Crazy climates, unbelievable views and large wildlife described the TCU Outdoor Programs’ trip to Big Bend National Park to backpack and canoe.

The Spring Break trip was fast-paced, action-packed and challenging, Assistant Director of Campus Recreation Outdoor Programs Steve Campbell said.

Although only seven people participated in the trip, Campbell said it was amazing.

Freshman adventure trip leader Herschell Newman said the trip seemed like a great opportunity to do two things he loved: backpacking and canoeing.

The group saw many species of wildlife, including a black bear, which was 40 to 50 feet away in a valley below where the group was, Newman said.

“[Seeing the bear] was more of us running after the black bear than getting scared by it,” Newman said. “It is not as exciting as you think.”

Campbell said Big Bend National Park gave a certificate to TCU Outdoor Programs for seeing the second bear of the season. TCU Outdoor Programs has a pin on the Big Bend map, locating where the group saw the bear, he said.

Newman said one of the best parts of the trip was watching the sunset on South Rim. He said of all the things he had seen on his previous backpacking trips, watching the sunset on South Rim was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

“It was like being on top of a skyscraper,” he said. “You could just see forever.”

Campbell said along with watching the sunset on South Rim, the group summited Emory Peak, the second highest peak in Texas, and climbed the Window, where rainwater fell from the mountain, and relaxed in natural hot springs.

The weather changed drastically between the mountains and the river, Campbell said. The group’s members entered the mountains with a light snowfall and woke up with ice on their water bottles. After the hike down to the river, the temperature rose to the mid-90s.

The group experienced three distinct regions: the mountains, the desert floor and the river corridor. The river stretched 33 miles through the Boquillas Canyon, he said.

Campbell and Newman agreed their favorite meal of the trip was cooking salmon and asparagus over an open fire. The group brought fresh ingredients, Campbell said.

Dinner took about two hours, and that was the time everyone in the group really got to know each other, he said.

The students set personal goals for themselves, Campbell said. Being in a remote location allowed the group members time to think about their lives, home, school, work, relationships and more without the pressure of being in society.

“This is one of the best trips [TCU Outdoor Programs has] ever done,” Campbell said.

TCU Outdoor Programs has more opportunities for students to participate in outdoor activities. The next weekend trip will be whitewater kayaking April 13-15 in San Marcos. The registration deadline is April 11 and the fee is $75.