The upper school students (9th – 12th grade) participated in a fall OE program consisting of service work in Window Rock, AZ, and desert adventures in the Moab region of Utah. During the first half of the week, upper school students worked in conjunction with Joe Pacal and the students at St. Michael School in Window Rock, AZ. The majority of the service work was focused on revegetating the St. Michael School campus, creating compost/mulch, and planting native species. The students learned about problems facing the environment within the four corners region along with a comprehensive campus study completed by the University of Notre Dame students.

During the second half of the week, students relocated to the Moab region of Utah to participate in rock climbing and rafting activities. On Thursday, the seniors summited the famous tower “Ancient Art” with our own local Telluride Mountain Guides Dave Chew and Nicole Lawton while the Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors rafted the Fisher Towers section of the Colorado River. On Friday, multi-age groups rock-climbed at Wall Street and paddled the Colorado River in “Ducky” Kayaks. Although the weather turned cold later in the week, spirits were high, and everyone had a rewarding experience.

~Ross Perrot,
Director of Outdoor Education
Trip Leader