{"id":38413,"date":"2026-04-14T08:00:41","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T15:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/?p=38413"},"modified":"2026-04-08T12:44:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T19:44:04","slug":"making-the-most-of-adventure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2026\/04\/14\/making-the-most-of-adventure\/","title":{"rendered":"Making the Most of Adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just over two years ago, as I was leaving the safety and comfort of my family and the state I\u2019d lived in my whole life, I was thrust into adventure before my college experience even began: a rafting trip on the Lower Salmon with the UI Outdoor Program, my first true experience with the university. The reason why I went on the trip at all was because the timing helped my family plan the road trip from California\u2019s Central Valley to the rolling hills of the Palouse in Idaho\u2019s panhandle. We dropped my stuff in my dorm room and then said goodbye on the Student Recreation Center lawn before hitting the road for the rafting trip.<\/span><\/p>\n

When we made it back to campus six days later, smelly and gross, sand in our hair, but with fresh memories and a whole new group of friends, the freshman orientation week was just starting. But all of that was what really convinced my mom and dad to sign me up for this crazy river adventure. The experiences and connections I made during and after the trip have affected my life in so many unexpected ways since that amazing week.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Vandal Ventures<\/a> program brings incoming freshmen and transfer students on a six-day rafting or backpacking trip with a group of peers, led by current students working as trip leaders for the Outdoor Program. Participants learn about the university\u2019s core values including respect, integrity, perseverance and excellence, and bond with peers who are all in the same shoes (or Chacos). I haven\u2019t had the chance to participate in or lead the backpacking trip, so the rafting trips are where I can share my experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n

In many ways, the trip was both a challenge and a gift. I tried finding which people I jibed with best, had open and insightful discussions, and learned about my own ways of knowing and communicating. At the same time, I learned about the world of multiday whitewater rafting, which I had very limited experience with beforehand. Getting to ride through Class III and IV rapids for the first time was exhilarating and intoxicating. Camp life, however, was where I felt most in my element, and I easily picked up the ways of camping on the river. I fell in love with the pattern of traveling on the water for the day, setting up camp at a new beach every night, and waking up to do it all over again.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this place I had never been before, I immediately felt a sense of wonder and awe in what I can now confidently say is the most beautiful and stoke-worthy place I have ever experienced. If you already have or ever get the chance to float the Lower Salmon, you\u2019ll likely understand why I feel this way. From the steep, towering walls of Blue Canyon where bighorn sheep thrive, to the dispersed, wide-open sand bars where we slept under the stars, existing for just a few days in this place led to so much reflection, questioning, and understanding. And that\u2019s just the Lower Salmon\u2014there\u2019s still so much more river to learn from.<\/span><\/p>\n