Julie Mayo
Ninth graders ventured down the Colorado River on their annual retreat. Over the span of four days, the short side rowed around 45 miles while the long side rowed around 60 miles.
They spent each night at a different campsite and canoed during the days to reach the next one. The days consisted of rowing and the occasional stop at sandbars and swimming. At night, they engaged in camp activities and stargazed.
“I loved when we were rowing because we were listening to music and we always got to jump in the water which was really refreshing,” Sofia Giovine ’26 on the short side said. “We bonded over these experiences”.
On the long side, Connor Merrihew ’26 said he enjoyed most of the trip.
“Having more time on the water and paddling with your friends really helped with teamwork,” Merrihew said. “I remember on the first day that all the mosquitoes at night attacked everyone. It was a good experience overall”.
Lyla Kavanagh ’26, also on the short side, had quite a different experience.
“When I unpacked my bag, I was extremely disappointed to see that everything that wasn’t inside a ziplock bag was completely soaked,” Kavanagh said. “I left my pillow outside our tent in the dirt, only a few feet away from donkey poop to dry in the sun. However, it didn’t dry in time and I used a towel as a pillow. Overall, it was a pretty awful experience.”