The mountain trip is a really great experience for people who don't live near
mountain ranges or don't hike very much. The trip starts on a Friday and ends on a
Sunday. The Crow Canyon staff drive the High School Field School students up into
the La Plata Mountains. Crow Canyon brings their chuck wagon, filled with all sorts
of goodies to make the trip worthwhile. The students also have certain
responsibilities, like setting up breakfast to backfilling the toilet. You will camp in a large
open field surrounded by stands of aspen. On Saturday morning the group climbs Centennial
Peak, a 13,062 foot mountain. The climb is hard and strenuous but so worth it. When you
reach around 11,000 feet you have the choice to stay there or climb the peak. This place is
called the saddle. The reason is because it is between two peaks, Sharkstooth and Centennial.
To me at least, climbing the peak is not just a sense of relief when you get there but an
incredible accomplishment. It is a symbolic feeling when you get there an you can literally
see the whole world in all directions. The hardest part is getting down though.
The whole weekend is filled with wonderful hikes, food and games. Many of the students will bring their own footballs and soccer balls. You can play these sports and more. Saturday night, which is the final night, you will light the fire pit and sit around roasting marshmallows and making smores. On Sunday depending on the time, you will take a small hike down to the Mancos River and eat lunch there and get your feet wet in the 35 degree water which has come from the glaciers off the peaks we climbed the day before. After that hike you will drive back to Crow Canyon and take a shower. Then you will most likely go into town and do your laundry and eat out. It is my favorite weekend of them all, its challenging and fun, you get to know your new friends better and have a great bonding experience. I recommend you go, you'll have fun.
More Cool Stuff!
HSFS home page * Lifestyles * Fieldwork * Lab * Mountain Camping * Desert Camping * Shields Site * Ancient Pueblo/Anasazi * Photo Album
The following web pages were written and photographed by Drew Coffin, Jason Epstein and Rebecca Rehkop. ~ HIGH SCHOOL FIELD SCHOOL 1998
