Trip Recap: Backpacking Guadalupe Mountain National Park

In early November, students in Texas Tech University’s Bridge Adventure Program went on an overnight backpacking trip in Guadalupe Mountain National Park. The trip served as a trial run for the program’s upcoming adventure excursion next summer in Colorado’s Weminuche Wilderness.

Bridge Adventure is a federally-funded project through the USDA-NIFA Hispanic Serving Institutions Education Grants Program and is led by Davis College faculty, Nathan Gill (NRM), Scott Burris (AEC), Lindsay Kennedy (AEC), Carlos Villalobos (NRM), and Courtney Meyers (AEC).

Open to students across the university, the program seeks to remove barriers to the outdoors by giving participants opportunities to build community, learn about caring for the natural environment, connect with regional partners, and develop both “hard” and “soft” skills for their future careers.

In Guadalupe Mountain National Park, students hiked four miles up the park’s steep Tejas Trail to the Pine Top backcountry campsite, climbing approximately 2,100 feet. Foggy and cold conditions, and even some downpours, made for a valuable learning experience as many students made their first-ever backpacking trip.

A hiker standing on a rocky outcrop, overlooking a sea of clouds with a blue sky above. — Davis Matthews, who is in his second year in the Bridge Adventure Program, looks over the foggy morning landscape at the 8,368-foot summit of Hunter Peak in Guadalupe Mountain National Park.

Cash Campbell, a sophomore agricultural communications student from Idalou, Texas, is starting his first year in the Bridge Adventure Program. Although he has experience in the outdoors, the trip to GUMO was Campbell’s first backpacking trip.

“I think the somewhat miserable conditions of my first backpacking trip only made the experience more memorable,” Campbell said. “When Davis, Austin and I hiked above the clouds to reach the summit of Hunter Peak on the morning of our second day, the time spent in the cold and wet only made us grateful for the view and new friendships found.”

The trip provided students with an opportunity to learn more about the gear needed for backpacking, how to properly pack their backpacks, and how to stay warm and dry in challenging weather conditions.

Macy Tran, a sophomore biology major, who is now in her second year in the program, said she learned a lot about what she needed in her pack during the trip.

“Although this hike was a challenge, the experience was definitely worth it, and I’d do it all over again if I had to,” Tran said. “Packing-wise, I definitely didn’t need to pack as much food as I did, and I should have packed more layers.”

Three students from Texas Tech University's Bridge Adventure Program hiking on a trail in Guadalupe Mountain National Park, wearing backpacks and using trekking poles. — Emily Jackson, a junior education major, and Kadyn Barrera, a counseling and addiction recovery major, make their way down the Tejas Trail on the trip’s second day. Jackson said the trip was one of the most physically challenging things she has experienced, while Barrera said the foggy weather added a layer of mystery to the experince on the trail.

Hannah Hudgens, a sophomore agricultural communications major from Lubbock, Texas, said she was actually grateful for the foggy conditions.

“It’s a weird statement to make when hiking in a place known for its breathtaking views,” Hudgens said about the fog. “However, these particular conditions taught me to put one foot in front of the other and not become hyper-focused on the end destination. Limited visibility calls for a refined intentionality for the present. “

Two students sitting inside a tent during a camping trip. A camping stove and a water bottle are visible in the foreground. — Daniela Rodriguez (left), a sophomore finance major, and Hannah Hudgens (right), a junior agricultural communications and creative media industries dual major, warm up in their tent after hiking to the Pine Top backcountry campground.

Nathan Gill, assistant professor in Natural Resources Management, serves as the Bridge Adventure program director. He said experiences like the Guadalupe Mountains National Park backpacking trip help students learn about themselves while experiencing the outdoors.

“We got into some challenging conditions on this trip, but our students persevered and did a great job,” Gill said. “Despite the cold and wet weather, they kept positive attitudes throughout the whole trip. I think this experience taught them a lot about how to prepare for our bigger trip next summer in Colorado.”

Each year of the program is capped off with a main adventure excursion. The current group of 17 students in the program will backpack approximately 35 miles through southern Colorado’s Weminuche Wilderness next summer. In 2022, the group backpacked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, and earlier this year, the program led students on a multi-day float down Arkansas’ Buffalo National River.

The Bridge Adventure Program holds monthly meetings and activities that provide opportunities for students to build community while learning skills that will be useful during their adventure excursion in 2024.

There are 17 undergraduate students in the Bridge Adventure Program, representing a variety of majors and fields of study across the university:

Austin Ibarra, Natural Resources Management
MacKenzie Campos, Biology
Hannah Hudgens, Agricultural Communications/Creative Media Industries
Davis Matthews, Biology
Bryson Chociej, Psychology
Carsyn Bennet, Natural Resources Management
Macy Tran, Biology
Kyndall Milstead, Natural Resources Management
Emily Jackson, Education
Cash Campbell, Agricultural Communications
Daniela Rodriguez, Finance
Holden Hobbs, Natural Resources Management
Serenity Quintela, Animal Science Pre-Vet/Natural Resources Management
Kadyn Barrera, Counseling and Addiction Recovery Sciences
Lizeth Rios, Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics
Anyston Sauceda, Natural Resources Management
Helena Garza, Chemistry