Another group of STRIVE Prep – RISE freshmen headed out to White Ranch Park for their class’ fifth and final orientation trip last Saturday. Due to snowy weather, the group had to deviate from their planned overnight excursion, and instead headed out for a day trip to the beautiful Rawhide Trail just outside of Golden. It was a fun-filled day full of friends, laughter, and quality time spent out in nature.

The group arrived to the park’s West Trailhead and gathered together to learn about Leave No Trace so that they could be as respectful as possible of Mother Nature on their hike. After packing up their bags with lots of tasty lunch supplies, they set off on the trail to find some gorgeous snowy views. The trail was a bit slippery, but the group handled the snow like total pros as they trekked along through the forest to their lunch stop at Sourdough Springs Campground. When they arrived, everyone worked together to set up a delicious lunch of pita pizzas, fig bars, fruit, and other assorted snacks. They had some time to unwind and relax as they got to know each other better over an awesome meal.

After lunch, the group continued their journey down the Rawhide trail and back to their vans at the West Trailhead. As they finished up on the trail, they were greeted with expansive views of Denver and Golden in the distance. After completing 5.5 miles of hiking, the group convened one last time to share a final snack and talk about their favorite parts of the day. They headed back to Strive in great spirits with tons of new memories and a greater appreciation for the beauty of their home state.

Written by CI Instructor Alex Simonian

See more photos from the trip here!