From Fog-Covered Peaks to Nighttime Discoveries, Wonder Shaped Every Part of this First Colorado High School Charter CAP Camping Trip
Written by Blaise Miles, CI Field Instructor. Students on Colorado High School Charter‘s first-ever CAP camping trip showed incredible resilience and positivity. Thirty degrees and snowing didn’t stop them from having a great time and forming this wonderful little community – and of course, making it the talk of school the day they returned. I was super excited that students came back feeling like they “need to do more programs like that” and that we had a line of kids trying to get in on the next one! It was a wonder-filled trip!
“I need to do more programs like that!”
– Colorado High School Charter CAP student (after camping)
I was blown away by these students’ constant upbeat attitudes, support of each other, their lighthearted humor, and inclusivity. Time and time again, they both rose to the challenge the environment posed and pushed themselves even further to fully immerse themselves in the wonder of nature. Our group was cohesive, a bit goofy, and wonderfully caring – many said the group was their favorite aspect of the trip.
Day one, after arriving and setting up tents (Quetzal and Julia had an especially luxury set up), we set out on a hike in Walker Ranch. We were immediately stunned by foggy snow in a dramatic winter scene. Together, we felt that shattering sense of awe that comes with turning a corner and seeing an unending expanse of mountains. This moment of pure wonder was my personal highlight of the trip.
In full honesty, I was quite worried about the snow and cold and how it would affect group morale, especially given that it was a first camping trip for many of these students. But it seemed to uplift their spirits even more to see the environment in a way that was “hard,” and their rain gear definitely made them invincible (especially Carlos’s). They said they were glad to be in the snow, that the heat would have been much worse, and ended up pushing themselves to complete over three and half miles! Kharma even ended the hike in nothing but a tank top! Super hardcore. We experienced so much joy in finding spiders and wildflowers and smelling vanilla trees…really a magical time!
For dinner, we had a very intense steak taco cook-off – a highlight for Micah. I loved seeing the different groups work together and bond and teach each other, all the while cracking jokes over food. Unfortunately, most of us ended up in moderate pain as a result of Carlos’s shockingly spicy secret sauce that he had specially made pre-trip. I have to say, I do think the sauce won them the competition, though Raukeen did crush it on the meat.
We warmed up in the lodge and had some s’mores and stories before embarking on our no-lights night walk. Jada and Dooka had a serious throwdown in “Moth and Bat” as they tested their echolocation abilities. We all got to learn about triboluminescence, and we tested our rods and cones by guessing the color of markers in the dark. I generally end this game with orange written in three different colors on my arm (none of them orange), but the students fared far better than I.
Students made it through the cold night without turning to ice cubes, and the sun (woohoo!) woke us up in the morning! We got some much-needed defrost time and could see the whole view from our campsite without fog. Turns out, we were right next to a giant field overlooking the mountains. After some breakfast burritos and refreshing solo reflection time, we packed up and headed out feeling filled up and connected (and maybe a bit tired and a bit smelly). We made it home with no major injuries (not even Danny!), just in time for everyone to get ready for prom.
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.
If you’re also passionate about getting students outside for first-time camping experiences, please consider making a donation or becoming a monthly donor! You’ll help invest in our students, programs, and long-term sustainability and success!
