Nature Wellness Hike with Counseling and Psych Services
On Thursday, February 12th, 12 University of Arizona students and two Counseling and Psych Services (CAPS) providers went to Hidden Canyon for a nature wellness hike! This collaboration between the UA’s Outdoor Recreation program and CAPS has been in the works for a long time, but was finally made possible by the National Park Trust. Meg Robertson, my fellow National Park Trust ambassador, and myself (Ryleigh Selby) drove participants to the Starr Pass Resort where the trailhead is located. CAPS provider Heather Straight explained the intention for the hike: to be in touch with one’s senses in nature. She wanted us to focus on more than what we could just see, observing what we could hear, smell, and touch. She also wanted us to take a photo of something that caught our attention and describe it with one word. With these prompts in mind, we set off on the Bowen Loop Trail.
Students, guides, and CAPS specialists chatted and got to know one another for the first half of the hike. Once we reached the halfway point at a scenic saddle, we spread out across the landscape for 10 minutes of individual, silent reflection. These 10 minutes spent gazing over expansive mountain ranges and towering saguaro cacti allowed students to get away from the stresses of life and live in the present moment. We came back together as a group and discussed what we thought about in our silent reflection. There was a common theme of feeling small amongst the tall mountains, and participants noted that this “smallness” brought a sense of peace. After our group discussion, we continued the hike and made our way back to the trailhead.
We chose Hidden Canyon for this outing for a reason you might not expect: fruit-infused water. The Starr Pass Resort has delicious fruit-infused water in the lobby, so Meg and I brought the students inside for a refreshing drink after the hike. The juxtaposition of sweaty, tired hikers amongst the wealthy resort dwellers makes for a funny picture. I feel like the outing went even better than I could’ve imagined. On the second half of the hike, participants were giddy with excitement, expressing gratitude for being out in nature and with one another. Something that stood out to me was that after the hike, several of the participants signed up for our National Park Trust outing in Saguaro National Park! The wellness hike gave them the confidence to take their hiking skills to the next level and go backpacking. Seeing how one short trip could have such a large impact made me super excited for our backpacking trip.
This trip could not have been possible without the National Park Trust. Outdoor Rec has been wanting to collaborate with CAPS, but the requirement of a collaborative outing pushed us to finally make it happen. I’m excited for this collaboration to continue and allow UA students to experience the healing powers of nature!
