Story by Susan Latiolait
Photos by Zachary Hoffman
Imagine hiking as much as fourteen miles a day, constantly thinking about the next place you will sleep, eat, or obtain fresh water. With each new day there are new unforgiving winds, wild animals, and difficult terrain. Four UO students opted to spend their spring break in these exact scenarios. For eight days they used their survival skills and appreciation for wilderness backpacking in California’s Death Valley National Park. During a week when college students yearn to exclude all academic thoughts from their minds by going into full couch-potato mode, these students actively took advantage of every second they had off of school.
UO junior Zachary Hoffman, Jason Barbee, Richard Warren, and UO freshman Kristin Gloystein were brought together for the backpacking trip by a posting by Hoffman on the UO Outdoor Program’s website, a service open to any UO student. Hoffman facilitated the backpacking trip in hopes of including others in a more adventurous and atypical spring break.
“[Death Valley] was one of the few places without snow,” says Hoffman regarding his attraction to the area’s backpacking sites. “I had already been there before, so I knew what was necessary to bring to a degree. It is a really fun trip where not a lot of people go and has a whole other set of wildlife and geology.”
Although initially hoping for a larger turnout, the small and experienced group provided its own benefits. Averaging nine miles of hiking a day, encounters with wild horses and coyotes, and unexpected winds destroying some equipment, the four students were able to bond and appreciate each others’ experiences. Warren recalls one specific incident that in particular challenged the crew.
“We were looking for a place to camp and we saw a butte in the middle of a quiet sandy area, so we thought to set camp around there, but the wind had other ideas,” he says. “As soon as I pitched the tent, the wind just ruined it, broke the metal and ripped the fabric.”
Along with unforgettable experiences, the Death Valley backpacking trip allowed the four members to appreciate the area’s amazing geology including overhanging boulders, spectacular rock formations, and waterfalls. While encountering these wonders of nature, Gloystein recognizes how backpacking along any terrain can make everyone appreciate everyday aspects of life.
“I like being able to focus on the survival aspect,” she says. “It makes you think differently when you have to worry about where your water is coming from or how you are going to get your food.”
While the four came across their share of obstacles, Death Valley National Park proved to be a perfect location in which to appreciate the environment and use their experience to their advantage.
“In Death Valley, they don’t maintain too many trails, except for maybe two popular ones,” Hoffman says. “It gives you more a sense of being in the wilderness, and so you don’t feel as though you’re backpacking in a developed park.”
After returning from their trip, this year’s group highly encourages all students to try backpacking.
“You get to see things you don’t see everyday,” Warren says about the activity. “You can climb to a mountain top and say, ‘Wow, I’ve never been up here before.’ Or you cross a big river and realize you are not going to see this again, you are not going to be here again.”
