Montana Bass ’18
Emilio Rodríguez Cáceres ’17 knows how to explore the mountains and back county via the outdoor opportunities at CC; this past block break he ventured out on a backpacking trip around the Venable Lakes-Comanche area in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Colorado.
This block break was actually Cáceres’s ninth trip with the CC Outdoor Recreation Committee. His trips have included other backpacking expeditions and cross country ski trips. Through these opportunities, he has traveled throughout Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico. Cáceres says the outdoor expeditions available through the ORC were a large contributor to his interest in CC. “Back in New Mexico, in my high school I got to do a lot of these things for the first time. Where I’m from, Paraguay, there isn’t a culture of going outside. I wanted to keep doing these things and ORC trips are the perfect way of doing that,” he explained.
Andrew Allison-Godfrey ’18 and Jack Buettner ’18 headed the Venable Lakes trip. It spanned four days during the block break between Blocks 2 and 3 and took participants on a 13-mile loop through the Venable Lakes-Comanche area. They started hiking Thursday morning and, after four miles, reached camp in a picturesque valley. On Friday, they hiked out of the valley, stopped at the Venable Lakes, and continued hiking up a ridge. “From the ridge, we hiked to the top of Comanche Peak at about 13,000 feet where we had an incredible view of the lakes, other peaks, and even Pikes Peak on the distant horizon,” Cáceres said. “That night we had a bonfire and sang under the stars.”
Cáceres stresses how accessible these trips are for all students; this one required no previous backpacking experience to participate. Additionally, ORC trips are meant to be an affordable option for students looking to venture outdoors. “There’s no better option for being outside, meeting new people, and spending little money while doing so than ORC trips,” Cáceres said.
