By Sarah Senese ’23
Although many aspects of campus life seem different this year, Outdoor Education continues to run programs and trips for the CC community. Over the past few blocks, students continue to get outside, get active, and appreciate our distinctive place in Colorado, albeit a little modified. Students must wear masks and eat individually wrapped meals, and the maximum number of participants for each trip is 10 people. Regardless, those who participate in Outdoor Education’s trips this semester will find that much about the experiences has stayed the same.
Magdalena Sotelo ’21 has led a couple trips since the year started and noted that COVID changes have only affected food and sleeping logistics, and that the experience of teaching peers new outdoor skills has the same impact. “Even though as larger groups we maintained distance, I think the trips still allow us to make new connections and experience outdoor activities with those on campus,” she says.
Brigitte Arcoite ’24, who has attended trips as opposed to leading them, had similar sentiments. They went on the first organized block break trip to Cheyenne Mountain State Park, where they met new people, hiked, and had an “amazingly normal experience despite the implications of COVID.” For Arcoite, the experience was just as comforting as being in the outdoors without COVID.
Whether it be a day mountain biking trip, overnight block break camping, or a hike to Cheyenne Mountain Park, Outdoor Education continues to prioritize getting students excited about the outdoors in a hands-on way, despite COVID-19. You can sign up for Outdoor Ed trips on Summit, or by joining the Outdoor Ed email list.
