Article by Kora Marvin, Class of 2029
The Continental Divide Trail is known as the most difficult long-distance trail in America, according to freeoutside.com. Bryce Scott ‘25 challenged himself to not only tackle the trail, but also to organize an eight-day trip for other students as part of his degree in the Adams State University Outdoor Education and Stewardship.
As the final student in the program, which is being discontinued, Scott worked on the project with instructor Wil Rickards, coordinator of the Adams State Adventure Program. “Bryce’s program has been a little different from his predecessors’,” Rickards said. “During his Program Management and Design class last semester, we threw out the book and instead created a program from scratch.”
This past August, the pair guided three students on the 66-mile, eight-day trip. The group began at Cumbres Pass and headed north, concluding the adventure just west of Wolf Creek Pass. Rickards said: “Every step of the way, Bryce served as an assistant leader, incorporating what he had learned during classes and over his internship this summer as a raft guide.”
The program they created was more than an academically educational experience. Scott explained: “We created a safe space, and with that came learning, a lot of it. From time management, such as having to break camp and start hiking before the sun rose, to how to identify your emotional spirals, both positive and negative, and how to turn a bad one into a good one.
“Incoming freshmen typically face fears including loneliness, not fitting in, or finding it hard to adjust to academic life. I personally struggled with those things coming to college, and wish I had something like the Adams Acclimation Expedition to go on before attending Adams State,” said Scott.
Their planning process included determining which learning outcomes to incorporate into the experience, as well as how to equip and feed the group. Scott created marketing materials for interested students.
“This was a big trip, and the preparation and constant vigilance meant that we exited with no incidents, everyone well fed, and lots of learning and memories,” Rickards said.