The “Purple Elephant” Crew Navigated Tricky Routes, Found Perfect Canyon Campsites, and Mastered the Bear Hang on their Backpacking Trip
Written by Maeve O’Meara, CI Director of Operations & People. The Peak to Peak Charter School group who called themselves the Purple Elephants set out from the trailhead on Wednesday afternoon with a clear mission: walk into the canyon, find water, and eat well along the way. The unique canyon campsites found in Big Dominguez Canyon were a bonus.
The first challenge appeared almost immediately – lunch. The desert floor was blanketed with cryptobiotic soil, the fragile living crust that holds the whole ecosystem together. No one wanted to “bust the crust,” so the group wandered around for a while, like very hungry archeologists searching for a safe landing zone. Eventually, a shady patch appeared, packs came off, and tortillas became wraps in what was unanimously declared the perfect lunch spot.
Back on the trail, Anders and Chloe led the way, periodically checking the map as the group worked toward a section of trail near the water. Just as the sun was slipping behind the canyon walls, the Elephants found their perfect oasis canyon campsite along Big Dominguez Creek. Tents went up, shoes came off, and Nikhil “chef-ed” up a pot of excellent potato cheese chowder.
Then came the nightly puzzle: the bear hang. After several attempts, a few questionable throws, and a lot of laughter echoing through the canyon, the food was finally secured in a tree, and the group crawled into their tents for a well-earned sleep.
Morning brought “fancy oatmeal” and a new stretch of trail filled with intrigue. The group peered into an abandoned mine shaft, tried to decipher ancient petroglyphs, and gave a respectful nod to a giant rock dinosaur looming over the trail. The trail itself proved trickier than expected. Wash after wash looked suspiciously like the route forward, and the leaders were repeatedly lured astray before realizing the trick. Eventually, they learned to look for the subtle clues of a real trail and stopped falling for the canyon’s many decoys. All the while, the miles passed quickly thanks to trail games like Wavelength and Contact.
By the time the group reached the next of their canyon campsites along the Gunnison River, everyone was hungry and sore, but luck was on their side. Near a grove of cottonwood trees, they discovered the rare and delicious desert rock fruit, which was immediately harvested. Not long after, a train rumbled past across the canyon, prompting universal excitement. The whole group stopped what they were doing to watch it chug along the far side of the river like a moving postcard. Backpackers are easy to impress after a long day!
Dinner that night was Chloe’s curry and rice. While the water boiled, the group played a spirited game of Kunja and attempted to summon their friends – the Big Blue Booty Bears – camped a few miles back. The bear hang that evening was impressively smooth, a clear improvement from the night before. Soon, the group was stretched out under an enormous sky of stars after watching the sunset light up the canyon walls.
In the morning, the spell worked! The Big Blue Booty Bears appeared on the trail. The two groups hiked the final mile together, swapping stories until the van came into view.
Three days in the canyon: great food, tricky trails, mysterious history, and the desert crust left gloriously unbusted.
Check out the adventures of the other Peak to Peak Charter School groups, called the “Big Blue Booty Bears” and the “Collard Greens“!
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