This fall break we set out with nine students in Rafiki (our van) in the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas. We met at the rental shop in the morning packed up, and got on the road. 

We made a quick stop to fuel up and grab snacks at Bucee’s before leaving Texas. Once we reached camp, we sorted out our gear and all set up the tents. The Outdoor Adventures (OA) trip leaders threw together some fresh pasta. Ingredients included a block of artisan parmesan cheese and a single onion OA leader Alex took from his mom’s house. After some minor complications with the stove, dinner was served. Now nice and toasty from our campfire, we all headed to bed to prepare for the long hike tomorrow.

In the morning, we feasted on breakfast tacos, divided up the gear, carefully balanced our packs, and set off in Rafiki for the trailhead. The first mile was steep, but everyone motored through it. We stopped after a mile for well-deserved peanut butter bagels and to take in the killer view. All you could see were tree-coated hills for miles. 

We powered through the rest of the hike, crossing overgrown trails and narrowly avoiding a Queen snake. After four hours, we made it to the campsite, set up our tents, and learned proper outdoor restroom etiquette. Next, the OA leaders gave us a quick lesson on how to get and safely sterilize drinking water from the creek. To wash off the trail grime, we took a swim in the creek and enjoyed the waterfall. 

After drying off we huddled around the campfire to warm up, befor

e finally getting a demo on how to use the backpacking stoves. We cooked up some tasty chili and rice, then packed and hung our bear bags (the bags where we store food and other smellables to keep them out of reach of animals) to make sure no critters would come visit us at night. 

The next morning, we all cooked oatmeal before packing up for the hike back to Rafiki. Then the leaders walked us through Leave No Trace principles which are the commonly accepted principles used to respect the environment, animals, and other people when you are out in the outdoors. We headed out and after three miles and a quick snack break, we made it back to the van.

The bus ride back was silent, as everyone was worn out from a long hiking weekend. We hit Wendy’s for lunch, where OA leader Levi shocked us all with his ability to devour fifty chicken nuggets in under a half hour. Now fed and rested, everyone was thrilled to head home and take a much-needed shower. 

Lindsay Templeton- SMU Outdoor Adventures Trip Leader in Training