Wilderness Group (F-Trek)
Written by Miranda Mix and Coleman Walsh
Salutations from the slot canyons of Southern Utah! Our group has been through thick and thin during the past two weeks. Whether through surveying the riparian zone in Bullet Canyon, or swimming through the murky, intimidating waters of Gravel Canyon, our group has bonded over the shared adversity and adventure of life in the desert.
Even though the expedition was challenging, both physically and inter-personally, we have come out on the other side stronger and with many great memories to share. Ally offered one of her favorite moments with us, which was stemming through the narrows in Upper Gravel Canyon. Stemming was a process that involved smearing and using friction to avoid swimming certain parts of the narrows. The day Ally referenced was one that included a myriad of technical obstacles, such as rappelling, going through third and fourth class terrain, and swimming with the assistance of a hand line. On that same day, Will experienced the height of his expedition, too. After stemming for 150 feet through the narrows, Will was the first to attempt a technical jump from a 15-foot ledge that opened up climatically to the end of the canyon. This dauntless move started a trend among the group: five other students tried it
Graham, on the other hand, enjoyed the time we spent together after a long day’s work. He specifically mentioned the time the whole group played a game of “Werewolf”, also known as “Mafia”. Graham, for one, played the role of narrator, who instructs the townspeople to perform their tasks. Everyone in the group will always remember the statistically anomalous turn of events in which the townspeople witnessed Mike deftly escaping Werewolf accusations several times, which led Brad and Sofie to their sudden demises as the true Werewolves of the game!
We had a great experience in the canyons, but we are already looking forward to going to Patagonia and experiencing a new culture. We will miss the warm weather, sun, and red rock, but now it is time to head off to Chile!
Signing off,
Miranda and Coleman