September 5, 2010

Upon arriving at the trailhead, we donned our hiking boots and hauled the massive packs onto our backs for the first, but certainly not the last, time.  Then we began walking-our only mode of transportation for two weeks. Over those two weeks, we were to hike fifty miles of rugged, challenging, and unbelievably beautiful terrain.

Three days in, camping above Kroenke Lake in Colorado's Collegiate Peaks, we were briefed on a peak ascent to come the next morning-early, early in the morning. We woke up at 3:00 AM to begin making breakfast, ready to hike by 5. We began up the mountain face, only able to see what our headlamps illuminated. We climbed with the sun, and it finally peeked out above the mountains behind us.  Only then could we truly see the immensity of what we were climbing.  We traversed back and forth, making it up to the ridge with the sun still at our backs.  We made it up to the base of the summit ridge, and could see our destination.  The last 100 feet were grueling.  Now, even with the clouds, we pushed for the summit, and finally began our celebration when the only way to look was down. We had made it to the summit, at 14,196 feet above sea level.  For most of us, it was the highest mountain, and for many, the only mountain, we had ever climbed. We descended as the clouds cleared, revealing what seemed like all of Colorado below us. We made it down to the campsite, and got into our tarps for what seemed like the best night's sleep ever.

Stepping back, it is important that you understand that our ability to summit mountains required us to understand some basic backcountry first.  We learned skills including, but not limited to, how to light our stoves, how to set up a tarp, what to do in case of lightning, how to be a leader amongst our peers, and how to navigate both on and off trail.  With the help of our dynamic instructors, we also learned the 7 "Leave No Trace" principles, how to give effective feedback, how to resolve conflict by VOEmPing (venting owning empathizing & planning), the impacts of objective and subjective hazards, and, most importantly, how to have excellent Expedition Behavior (EB)!  Overall we had a great time, bonded in a way that we never would have expected, and acquired plenty of great skills that we hope to use in the future, both on expeditions and beyond.

In addition to skills classes, we also carried our academics into the wilderness with us.  During our two weeks in the mountains we had English, history, science and Practices and Principles (P&P).  In English we discussed Henry David Thoreau's essay, Walking, and created our own group thesis imitating what we thought Thoreau's thesis would have been.  In history we talked about the essay, The Use and Abuse of History, by Howard Zinn, and debated Zinn's ideas and theories. In P&P we examined various readings focused on the value of wilderness.  Most of our classes occurred after a long day of hiking, so we appreciated the chance to give our physical muscles a break and exercise our intellectual muscles.

On top of our physical and mental exercise, our cheeks and abs often hurt from laughing so much. Overall, our two weeks in the backcountry without showers were both fun and smelly.  Along the way we learned lots about each other and played many, many, MANY hilarious games. We had a multitude of "veggie offs" including complacent artichoke, and anaphylactic corn. For those of you who have not yet been informed as to the wonder of 'veggie offs,' two people stand back to back and then walk away and turn to face each other as if participating in a shoot-out. From there, the audience yells an adjective and a vegetable, which the players attempt to imitate to their best ability. This is a method used as a tiebreaker for other games such as Whizz Bong Chasm, Yee Haw and Captain's Calling. Along the way during our hikes, breaks, and evening activities we played many other games and had loads of fun. Sometimes we think the altitude would simply make us break out into spontaneous, uncontrollable laughter!

Now, freshly showered and having cleaned all of our group gear, it is good to be back as one big Rocky Mountain Semester XXV community.  We will not, however, forget the amazing expeditions we've just enjoyed.

By: Nathan Schmidt, Haley "Woody" Woodberry, Trudi Somerville, Glenys Hunt, Mary Anne Bodnar, & Lauren Cooper