Rural retreat: Tribe Adventure Program leads fall break backpacking trip to West Virginia

COURTESY PHOTO / SYDNEY CLAYTON

In the heat of a busy fall semester, sometimes the best way for students to relax is to disconnect for a moment and step out into nature. During this past fall break, nine students of the College of William and Mary traded bustling campus walkways for the wooded trails of the West Virginia mountains. 

From Oct. 10 to 13, the Tribe Adventure Program took these students to the Dolly Sods Wilderness of West Virginia for a camping trip full of hiking, views and group bonding. Located in the Allegheny mountains of Eastern West Virginia, this national forest contains over 17,000 acres of rocky plateaus. With more than 47 miles of trails, Dolly Sods offers opportunities for exploration — and these students had the chance to experience a part of it. 

The trip, not requiring substantial hiking or backpacking experience, attracted a mix of experienced backpackers and students picking it up for the first time. Trip leader Sydney Clayton ’25 was first drawn to the Tribe Adventure Program her junior year through Rock Climbing Club. 

“I noticed that the people I seemed to have the most in common with were also trip leaders,” Clayton said. 

Upon being hired for the group leader position when she joined, she began preparations and training to lead the trip.

“We have a bunch of requirements once we’re hired and do at least one overnight training for each of the types of trips, such as paddling, rock climbing and backpacking. We also shadow trips during our first semester to learn about the process of leading a trip,” Clayton said. 

Sophia Rossen ’25 had heard of the Tribe Adventure Program through word of mouth, and was looking for an activity for this fall break. The pieces came together when she found out about Tribe Adventure Program’s trip to Dolly Sods. 

“I remembered in the back of my head that someone mentioned the Tribe Adventure Program, so I Googled it, and realized ‘oh, they have a fall break trip, I’ll sign up for that,” Rossen said. 

For many out-of-state students, flying or driving hours home may not be worth it for the fourday weekend of Fall Break. The program offered students such as Evan Collier ’26 the chance to spend fall break exploring the outdoors far from campus — but not quite as far as home. 

“My mother actually messaged me about it, because she is better at keeping up with the events going on at school,” Collier said. “I’m from California, so heading home for fall break wasn’t really an option, and I love backpacking, so it seemed like a good fit.”

The backpackers followed the Dolly Sods trails for four days. Once the sun went down, they set up their tents for the night and recharged for the next day of hiking. As a group leader, Clayton was responsible for some of the logistical elements such as making sure the group had enough water for cooking and drinking, but she finds the beauty of backpacking really is the simplicity of it all. 

“I love backpacking trips because once you’re on the trail, there’s not a whole lot to worry about,” Clayton said. 

One of the nights of the trip, the students experienced a rare natural phenomenon in the wilderness itself. On Oct. 10, Virginia and West Virginia received a display of northern lights, and these students caught a glimpse of it. Collier described this as the highlight of his trip.

“We didn’t see them really well, it was kind of just one night where there was a weird red spot in the sky, but unexpected to be sure,” Collier said. 

What will stick with Rossen the most from her trip was the remarkable natural views. 

“There was one day where we hiked up this mountain-ish thing and then we were overlooking everything,” Rossen said. “Also, we got up for sunrise one day, and it was just so beautiful.” 

Collier, on the other hand, appreciated the opportunity to get back into the activity of backpacking itself. 

“For me, it was really nice to get back out on the trail,” Collier said. “It’s been a hot minute since I’ve been backpacking and I’ve been missing getting out in the woods — getting away from civilization.”

Rossen also discussed some of the unanticipated parts of the program, noting how these surprises helped push her out of her comfort zone. 

“Since I’ve never really gone hiking, I wasn’t really anticipating some of the terrain,” Rossen said. “There was one part where we had to jump over these rocks, which was a little hard, but I got used to it.”

After having completed the trip and reflecting back on it, both Rossen and Collier said they enjoyed the Tribe Adventure Program trip. 

Outside of its fall break backpacking trip, the Tribe Adventure Program hosts events all throughout the semester. On Nov. 1, the program hosted a ziplining event over Lake Matoaka, right on campus. Shortly after, there was be another “Fall Colors Backpacking” trip Nov. 2-3.  For students who do decide to sign up for one of the Tribe Adventure Program’s events or trips, Rossen shared some words of advice. 

“Don’t be afraid to be uncomfortable,” Rossen said. “Obviously if it’s your first time, it will be hard at points, but I think it’s worth it and you’ll definitely learn something new by the end of it.”

Collier shared his own tidbit of guidance.

“Enjoy nature, and make sure you have a good set of boots,” Collier said. 

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