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Take a hike and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors that is waiting to be uncovered. Students can learn how to confidently hike through mountainous terrain and learn the skills to successfully camp out on their own. From skepticism to wisdom, the transformation and insight students learn will leave them appreciative, skilled and rejuvenated, said Mike Dent, who teaches the course. Plus, students will be two units closer to graduation.
What makes this class unique?
It's not just like a math or science class where you sit there and watch the teacher. It's meant to be very interactive and incorporates working together in small groups.
Why should students take this class?
A lot of the students in this class are not physical education or recreation majors like most people would think. They come from a lot of different departments on campus, and we most commonly end up with juniors and seniors who haven't had a chance in their previous academic career to have fun. Don't wait until the end of your Chico State career to get in and have a good time, just go for it.
What is the best thing students say about your class?
Students write a reflection paper after the class trip every semester, and a small group always (says) that the class has changed their (lives). It reminds people what it's like to be outside, rejuvenates students with old feelings that they might have lost and provides a chance to meet other people and have those amazing transforming feelings outside.
What is the hardest part about teaching this class?
Not talking too much and keeping it at a level that is appropriate for student level, in terms of backpacking. I love backpacking, and I could talk about it forever, so I have to make sure I don't go overboard with the students.
Will it be offered next semester?
We try to offer (about) three classes every semester. The classes always fill with a capacity of about 23 students in each class.
What is your favorite part of the class?
I like to watch the students on the trip go from being skeptical and unsure to confident. I love to see the look on their faces when they finally understand it all, and they are happy, and I can see both those things. That's what keeps people going backpacking.
What is the trip you take?
Every semester it varies with permitting issues and snow levels, so we try to go earlier in the semester when it's not so cold and there's little or no snow on the ground. It's a Saturday and Sunday trip, and we hike in a couple of miles and then hike to the top. It's designed to be a simple trip that facilitates people feeling good about hiking a mountain and going camping. We generally tend to go to Mount Shasta National Park or Mount Eddy. In the fall, we almost always go to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, which is a big crowd pleaser.
Taylor Flores can be reached at tflores@theorion.com
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