“It was one of those epic moments”

Over lunch on Tuesday, students from a Fall Rocky Mountain Semester regaled me with stories. I heard about a pair of windpants lost to a river (an embarrassing day for Pat), fabulous food during their Wilderness First Responder course at the Teton Valley Branch (nice work Annemarie!), cold climbing ascents ending in triumph and sunshine, and one very large wood rat.

Ax (pictured) told me about his day as designated leader during their river section. “It was our first day of whitewater and we came upon this big, nasty rapid. Pat and I deliberated for a long time about what to do. Run it? Portage? We decided to run it and then watched as each student canoe successfully followed. Alex and Charlie were the last ones. I remember thinking, ‘don’t flip, don’t flip…’ As they cleared it, Charlie had a gigantic smile on her face. Just then, a Razorback sucker leaped out of the water and arched through the air… It was one of those epic moments – when everything just goes perfectly.”

Students also told me about the growing impact that packing lighter and “storm (or bomb) proofing” (keeping gear together and dry in camp) has had on their general life perspective. “It’s so nice to know what you can do with so little, said Nick. Zach chimed in, “It challenges you. At home, we are used to having so many things. Why? All the extra stuff just gets in the way.”

These students were full of life and humor. It’s clear they have reflected a lot on what they’ve learned. They are excited to get back into the field and go into the canyons. I have no doubt they will have a blast!