While many students sleep in, watch movies, or go to parties on the weekends, other students got to spend last weekend in the beautiful outdoors, learning valuable skills about outdoor survival. Collier Modell and Eliza Densmore led a small group of students in an “Intro to Backpacking” course last weekend in the Colorado wilderness.
The purpose of the trip was to introduce some of the basic elements of camping in the backcountry. Topics that were covered included Leave No Trace principles, cooking in the backcountry, temperature control and staying warm, and basic backpacking principles. The trip was also put into effect to gain more student participation with the ORC.
Eliza Densmore, a junior Film and New Media Studies major, commented, “the goals for the participants of the trip were to have fun and learn how to live with style and ease in the backcountry.”
The trip also provided an opportunity for beginning outdoor enthusiasts to travel to the mountains and get a break from the busy atmosphere that often perpetuates Colorado College. The group camped at a few different campsites with very little gear.
Eliza said, “We had a beautiful view from our second campsite. When the sun was setting, the horizon turned into this spectrum of colors that all melted into each other. It was gorgeous! The stars were pretty sick, too.”
The most challenging part of the trip was the harsh weather. “While we were making burritos for dinner on Saturday night, it was windy and freezing! With wind-chill, my guess is that it was probably in the teens,” Eliza said.
The entire group rose to the chilly challenge that nature often presents, and still had a great time! Positive attitudes were a major advantage of this trip, according to Eliza.
Another trip like this isn’t scheduled for the remainder of the year, but students can expect to see many more outdoor opportunities available on SUMMIT during the coming months.
Nila Horner, Staff Writer