Youth Resilience Program
Adventure
Team
Hike
Adventure
2026 Youth & Family
The Self Supported Ethos applies to each and every member of our community. What does that mean in terms of Adventure Hike Club? It means that if you sign up your child, we’ll expect that you prepare yourself and your child(ren) by reading our Youth and Family Adventure Team Handbook and our FAQ (below) so you can enter into the program knowing exactly what to expect and what is expected of you. We can’t ask our children to take responsibility for themselves in life if we don’t model that behavior, right?
Dates you need to know:
- April 17: Volunteers register their kids early (must pass background check and complete training first)
- April 18: Public registration
- April 26: Registration closes
- April 27 – May 31: Lots of stuff happens behind the scenes. You will receive info as we move through the month.
- June 1: As each team prepares for their orientation night (refer to the chart below), you will receive an invitation to Stack Team App.
- June 2 – 17: Teams host their orientation night.
ADVENTURE HIKE CLUB 2026 TIMELINE
| Marquette County, MI | |
|---|---|
| Hike Day(s) | Wednesdays 6PM-7:45PM (ages 5-17) |
| Start Dates | 6/10 |
| No Hike | n/a |
| End Date | 8/19 |
| Youth Count | 50 |
| Cost | $150 |
| Primary Basecamp | Tourist Park |
| Total Hikes | 11 |
| Area Leads | Stacy Bolf |
ADVENTURE BY HIKE
I need to set this up before diving into the main topic. In 2016, we (906AT) formed a NICA team and started racing in Wisconsin. On the surface it looked like a great fit. It was for kids that wanted to race. It wasn’t for the kids who didn’t. I was also wrestling with a personal dilemma. I started 906AT to impact our community, but the emphasis on racing, age restrictions, and associated costs & travel ruled most families out. In 2017, we created Adventure Bike Club. It had an immediate impact. The number of coaches I could recruit went from 10 or 12 to 30 or 40, and so many kids that we had to close registration. Adventure, not racing, was a hit, and it has been the very thing we’ve rallied our community around ever since.
Now… the main topic. Kids who wanna adventure without a bike. I hired Tara in 2019. She was not a biker. She was a runner and she loved to hike. That’s actually how we met – backpacking. The rest was history. We planned to roll out a pilot in 2024. We lost her on January 19th, 2024. In the words of Robert Frost, “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep.” We launched the trail running pilot that summer. We kept it going this year, too.
Heading into 2026, we’re gonna pivot. It feels like 2016 all over…. My gut tells me we are not getting a lot of kids because folks see “running” and they opt out, or the kids do. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking, “What would Tara do”, and no matter how many times I ask that damn question the answer is the same – she would make a change, because she wouldn’t care if those kids walked, hiked, or ran. She just wanted them in the woods on an adventure.
On that note, we’re gonna need volunteers. I don’t care if you’re a walker, hiker, runner, or all of the above. The goal is to get kids on the trail, exploring, exercising, laughing, chucking rocks, chasing squirrels. The fundamentals are all the same: do hard things, find your limits, You vs. You. You know the drill. If you’re one of those folks who wonders what we do for kids who don’t have a bike… here’s our answer… we start a program for them.
Todd Poquette, Director of Adventure
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT REIMAGINED
We take a challenging outdoor activity that develops self-confidence, resilience, grit, and community and bring it to youth without the pressure of head-to-head competition—no clocks to race against or finish lines to fight for. We meet kids where they are and help them get better. We focus on skills through hiking and emphasize working together. When the goal is to become the best person and team player you can be, there is no finish line.
Life
DEVELOPING HIKING SKILLS.
- Resilience
- Adaptability
- Respect
- Effort
- Consistency
- Grit
- Doing hard things
- Growth mindset
- Self-supported ethos
- You vs. You
- #TRAIN4LIFE
- There is no finish line
We don’t worry about who’s fastest or who can go the farthest, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. Everyone needs a challenge, especially our youth. We take a more patient approach but still have high expectations.
Awarded as 2023’s “ChangeMaker of the Year” by The League of Michigan Bicyclists (LMB), 906AT has been recognized for making an enormous impact on the bicycling community. Ten years into our operation, we’re making a difference. Awards aren’t a destination; they’re a confirmation we’re on course and need to keep pushing.
WHAT IS POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT?
Positive youth development is:
- An approach or philosophy that guides communities in organizing services and opportunities so that all young people can develop their full potential.
- Focus on strength and positive outcomes.
- Youth voice and engagement.
- Strategies that involve ALL youth.
- Community involvement and collaboration.
- A long-term commitment.
906AT SELF-SUPPORTED ETHOS is part of the Endurance Trilogy and Adventure Team culture.
- Personal accountability
- Preparation
- Ownership of outcomes
- You are responsible for you
“We can help kids develop courage, grit, and resilience with or without a bike. That’s the bottom line. Don’t ride a bike? Don’t have a bike? No problem. It’s one less thing we’re teaching them to be dependent on.”
