“They’re off!” — The Class of 2027 Heads for the Wyoming Backcountry

Following Sunday’s 7AM Mass at Lander’s Holy Rosary Catholic Church (and a quick round of breakfast burritos), the members of Wyoming Catholic College’s Class of 2027, their chaplains, and their instructors piled into a fleet of 15-passenger vans and headed for their various trailheads, embarking on the legendary 21-Day Freshman Expedition.

Embracing what the College calls “the most unusual orientation program in the country,” these young men and women will learn more about themselves in these three weeks than many students learn in four years of college. Each group, accompanied by a chaplain and led by Wyoming Catholic upperclassmen who have fulfilled the instructor coursework and requirements of the College’s own Outdoor Leadership Program, will spend the next three weeks trekking through the Wyoming backcountry, climbing 11,000-ft. passes and summiting 13,000-ft. peaks, hiking roughly 100 miles, fly fishing some of the most beautiful lakes in the Rocky Mountains, cooking their own meals, and growing in wonder as they study “God’s First Book.”

The men will work their way through the Teton Wilderness, while the women will spend their time in the College’s own beautiful backyard, the Wind River Mountains. Please keep them and their instructors in your prayers during the coming days.