Over the course of two gorgeous days this fall, a small group from STRIVE Prep – Federal experienced a Cottonwood Institute backpacking adventure at White Ranch Open Space. Students were amazed at how much stuff there was to pack up for two days, how heavy the packs were, and how long it took to get it all in place. On the trail, one step at a time, students felt the true weight of what they needed for the overnight and what they thought they needed, but perhaps did not. They experienced what stopping to make a small adjustment could do for your backpack, and maybe your life. They saw that complaining really got you no-where, that the smallest person can often carry the heaviest load, the most uncomfortable person may complain the least, and the slowest person may race the last 200 yards to camp and win!

Once the group sank into the activities and their new environment, many pictures were taken, many jokes and stories told, some friendships formed and renewed and some new habits developed. Several students discovered what could be gained in a sit-spot – a quiet moment alone in a special place in the woods or on a rock. Many students learned something new about starting a fire, about building shelters, and exploring a new place. A few out of the group were awake long enough to learn about stars and constellations that they hoped to find again. Students who loved cooking learned new methods, students who didn’t know how to cook learned to help and everyone learned to compromise some of their preferences for the group…and the small number of pots available.

As the group packed up to head back out the trail on the last day there was a noticeable shift in how long it took to pack up, the way packs were loaded, and how tightly shoes were tied. The group, though eager to get back to the cars and Denver and their phones, appreciated the time they had spent in the wild. They came to realize what it meant to be without a phone for awhile, to persevere on projects, to be guided by the weather and the length of the day and the true weight of their own belongings and of
belonging to a group.

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