The Rain-Snow Mix Encountered at Cal-Wood Enabled Students to Practice Thermoregulation Skills Learned Indoors. Written by CI Field Instructor David Diaz and NVHS CAP Instructor Lori Powell.
Cottonwood had the privilege of guiding a group of New Vista High School students on a backcountry adventure to Cal-Wood as part of their Community Adventure Program (CAP) class. This trip wasn’t just about camping—it was about facing challenges, building resilience, and reconnecting with nature and each other.
From the very beginning, we were met with our first big challenge: the weather. Cold temperatures and our first dose of rain-snow mix greeted us as we arrived on site. But rather than bring us down, the harsh conditions became a shared experience that brought the group closer together. Students learned quickly how to adjust their layers, stay dry, and keep their spirits high. No one complained. In fact, their positive attitudes and teamwork were nothing short of inspiring.
Throughout the first day, students got hands-on with essential outdoor survival skills, with an occasional bout of Colorado’s infamous rain-snow mix adding a (literal) layer of challenge to the day’s activities. We built shelters using forest materials, cooked steaming pots of ramen over camp stoves, learned how to safely whittle wood, and practiced the art of starting a campfire in wet conditions. For some students, it was their first time camping—but you wouldn’t have known it because of how well they adapted. With the encouragement of their peers and a sense of shared purpose, everyone stepped up.
One of the highlights of the trip was spending time relaxing together around the campfire on the second day while whittling, talking, and solving riddles. The sunshine and significantly warmer weather on this day provided a welcome respite from the thermoregulation challenges of the previous day. Students found themselves drawn to the campfire circle to bask in the quiet and calming beauty of our surroundings. There’s nothing quite like enduring a significant weather challenge to bring a group closer together and allow for appreciation of the current circumstance.
As the trip came to a close, we gathered once again around the campfire circle for a moment of reflection—on how we had grown, what we had learned, and what we were leaving behind. In just a few short days, students stepped outside their comfort zones, embraced new challenges, and supported one another in powerful ways. More than anything, they gained something we all need: a break from the busyness of life and a chance to reconnect—with the earth, with each other, and with themselves. This Cal-Wood trip reminded us that even in the rain, snow, or a mix of both, there’s beauty—and that sometimes the biggest growth happens when we’re just a little uncomfortable.
A big thanks to the funders and supporters that make the CAP class possible, including: Enterprise Holdings Foundation, Great Outdoors Colorado, Patagonia, PeyBack Foundation, Strear Family Foundation, Thorne Nature Experience, Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program and the Xcel Energy Foundation.
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