From the Field

An East Coast crew, many of us flew to NOLS Southwest with very little knowledge of southern Arizona and, of course, the myriad of prickly, spiny plants that protect the Galiuros Mountain Range.

Spending the first few days of our semester acquiring essential Wilderness First Aid skills provided a smooth but restless transition into the field.  Finally, on a highly anticipated Thursday morning, 17 of us (14 students and 3 instructors) bounced on a bus and headed out for the backcountry.

The first few days of weather were wet and dreary, but spirits remained high in the hopes that the sun would break through, as it occasionally does in the desert.  With the exception of a flash flood that temporarily stranded two tent groups on the wrong side of a once-peaceful creek in Redfield Canyon, the backpacking section was running according to plan.  A much-deserved day of rest, followed by group rearrangement and reration got us back into the swing of things.

The next nine days rolled by us as every student had the chance to be a leader of the day.  Map reading skills improved and the backpacking pace increased.  Things seemed to be going great until a student had to be evacuated.  Fortunately, he, along with an instructor-led evac team, made it safely to the pick up point.  After an epic (demanding) and exasperating 3-day journey, the evac team collapsed into the history-rich Power’s Garden to a reviving reunion…

-Willie Oakley, Semester in the Southwest 2/06/05

Author Profile

Name:  William Oakley

Hometown: Pinehurst, NC

Age: 21

NOLS Course:  Spring Semester Southwest 2005

Favorite NOLS ration: Raspberry lemonade and banana nut bread pancakes

Why NOLS?  “I decided to take a NOLS course to build confidence in myself.  I have a friend who did a 30-day NOLS course in Alaska, and for him it was life-changing.  After reading and rereading his journals, I decided that I wanted to challenge myself–get out of the East, get off of the trails, and try something new, like climbing.  It is great way to take a semester off while earning college credit, get out of the city, and build the base of skills that will help you become an awesome hiker, caver, climber, or all-around outdoor-enthusiast.”