RIDGWAY – In late September of 2009 the Ridgway High School 9th and 10th grade students split into three field trip groups. One group studied solar panels around Ridgway and installed a solar-powered iPod station in the student lounge. Another group traveled to Dominguez Canyon and camped for three days. They hiked up through the Big Dominguez Canyon for three miles and did some climbing until they reached Star Mesa. The last group created bike trails around Ridgway.

The Dominguez Canyon campers had quite an adventure. Zane DeZeeuw was not worried though. “We will endure whatever comes our way,” said Zane, before taking off. The first day the nine campers were given a map and had to find their way to camp by hiking up the Gunnison River and through Big Dominguez Canyon for three miles with no clues from Mr. Seifkin and Heidi, the climbing guide. At the end of the canyon, where the canyon forks into the Little Dominguez Canyon and the Big Dominguez Canyon, they set up camp and relaxed for the rest of the day.

The next morning they woke up and set off on another long hike. They started off climbing up the cliff of Big Dominguez Canyon. From there they hiked to the top of Star Mesa and then back to the Big Dominguez Canyon. This hike ended up being everyone’s favorite. At the end of the day, they repelled down the cliff face and returned to their camp for a hearty meal, to later perform skits and recap the day.

The second night everyone slept very well due to exhaustion. It seemed like only a minute before they had to wake up, pack up their things, and try to figure out how to hike out. One mile before the end of the hike the ten campers met up with a few journalism students, answered some questions about their three day trip, and posed for pictures before driving home.

The bus ride back to Ridgway was very quiet. Everyone was either sleeping or they were disappointed about leaving the canyon. Each of the students, Zane, Deanna, Halli, Alma, Harley, Stefanie, Albert, and Tanner explained how this trip had gone by way too fast, and they highly recommended this trip for future 9th and 10th grade students.

The journalism students were amazed by the closeness of the group. Everyone was friends with everyone. Many stories were shared, and no one will forget the night Albert scarfed a huge block of cheddar cheese.

Although the trip is over, the friendships are still close and the memories won’t be easily forgotten. When interviewed, each of the students was happy to say that they had learned something new about themselves. Pumping water from the Gunnison River, rock climbing, and scorching heat didn’t stop these guys from having the time of their lives.

– This article was written by Ridgway Secondary School students participating in the annual RSS Fall Field Trip Program. This group of students was involved in a three-day immersion into journalism. Their work documents the other field trip programs that took place simultaneously during the third week of September. The entire Ridgway Secondary School embarked on experiential learning projects or activities during the program. Thank you to all community members and school staff for your dedication to this program. Special thanks to Heidi Kluse for leadership and support during the trip.