Challenger West Program (Darren)

Challenger West Program: Dubois, Wyoming

What can I say about Challenger, other than it was tough, exciting, and beautiful in alternating waves?  Tough because from the very beginning we were given new challenges, put in uncomfortable situations, and tested physically.  Exciting because of new experiences, risky situations, and the opportunity for growth.  Beautiful because of increased personal insight, natural splendor, and friendships built. 

In preparation for this program, we were required to read two books, one on finding and building up your natural strengths (Strengths Finder 2.0) and one on developing authentic leadership skills (True North).  These were both informative and insightful, and helped me understand my strengths and motivations better.  Of course, we also had to train physically, so I was hitting the gym at the Y regularly to build upper-body strength (for rock climbing), and we did a couple preparatory hikes to condition our legs (although not as many as we should have!).

In Dubois on Sunday we started our orientation: a little training, packing for the trip, meeting new people, and dealing with different personalities.  Then on Tuesday morning we hit the trailhead.

The hike up was pretty grueling, starting with over 3000 feet elevation gain in about 3 miles.  Not the hardest I’ve ever done, but still pretty miserable at times, especially considering that we were going from 7000 to 10,000 feet above sea level.  At that elevation you get out of breath so much easier than normal, even doing the most ordinary things.  Still, the scenery was gorgeous and we saw some wildlife, including grouse and bighorn sheep.  

If you're curious, here’s the link to Google maps satellite view of the area: https://www.google.jo/maps/place/Dubois,+WY,+USA/@43.4042474,-109.6545372,7778m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x534d5e824c80832b:0x3454e61a8b25ffee?hl=en

We stayed at our first campsite for a few nights, taking advantage of the surrounding area during the day for orienteering and rock climbing (when it wasn’t raining, that is).  The orienteering looked to be pretty straightforward according to the maps we were given: go up a pretty steep slope to reach the top of a plateau, then walk on the flat top to the meeting point.  In reality, the plateau was not nearly as flat as the map made it out to be, but was actually dotted by jutting peaks of exposed granite.  Going up and over a couple of these was fun, but it set us back a lot, and my group was not the first to reach the meeting point.  Rock climbing was great!  It was also exhausting!  “You can do it, Darren! Take the crack route first.  It’s only the most physically demanding route here!”  Counter-balancing 200 pounds while having your fingers crammed into a crack in solid granite while hanging above the ground, all while over 10,000 feet above sea level, is exhausting…but exhilarating at the same time.  Definitely want to do more of this in the future!

Next, we hiked down a few miles to the far end of Ross Lake, where we stayed a few more days.  While here, we did some fishing, some repelling, and had church services.  Very nice, all, except that I didn’t catch any fish.  Despite being told we would have great luck in Ross Lake, hardly anyone caught anything there (although several people caught some at Upper Ross Lake).  Still fun, and some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve seen anywhere.

The hike out was long, but rather uneventful, and we were treated to a great dinner when we finally got to the end.  A wonderful trip overall, lots of fond memories, and some good friendships made in the process.  Thank you to everyone involved in the Challenger West program, staff and participants alike!

~Darren