Into the W.I.L.D.

Armed with dehydrated food, water filters, zero-degree bivy sacks and bear spray, a group of adventurous Gordon students set out on a 17-day backpacking expedition as part of their W.I.L.D. Semester (Wilderness Immersion and Leadership Development). They slept under tarps, battled stubborn rain (and sometimes snow), bushwhacked their way through dense, steep terrain—and grew exponentially during their excursion through Montana's Absoraka-Beartooth Wilderness. Gordon’s staff photographer Mark Spooner documented the first week of their journey. View the full photo essay >>