Last year, my friend asked me and another friend if we would be interested in doing a trip with the Outdoor Program. I answered “yes” and signed up before I even read what we were doing. 

After signing up, I realized we were traveling to Crested Butte for a mountain biking and bouldering trip. I was scared but also excited. We met with the group we were traveling with a couple of days before we left. We wanted to get to know everyone and make sure everyone had the right gear, equipment and other necessities. 

I had a mountain bike, but after the meeting, I was told that my bike was too small for me and I needed to find another one. They didn’t have extra bikes at the Outdoor Program for us, but the instructors asked around and were able to find three bikes for me and my two friends. 

We met at midday on a Friday, loaded up the van and hit the road. We drove through the most beautiful orange and yellow tree-filled mountains. We arrived at the campsite late as it was starting to get cold and dark. 

We set up our tents and prepared dinner. I am vegan and the Outdoor Program helped find and make foods specifically for me. 

We made a fire and went to bed early. The next morning, we woke up around 8:00 a.m. and got ready for the bike ride. We hit the trail around 10:30 a.m. and didn’t finish until around 5:00 p.m. The first half of the ride was almost all uphill and so much work, but the view was worth it all. 

We did a huge loop around the mountains surrounding Crested Butte. By the time we started going downhill, I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing.

 I never knew how much fun mountain biking could be. After the ride, we all went out to dinner at a local pizza restaurant and talked about the thrilling ride. 

The next day, we did the most beautiful hike to the bouldering location. We all took turns trying to climb up a massive rock, helping each other the whole way through. The instructors were so helpful with both biking and bouldering. 

This was the most fun I had all year. This was a super unique experience and a great way to meet new people and friends. 

The Outdoor Program provides amazing experiences that you will remember for the rest of your life. 

If you have the chance to go on a trip with these amazing people, DO IT! You will never regret it.