UPDATE: As we neared the half-way point of our Spring Break 2026 Match Campaign yesterday evening, a long-time supporter of the College stepped forward with an extraordinarily generous gift, effectively doubling the entire amount we had raised to date! Our current total of $42,375 puts us well within reach of our initial target of $50,000 for the week, though there’s still more work yet to be done. If you have not yet had the opportunity to make a gift, please consider joining the match TODAY. Thank you!!
Today’s featured group is the Desert Backpacking Trip, jokingly referred to by some of its participants as the “Lawrence of Arabia trip.” Unlike Lawrence, the thirteen students (and one WCC staff member) participating on this course see the challenges of the desert as an opportunity to deepen their wonder, sharpen their skills, and to come to a better understanding of themselves and their companions, rather than a place where one becomes obsessed with one’s own power and importance, and gradually loses one’s grip on reality.
OK, so “losing your grip on reality” is a trifle hyperbolic, perhaps, but make no mistake: this journey through the canyon lands of southeastern Utah is a truly formidable one, both physically and mentally. The canyon names alone would alert visitors to that fact; Dark Canyon and Lost Canyon feature prominently in the group’s pre-trip planning, as does the chillingly-title “Sandthrax.” The difficulty and dryness of the terrain are formidable obstacles, and the heat is a constant presence that must be managed throughout the day. And route-finding and navigation are often challenging, though both are areas that typically see dramatic improvement throughout the week.
Today is their longest trek of the trip—their route plan, compiled before they left Lander at the beginning of the trip, covers roughly 10 miles—and the group will surely be pushed to their limits before arriving in camp at the end of the day. But that’s a feature, in many ways, rather than a bug. Past participants have noted that “during the school year, we are often exhausted mentally, so it is really nice to go and feel physically exhausted and to feel like you’ve used your body well.”
As is true for each one of the College’s outdoor adventures, the three “students leads” assigned to the trip are carefully chosen and trained, and are well-prepared for the challenges of this “Lawrence of Arabia trip.” The Head Lead is the primary decision maker on the trip, tasked with anticipating the challenges the group will face and with helping to guide the group safely to the other side of the week. Because delegation is an important (and learnable) skill, each group also has a Co-Leader, who is responsible for assisting the Head Lead and for being familiar with the entirety of the trip planning and finer details, should the Head Lead be incapacitated for any reason. And the last of the Leader trio, the Wilderness First Responder (WFR), is responsible for the “Daily Risk Assessment (DRA),” caring for students’ health and well-being—hydration is of particular importance on this trip, for example— documenting all issues, and bringing significant concerns to the Head Lead should they arise.
But the week is much more than mere route planning and navigation, risk assessment, hydration, and physical challenge. As we’ve noted numerous times in other reports from this week’s trips, integrating the outdoor experience into the academic life of the College is always very much on the students’ minds. The daily plan for this particular trip includes time set aside for discussing the following topics:
“What does going out into nature—particularly going out int the desert—bring out in us as individuals and in the group, and why? What is one virtue that is developed specifically by desert backpacking? What were moments you had to cultivate it? How can we, as a group, continue to grow in this virtue? Francis Bacon made the claim that nature was to be studied, mastered, and used (as opposed to feared or loved) in order to improve the human condition. Given our own experiences of the back country, does this seem right? What is the appropriate human reaction to Nature and to its power and beauty?”
In a culture that seems increasingly reluctant to challenge its young people to do hard things, this year’s Lawrence of Arabia Trip reminds us that the young men and women of Wyoming Catholic are eager to push and to challenge themselves and their classmates. They have seen how much can be learned from confronting (and, eventually, overcoming) challenges, whether they be in the canyon country of Utah or in the classroom in Lander. They realize that there is a great benefit that comes from “doing difficult things,” and they are eager for the growth and for the knowledge and joy that follows.
These young people will be tremendous, faith-filled leaders and citizens after they finish their four years with us here at Wyoming Catholic College, but they cannot get there without your help. Please consider joining this year’s Spring Break Match Campaign. And remember: Everything we receive this week will be MATCHED by generous members of our Board of Directors, doubling the impact of your gift up to $50,000!
Gifts made through the online form HERE will be automatically assigned to the Match Campaign, and will appear in the Goal Meter at the top of the Campaign website as it is updated each day. If you would prefer to make a gift over the phone, via check, or through another philanthropic vehicle (such as a gift of stock or a mutual fund transfer), please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at oia@wyomingcatholic.edu or by phone at (877) 332-2930, and the Advancement team will ensure your gift is assigned to the match.
