by Julia Sundstrom
Mount Sopris is a twin-summit peak located in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness of White River National Forest right outside of Carbondale, Colo.. A 12,965-foot mountain, which CMU’s outdoor program and fellow Maverick students attempted to summit a few weekends ago on Oct. 8-9.
Students Cailin Goldstrom and Cheyenne O’Loughlin led a group of nine students. The trip was an introduction to backpacking.
Goldstrom and O’Loughlin followed the wrong trail at first, but it ended up working out for the two outdoor gurus.
“The group was very positive and was never negative about it,” O’Loughlin said. “It actually ended up being a way more beautiful hike because we were in this thick aspen grove and we saw these massive aspen trees. We were never lost or worried or anything. Sometimes it’s a lesson when you go out there.”
It was originally planned for the trip to be a fall colors weekend, but the students chose to roll with the punches of Mother Nature.
“We were hoping for fall colors on this trip, but sometimes whenever you get higher in elevation the colors drop early,” Goldstrom said.
The whole trip may not have gone exactly according to plan, but the group expressed that they had an adventure-filled weekend made up with the simplicities of life. Mavericks hiked up to Thomas Lakes where they encountered a fox on their campsite, caught some trout and woke up to a dusting of snow on the ground. It was a 12-mile round-trip hike with an incline and elevation gain.
“It’s in the thousands of feet in elevation so with a heavy pack on that can be intense, which can teach you a lot,” O’Loughlin said. “You see it in students’ faces when they’re working hard. It’s like they are committed and want to do it, but not having felt that weight before on your first backpacking trip is sometimes a learning curve. Then it’s after you do it you feel that great achievement.”
Both guides agreed that there is something special about carrying everything you need to survive on your back.
“It’s really hard to be able to carry your entire life on your back just for a night with everything you need to survive. Everyone worked really hard and it was a lot of fun,” Goldstrom said.
Goldstrom and O’Loughlin have a team dynamic that comes with a history of leading multiple trips together.
“We lead a lot of trips together because our leadership style mends and molds well together,” O’Loughlin said. “I am very positive and enthusiastic. Cailin is more realistic and intellectual. There’s this really great teamwork that happens with us that I really love. […] We share that love for the outdoors, but our leadership styles are just different enough to cover all the bases. It just really works well.”
“It helps a lot with homesickness and growing as a person – you are so out of your comfort zone already and really that’s what we do. We get students out of their comfort zones and help them grow in a safe helpful environment that’s really educational,” O’Loughlin said.
The outdoor program offers trips to a variety of locations every weekend.