ADVENTURE TEAM MARQUETTE COUNTY
ADVENTURE TEAM MARQUETTE COUNTY
Adventure Team Marquette County – Hiking
|
Registration Date
|
Hike Days
|
First Hike
|
Last Hike
|
Youth Count
|
Cost
|
Primary Basecamp
|
Total Number of Hikes
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
April 18, 2026
|
Wed: (ages 5-17)
6PM-7:45PM |
6/10/2026
|
8/19/2026
|
50
|
$150
|
Tourist Park
|
11
|
Stacy Bolf
MARQUETTE COUNTY ADVENTURE TEAM LEAD
I have been running all my life. From the early days of elementary school track, to cross country and eventually to marathons. Just before moving to Marquette from Grand Rapids in 2014, I fell in love with trail running after doing my first ultramarathon. Trail running has and continues to teach me a lot about life – pushing through the hard and appreciating all of the good. A few years after my move to Marquette, I came across 906 Adventure Team and started volunteering with the events (Polar Roll, Crusher and Marju Gesick). The more I learned about the organization, the more I found it aligned with my mindset about trail running and life. I joined the Board in 2021 and have remained as an active volunteer with events and now as a trail running lead for Adventure Teams. I want kids to enjoy the trails as much as I do!
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
“The three most important ways to lead people are:… by example… by example… by example.”
-Albert Schweitzer
Effective leadership requires intention and a commitment to something greater than oneself. We’re dedicated to youth development and meeting kids where they are. Still, if we plan to do it differently, we must create a different kind of leader – the kind more interested in equipping the child to take the challenges of life head-on and overcome them.
Volunteers must pass a nationwide background check, complete 3-4 hours of online training, or attend the day-and-a-half-long leadership summit and receive ongoing leadership development through weekly newsletters and pre-ride leader meetings.
How We Impact Communities
Children who ride a bike 2 times a week are less likely to be overweight
*Dudas & Crocetti, Association of Bicycling and Childhood Overweight Status, Ambulatory Pediatrics November 2008
*Dudas & Crocetti, Association of Bicycling and Childhood Overweight Status, Ambulatory Pediatrics November 2008
2024
Catalyst Award, Community Foundation of Marquette County
10,000
Youth reached since 2014
17
Communities working towards becoming the best version of themselves
100
Number of foundations, corporate partners, and local businesses supporting our efforts
45%
of the 906AT community is female
3
Number of states in which we have youth programs
30,000
Endurance Trilogy Participants since 2015
1,000
Volunteers helping advance the mission
60,000
Support crew members
50
Adventure Teams by 2028
How We Impact Communities
Children who ride a bike 2 times a week are less likely to be overweight
*Dudas & Crocetti, Association of Bicycling and Childhood Overweight Status, Ambulatory Pediatrics November 2008
2024
Catalyst Award, Community Foundation of Marquette County
10,000
Youth reached since 2014
17
Communities working towards becoming the best version of themselves
100
Number of foundations, corporate partners, and local businesses supporting our efforts
45%
of the 906AT community is female
3
Number of states in which we have youth programs
30,000
Endurance Trilogy Participants since 2015
1,000
Volunteers helping advance the mission
60,000
Support crew members
50
Adventure Teams by 2028
Adventure Teams develop new friendships, build resilience, establish healthy habits, and introduce an activity equal parts sport, equal parts lifestyle, that will grow and change as we do.”
YOUR EXPERIENCE MATTERS, MY EXPERIENCE MATTERS, SHARED EXPERIENCES BRING US TOGETHER.
5:40 PM – Volunteers arrive at Basecamp
5:45 PM – Volunteer Pre-Ride/Pre-Run meeting
5:50 PM – 6:00 PM – Youth and parents/guardians arrive at Basecamp. Parent/Guardian escorts youth to their assigned station and waits until after the Volunteer Meeting to engage in an intentional exchange of custody. Arriving after 6:00 PM could result in your youth missing their opportunity to participate that night.
6:00 PM-7:50 PM – Adventure Hike Club
8:00 PM – Parents/Guardians arrive at their youth’s station for an intentional exchange of custody.
Adventure Hike Club start and end dates are generally selected to line up with when school gets out for the summer and returns for the fall. Registered youth will participate every week on their scheduled night from 6PM-8PM (unless there’s a night their scheduled to be off or an inclement weather cancelation). Check back for the exact start and stop date for your community.
Attendance Policy: If you sign up your youth for Adventure Team, we expect that your youth will attend 80% or more of the hikes. If your youth is in another sport and/or has several vacations planned, this might not be a good fit. Our program fills up each year and we want those spots to go to children who will attend each week. Reach out to us if you have any questions about our policy.
It could happen but it won’t be intentional. We don’t set groups based on requests or skill. We set groups based on age. Part of the ABC experience is allowing children to step outside their comfort zone and do hard things. Sometimes that means being in a group with other kids they don’t know… and we think that’s a good thing.
Yes, it’s right here.
In addition to trail appropriate closed-toe shoes, youth are required to bring a snack, water, required meds, and their 2026 ABC shirt. If your child shows up without the required gear, they won’t be able to stay. We get asked a lot about the shirts… yes, we mean it. Nameplates and shirts create a sense of unity and community. And, having an identifiable shirt and nameplate acts as a huge safety measure for all participants. We expect all youth and volunteers to adhere to this requirement.
FAMILY HANDBOOK
Please Note: The Family Handbook was originally written for Adventure Bike Club and the information in it still applies to Adventure Hike Club. The Handbook will be updates specifically for Adventure Hike Club in 2027.
Flip through or you can also download the pdf below.