Exploring Our Mountain Home brings students to new views
The collaboration between Cranwell International Center and Venture Out brings students to hikes around Southwest Virginia while educating them on hiking safety and etiquette.
On a cool, cloudy November morning, students piled into a Venture Out van to journey to Grayson Highlands. For many Hokies living on campus without a car, it’s an area they might not otherwise get to experience — and it’s one of many hiking spots visited by the Exploring Our Mountain Home program.
The collaboration between Cranwell International Center and Venture Out brings students to state parks and hiking trails around Southwest Virginia. Trip leaders use the context of the outings to educate students on Leave No Trace Principles, self-care, and hiking etiquette.
“I know transportation can be a barrier to exploring nature,” said trip leader Mary Superata. “Also, it's hard to get into something new, so I want to make the outdoors more accessible to people by teaching them about what it means to be outside and be a good steward of the land.”
The November hike was the last of the semester and took place just before the season’s first cold snap. Students got to experience Grayson Highlands at its seasonal peak: blue-gray skies, a crisp breeze, trails scattered with red and brown leaves, and best of all, wild ponies grazing the balds — areas of flat land roamed by livestock cattle before Grayson Highlands was a state park.
Samiksha Dhakal, one of the students on the hike, studies aerospace engineering as a first-year Ph.D. student. Having grown up in Kathmandu, a valley city surrounded by mountain views, she’s a self-proclaimed mountain girl at heart.
“I’ve been to some really cool hiking places around Kathmandu, but none this high above the ground,” she said of Grayson Highland’s Massie Gap trail, which offers views of the highlands from rocky overlooks.
As a Ph.D. student, Dhakal is used to long days spent in the lab or studiously glued to her computer.
“It's nice to get out there sometimes and take a new perspective in life and experience new nature,” she said. “The natural environment just helps us rewire our brains from our day-to-day life.”
Kihyeon Ahn, a second-year Ph.D. student in macromolecular science and engineering, hadn’t been on a Venture Out hike before joining the Grayson Highlands trip. He said that the trip was a much-needed brain break.
“As a Ph.D. student, I often get caught up in my research and feel mentally crowded,” he said. “When I stay inside the lab all the time, my thoughts can become a bit limited. But being out here today feels really refreshing — it brings me new energy and makes me feel like I can return to my work with a clearer mind.”
Every Exploring Our Mountain Home hike includes a presentation on the area’s history and the seven Leave No Trace Principles.
“We share tools that students can take and use on their own, so we're facilitating growth,” said Rhianen Eichelbaum, assistant trip leader for Venture Out. “I really hope that they can take what we teach them and then continue to spend time in the outdoors and do it safely.”
Students trek the Massie Gap trail. Photo by Brian Muncy for Virginia Tech.
A wild pony at Grayson Highlands. Photo by Brian Muncy for Virginia Tech.
Superata said facilitating hikes is much more than a job to her.
“Just getting to see the excitement that other people share — especially when they see the views or the animals — it's really rewarding,” she said.
Ph.D. student Kien Phan atop an overlook on the Massie Gap trail. He said, “When I am in nature, my mental health is very good. What I can learn from that is just relax and everything will be fine.” Photo by Brian Muncy for Virginia Tech.
Exploring Our Mountain Home includes three hikes in the fall and two hikes and day at Rock Wall in spring. Details are available on Cranwell International Center’s calendar of events. Hikes are open to all Virginia Tech students, but each hike has a limited capacity. Students are encouraged to sign up early to secure a spot.
Yasir Alsharif, a Ph.D. student in polymer engineering, stayed up until midnight to sign up for the Grayson Highland hike as soon as registration opened. Outside of Exploring Our Mountain Home, he’s gone on overnight backpacking and canoe trips with Venture Out. He said he appreciates Venture Out and Cranwell International Center for making these experiences possible.
“It’s awesome when you know that there are so many people who are putting in so much effort for you, for students,” said Alsharif. “It makes me feel grateful.”
To learn more about Cranwell International Center or to access learning resources for international students, visit its website or email international@vt.edu.
To learn more about Venture Out, visit its website or email recsports@vt.edu.
Students and trip leaders shared a rest stop with the highlands ponies. Photo by Brian Muncy for Virginia Tech.
