Freshmen Return from Pecos

Hours before sunrise on August 12, 2016, the Class of 2020 returned from more than a week spent in the great outdoors. The 91 boys had just completed the Pecos Wilderness Trip, an eight-day excursion in the mountains of the northern New Mexico wilderness and a rite of passage for all rising freshmen.

Guided by faculty and staff leaders and Upper School student volunteers, the freshmen hiked, camped, and explored the natural flora and fauna, fished for trout, and cooked a unique menu of meals. Many Upper School students and alumni point to their Pecos Trip as a moment that drew them closer together as a class and as a brotherhood. Each freshman also completed the Solo, a day spent alone in nature, contemplating his Upper School career.

“I gauged the success of this year's Pecos on the multiple students who already asked to be Sherpas on next year's trip,” said Lukas Rahlson, Middle School science teacher and Wilderness Program Co-Director. “The truth is the Pecos is one huge step on the Path to Manhood. All the boys learn something about themselves out there that you can't learn anywhere else.”

Now in its forty-fifth year, the Pecos Wilderness Trip not only teaches boys the skills of an outdoorsman, but also aims to provide a healthy perspective on modern life and to develop a mentality of stewardship, respect, and appreciation for the natural world.