently working towards becoming a firefighter at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, California. Emmit believes that people should try everything they can in order to discover what they like. This belief has lead him to form a love for backpacking and the outdoors.
Sam Dale, 21, will be studying at California State University, Chico. He is pursing a degree in Nutrition and food science with hopes of becoming a registered dietician. His passion for the outdoors drives him to keep exploring and he hopes others gain the motivation to get outside through this film.
Nicholas Makrakis, 20, is majoring in Economics at Western Washington University. He competes on his university's track & field program. Nicholas hopes to use his passion for photography and documenting as a medium to inspire people towards pursuing healthy and fulfilling lifestyles.
Process
On July 8th, 2017 starting from the Yosemite Valley in northern California, we will spend nearly the whole month of July hiking upwards of 15-20 miles a day consecutively. We will keep trekking until we reach the end of our journey at the summit of Mt. Whitney in central California, the highest peak in the contiguous United States (14,505').
* Snowpack is currently at 164% of average as per the annual consensus taken on April 1st.
Why?
This is an effort to raise awareness surrounding the widespread deforestation of regions throughout the country and the recent measures to defund National land throughout the United States. We will be hiking in honor of the Sierra Club Foundation. This non-profit organization is based out of the San Francisco Bay Area and was founded by grassroot environmentalists such as John Muir himself. The Sierra Club was founded in 1892 and is devoted toward protecting and preserving our planet while promoting healthy and equittable lifestyles for all.
Sierra Club's Mission Statement:
"To explore, enjoy and protect the planet. To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out those objectives."
How Will Your Donation Help?
Everything we need to survive in these rough alpine conditions will be strapped to our backs. Our backpack loads will weigh an average of 45 pounds on any given day throughout the process. This does not even take into account the film equipment neccessary to produce the documentary.
In order to sustain enough food to survive for a month in the wilderness it is imperative that we send in resupply packages to various points along the trail. Having enough nutritious food and an adequate caloric intake as well as water supply will be vital to our survival in these conditions.
Because it has been one of the wettest winters in California to-date, we will need a substantive amount of snow gear to complete this venture.
Your donation will help fund for food and essential gear that will be needed along the trail.
Still Not Convinced?
Each one of us has already spent a substantial amount of money to acquire a portion of the gear needed for this trip.
We are all full-time students who hold jobs outside of our academics. We are setting aside a month out of our lives; forgoing work, school, and time spent with family.
If you choose to join our fight, you can rest comfortably knowing that any donation made will be used toward making this project a reality.
The Bigger Picture
In order to get this story out into the world and create a real conversation about recent measures to defund our natural lands, your donation is crucial. If we wish to affect a real change throughout this process it is going to take a coalition of people willing to fight and become vocal. Your donation will make this film a reality, and ensure that your voice be heard.
If you aren't in a position to donate monetary funds we do hope you would feel strongly enough about this issue to simply share our story.
Organizer
Nicholas Makrakis
Organizer
Concord, CA