Wilderness Orientation is a fun adventure filled with exploration. Wilderness has been the introductory program of the school since the 1970's - well before it became widely embraced by colleges, universities, and other K-12 schools who have recently created their own versions to orientate students to their communities and provide an important community-oriented transitionary experience for their students. Our program is designed to introduce all new students to the school’s values of respect, responsibility, and excellence through a ten-day backpacking trip. Wilderness Orientation also serves the vital role of creating a shared collective experience through service, teamwork, challenge, and adventure all before the start of the academic school year. The skills taught on Wilderness Orientation not only benefit students on subsequent outdoor adventures but also provide valuable lessons and strategies that will help them better approach everyday life at CRMS and beyond.

Important Information

Click on the links below to review important information about Wilderness.

Wilderness Gear List
Wilderness Fitness Preparation
CRMS Bookstore Equipment Price List

Meet your leaders

Alex Perkins

English Faculty

Alex Perkins

BA, University of Montana

MA, Middlebury College

Appointed 2012 What do you do on campus? I teach Freshman English, am an advisor,…

Daniel Pittz

Spanish Language Department Chair, Spanish Language Faculty

Daniel Pittz

BA, Spanish Literature, University of Colorado

MEd, Curriculum and Instruction, Arizona State University

MA, Spanish, Universidad de Salamanca and New Mexico State University

Appointed 2004 What do you do on campus? I teach Spanish, level 3, and this…

Eliot Taft

English Faculty

Eliot Taft

BA, English & Environmental Studies, Bowdoin College

Appointed 2019 What do you do on campus? I teach English, and I like to…

Josh Weinstein

Mathematics Faculty

Josh Weinstein

BS, CU Boulder

Appointed 2022 Josh grew up on the Front Range of Colorado and rapidly developed an…

Kayo Ogilby

Science Department Chair, Science Faculty

Kayo Ogilby

BS, Liberal Arts, Evergreen State College

MA, Secondary School Science Education, Columbia University

CRMS Great Teaching Chair in Science 2010/11

Appointed 1996 What do you do on campus? Favorite campus pastimes: Teaching 2 sections of…

Peter Benedict

Mathematics Faculty, River Program Manager

Peter Benedict

BA, Outdoor Education, Prescott College

MS, Math Education, Montana State University

Appointed 1998 What do you do on campus? I teach math, Run the River program,…

Co-Leaders

Aidan Luter

Teaching Fellow

Aidan Luter

BA, Economics, Colorado College

Appointed 2024 An (almost) life-long resident of Colorado, Aidan grew up in Littleton and attended…

Clemente De Hoyos

ESOL Academic Support Teacher & Culture Liaison

Clemente De Hoyos

BS, Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology - Emory University

Appointed 2022 Clemente is a recent graduate from Emory University and acquired a BS in…

Keelan Bozman

Music Faculty

Keelan Bozman

BS, Music, Queens University of Charlotte

BS, Biology, East Carolina University

Associates in Fine Arts in Music, Central Piedmont Community College

Appointed 2022 Keelan Bozman is a dynamic performer, dedicated educator, and passionate outdoor enthusiast. His…

Molly O’Connor

Teaching Fellow, On-Call Responder

Molly O’Connor

BA, Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Appointed 2024 Molly grew up outside of Washington D.C. and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison…

Nikhil Malhotra

Teaching Fellow

Nikhil Malhotra

BA, Journalism, Lehigh University

Appointed 2024 Born and raised in New York City, Nikhil fostered a love for the…

Rachel Morse

Fine Arts Faculty, Ceramics and Silversmithing

Rachel Morse

BS, Cognitive Psychology, University of Utah

Appointed 2023 Rachel was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah where she grew…

Spencer Forbes

Learning Center Support Teacher

Spencer Forbes

BS, Natural Resources Management, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Appointed 2024 Spencer joins Colorado Rocky Mountain School from North Carolina, where he recently completed…

Veronica Wolff

Mathematics Faculty

Veronica Wolff

BA, Mathematics and Art History, Williams College

Appointed 2023 Veronica grew up in Northern Virginia and attended Williams College, where she studied…

Wilderness Assistant Volunteers (WAVs)

Caitland

Wilderness Assistant Volunteer

Caitland

CRMS, Class of 2025

Charlie

Wilderness Assistant Volunteer

Charlie

CRMS, Class of 2025

Isaac

Wilderness Assistant Volunteer

Isaac

CRMS, Class of 2025

Logan

Wilderness Assistant Volunteer

Logan

CRMS, Class of 2025

Payten

Wilderness Assistant Volunteer

Payten

CRMS, Class of 2025

Pippa

Wilderness Assistant Volunteer

Pippa

CRMS, Class of 2025

Taylor

Wilderness Assistant Volunteer

Taylor

CRMS, Class of 2025