While many Washington and Lee students spent their spring breaks relaxing on the beach, some members of the Outing Club took a different approach to their time away from campus.

The crew of ten students, led by Outing Club director James Dick, spent the week hiking and camping in Utah’s Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and Paria Canyon.

The group spent its first three nights at Zion’s Watchman Campground, from which they hiked the Narrows and Angels Landing.

The Landing is a nearly 1,500-foot tall rock formation with steep drop-offs.

“A misstep to the left or right would send you off the mountain,” Bishop Snedden, ’18, said.

The Narrows is the narrowest section of Zion Canyon—a gorge with walls as high as one thousand feet in some areas.

Hiking through the pass requires traversing the Virgin River, which the group did.

“As we made our way up the canyon and started to question our decision to tromp through frigid water, it began to snow, making our trek definitely worthwhile and giving us a magical send off from Zion,” Snedden said.

Snedden said the trip was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But she said as breathtaking as the scenery was, the students she traveled with made the trip especially exceptional.

“The group of people made the trip what it was. Everyone was pumped to be outside and open to being unapologetically themselves,” Snedden said.