When deciding what classes I was going to take this semester, I came across a poster advertising Parks, Recreation, and Tourism classes; otherwise known as PRT. Needing another credit and curious as to what these classes were, I did some research. I found out that there are dozens of classes ranging from rock climbing to kayaking, and even skiing. I decided to take a class that focused on backpacking the Lake Powell area because I had never been backpacking before and had always been interesting in trying it out. This past weekend was when I took the class and let me tell you, it was an adventure to say the least.
A couple of weeks before we even left on the field trip, we had a class meeting where we went over what would be expected of us and what we would need to bring. As I was looking at the list, I became slightly worried because I had no idea what everything on the list even was; not to mention I had no idea how I would manage to fit it all into a backpack. With much help from my parents, I managed to get all the items on this list, have some semblance of an idea of their function, and pack them all into my backpack. The morning before we were supposed to leave, as I hoisted my pack onto my back, I was a little terrified because I had no idea what to expect.
It turns out that I had nothing to fear, because three days backpacking in Lake Powell was one of the best classes that I have ever taken. The first day was a little difficult getting used to having a heavy pack on my back and getting my tent and camp set up for the night. Plus it was the first time that I had ever made and eaten freeze dried food. Which I actually didn’t mind eating. The instructors were incredibly helpful, along with the students, making my experience that much better. The area we backpacked through was incredibly beautiful and I was able to bond with some amazing people. I gained a lot of important knowledge on how to backpack and had fun while doing it. Needless to say, I am planning on using what I learned and going backpacking a lot more! The class was definitely worth taking and I plan to continue taking PRT classes in the future as well!