The outdoors is often valued for offering an escape from the stresses of daily life. Yet this sweet escape comes at a cost. This includes financial, physical, and at times even mental obstacles, all to get into the backcountry and experience the natural world on a close and personal level.
Rafting trips are unique in the sense that they offer a getaway into an exciting type of terrain at minimal cost. Rafting also eases the physical burden, as it is not as strenuous of an activity as say hiking or biking. Thanks to raft trips facilitated by Outdoor Education, some of the financial and organizational questions are no longer an obstacle.
Over seventh Block Break, a rafting trip was led by junior Bennett Silverman and sophomore Rob Balloch with the help of sophomore Gen Buzan and first-year Sarah Laico. 12 students embarked on a three-day journey over 27 miles of the San Juan River in the Mexican Hat region of Utah. The group camped at the put-in and spent one night along the river, and was able to run some Class II whitewater.
Silverman, Outdoor Recreation Committee Co-Chair, wanted to provide students with a fun and instructive experience that focused on technical and leadership skills, expertise he has gained through his years of ORC involvement. “I’ve learned so much from the ORC and Outdoor Education, everything ranging from technical skills to deeper individual growth,” said Silverman. He first got involved in leader training through the Ahlberg Leadership Institute as a first-year student with a focus on rafting. He has since worked as a commercial rafting guide in Maine.
River trips allow you to get to know your surroundings in a different way than the high backcountry trails many of us are accustomed to. “Rather than covering a shorter distance, you can move much quicker on a river while still enjoying everything around you…river trips are solely about the journey and the time you spend with people,” said Silverman. From personal river-running experience I can concur that time on a river easily fosters connections with the people and places around you. Camilla Fuller, a first-year participant, agreed that her hopes of gaining whitewater skills and meeting some other awesome rafting enthusiasts were realized.
The ORC and Outdoor Education work hard to make opportunities for outdoor exploration accessible, and are able to do so to a large extent with rafting trips. The school owns a full raft set up and subsidizes trips. For next year, Silverman hopes to have more day trips closer to the school. Even if you have already found your specific outdoor passion, taking a trip down the river will allow you to expand your skillset and possibly be inspired by new people and the rhythms of the river.