Happy Fall Break!

Fall Break in the Canyonlands


Campsite #1, Whychus Creek/Deschutes River
Hello everyone!

This week has been both busy and beautiful. The beginning of the week was a rushed three days of school, tests, and sports. I was extremely ready and in need of fall break. It's really nice to have four days of no school in the middle of the semester to recalibrate and take a moment to just breathe. For fall break I went on a three-day backpacking trip in Oregon's canyonlands with College Outdoors. We headed out early Thursday morning towards central Oregon.

Whychus Creek/Deschutes
I had gone to this same area just a month before on a shorter weekend trip to the canyonlands with some of my friends. It was really cool to go back to an area and already be a little familiar with the scenery and route. The first day we did the same hike I had done before - about 5-6 miles from where we left the van down to our first campsite. The views were AMAZING. The fall foliage mixed with the golden sun was so serene. The landscape is so interesting because it just looks like miles of buttes and rocks. We would hike up and down the steep hills and had a few slips and falls along the way. On our first night, we made delicious trail tacos and then told scary stories once it got dark. Since the sun has been setting earlier we were going to be pretty early partly because we were tired from the hike but mostly because it just got to be too cold to stay outside once the sun went away.


The next day we had a shorter hike and did a river crossing which was sooo cold. We hiked on top of the ridge and followed the river to our next campsite. On our way we met some cute dogs who were hiking with their owners. Once we got to camp we had a very chill afternoon. It was spent reading, soaking up the sun, and playing frisbee. We had some people on one side of the river and a few on the other and we would throw the frisbee back and forth across the river. Dinner that night was pesto pasta with veggies and chicken which was so good. Any food you have on trail always tastes way better for some reason. 

Roland and I at the beginning of the trip
Overall the trip was a huge success. We did a lot of great hiking, bonded as a group, and had a wonderful time in nature. It is so cool how friendships can be made in such a short amount of time. I went on the trip knowing a couple people pretty well but came out of the trip with even more friends. Going to a college that offers affordable outdoor trips has been awesome. I am getting outside more and more. In the future, I hope to become a trip leader and lead backpacking trips for College Outdoors. 




Have a wonderful day!

Sarah