Toby Quillin – Loveland, Colorado … While enjoying the scenery and the company, twenty-three Campion Academy students backpacked a total of twelve miles, reaching American Lakes and Lulu Mountain in Jackson County during the last weekend of August.
On Friday afternoon, August 26, the outdoor club hiked four miles up the steep side of a mountain to reach their campsite. Sophomore Marcela Zuniga commented, “I loved hiking even though it was hard, and I thought I wasn’t going to make it to the campsite. As I was walking up the mountain, I asked God to help me and he did!”
Along the way, a few of the students got a surprise visit by a mother and baby moose that temporarily blocked the trail. Haley Beckermeyer, senior, commented, “I thought it was cool seeing them that close. Even though she kind of halted our hiking process a bit, it was spectacular.”
On Sabbath, the group made their way up a steep trail to Snow Lake. Some chose to spend most of the day at the lake. “It was awesome getting to climb on the rocks, play in the water, and look at the scenery. The view of the forest and valley was honestly incredible,” sophomore Keaton Drake reflected.
The second option or students was to hike up the 12,002 ft. peak of Lulu Mountain. Keon Paez, sophomore, said, “At first, I didn’t think I would make it up because it’s super tall and my legs got [super] tired, mostly because I didn’t get a lot of oxygen up there. But, once I got to the top, I felt very relieved because I didn’t have to climb anymore. … The hike was hard but worth it.”
The weather in the mountains was constantly changing, explained Dwayne Rey, junior. “The weather was crazy–at times the sun would be out, and it was chill; but then, like two seconds later, it disappeared. It was super windy; then it would stop. It was raining; then the hail came. It was CRAZY!”
After breakfast on Sunday, the group hiked back down to the vehicles. “The hike down was a whole lot faster and more fun,” said Zuniga, “because of the steepness of the trail. It was such a relief to make it back to Campion after having many challenges and many good times.”
For the students who hadn’t camped or backpacked before, there were new skills to learn, including filtering water for the whole campsite, cooking food on a tiny stove, and even fitting a sleeping bag into its sleeve. “We all were working together to stay alive. We got water together for the entire camp. We bonded by experiencing the same struggles and the same laughs,” Sergio Enriquez, freshman, reflected.
–Toby Quillin, Campion News Team. Photos supplied.
