Mesa men

A group of Wright State students spent part of the winter break backpacking through the Santa Fe and Carson National Forests.

Seven students along with two guides hiked for five days along the Continental Divide Trail. Each student carried 40 pounds of supplies that were provided by the Wright State Outdoor Resource Center, which organized the trip.

During their trip, students learned about trail navigation, water purification and winter camping basics.

“It’s honestly just a neat opportunity that we’re providing to the students,” said trip leader Devyn Ostrander, a junior majoring in materials science and engineering.

The group endured temperatures in the teens and battled several feet of snow on the trail. Students wore snowshoes to navigate the difficult terrain.

“After we had taken the snowshoes off we noticed, wow, we’re actually sinking in the snow,” said Cody Wolfe, a junior social science education major.

For information about future excursions visit the Outdoor Resource Center’s website.