“My wife always brings up “camping’s a tradition in my family.” Hey, it was a tradition in everyone’s family until we came up with the house”-Jim Gaffigan.

Gaffigan has a good point, but that doesn’t change just how impressive the trips that Connor Peterson goes on. Going river rafting for a week, then going backpacking for another week just two days after returning seems like something out of an Indiana Jones film, but this was a reality for Peterson this past summer.

His backpacking, river rafting, and hunting trips have taken him to some of the most impressive parts of nature that Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho can offer. Peterson is an avid bird watcher as well.
“I like the wilderness… It’s just fun, I mean, who doesn’t like camping? It has been a tradition in my family. My grandpa and his brothers hunted every year, and also enjoyed backpacking. The rest is history” Peterson’s love for the outdoors started at a young age, when his father continued this tradition, and got Connor hooked on nature.
But it’s not all fun and games when in the outdoors. Peterson once had a member of his group almost get sick just because his mouthpiece to his hydration pack fell into some unclean water. Just this past spring, Peterson tripped on a rock while on a trail, and almost fell off a cliff.
Peterson has done three mile bushwhacks down steep slopes by rivers just to get to some locations. His friend, Isaac Decker recalls one experience.
“About four years ago we scaled a 70 degree boulder face. It took us at least an hour to get through the section of rocks. At the top of the mountain (Whiskey Island Peak) the elevation was 11,700Ft.”
Emeric Green, who has also gone with Peterson, tells the story of a bear encounter that happened on one of their trips
“We were hiking to a waterfall deep in the back country of the Uintas. We approach the waterfall we were going to, and all I hear is Connor yelling “BEAR” I turned around and we all saw the bear hightailing it into the bush. It was just a small cub so we weren’t too scared of it, as much as we were the mom. Bears get very aggressive when their cubs are in danger, so we got out of there as quick as we could and headed back to camp. Let’s just say we all slept with one eye open that night.”
What makes these trips most impressive is the gear (or lack thereof) that Peterson and his group take with him. They pack extremely light, especially on long trips because they have to carry all that weight around with them the whole time. Every ounce matters, and the gear they take is specially made to be as light as possible while still being strong. One of the stoves that is used for cooking their food could fit in the space of a 12 ounce can of soda, while the gas tank itself isn’t any bigger than a football.
In the future, Peterson will be off for other adventures, and might miss a day of school, but regardless of where the wilderness leads him; Peterson still manages to keep excellent grades. Last year Peterson swam for Highland’s state swim team, and is hopeful that this year he will make varsity.
So whether you want to become a better swimmer, learn about nature and everything it has to offer, or just want to meet an amazing example of a student, look no further than Connor Peterson.