Students in the adventure ed class recently took learning outside of the classroom. They were led by their teacher, Carley Foxx (staff), and former WHS teacher Dani Unrein.
Foxx, who has taught the class for seven years, emphasized the importance of preparation as they left early on the morning of Feb. 28 to make the trip to Rocky Mountain National Park to snowshoe. Before the trip, students learned tips and tricks, what to bring and safety for the trip.
For many students, this was their first time snowshoeing. Overall, the trip was 3.2 miles round trip. The trail the adventure ed class went on is a popular snowshoeing trail that hundreds travel on each year. Having 700 feet of elevation gain, the trail is rated 4.8 out of 5 stars on AllTrails.
Though a difficult hike, the students persevered, according to Foxx. “All of your excitement level for, one, the frozen ice on the lake to play around on and, two, your excitement level to walk up a hill and slide down. It just reminded me that you’re all still kids,” Foxx said.
The weather allowed the students to use microspikes — spikes that create traction on the bottom of boots — for the majority of the trip. Many students opted to try out their snowshoes further by going off the path. Tristyn Bruning (12) said, “Going off route and being able to walk into the deep snow because the weather didn’t allow us to use the snowshoes the whole time.”
One of the trip’s highlights was the quick stops along the way. The class stopped on Dream Lake and slid like penguins on the thick ice. It had gotten so cold that the wind froze the ice in waves, creating a ripple effect on the ice. Another pit stop was a steep hill that many of the students climbed up and slid down.
Michael Webb (12) said, “My favorite part was definitely when Tristyn and I ran ahead and slid down the snow.”
The trip didn’t come without its challenges; with the steep incline and fatigue along the way, many struggled for the first little while. However, with the large group, everyone pushed together until they reached the first lake. At the hike’s end, many said they wished the hike was longer.
Before getting to the last lake, Bruning and Webb got ahead of the rest of the group. Though being closer together is safer and was preferred, the duo enjoyed leading. Bruning said, “I enjoyed leading the group the most. I could have done that all day.”
As the students made their way down the trail, many had a sense of accomplishment that came with completing the hike. Foxx said, “I was proud of all the kids for coming and doing something that’s not always easy.”
