With a pandemic, protests, and political turmoil across the country, summer plans seemed doomed from the start. Finding time to wind down and have fun became increasingly difficult as our world plunged, dipped, and flipped on the roller coaster known as 2020. However, in spite of the challenges, the Salesianum community made the most out of summer. Since large social gatherings and events were out of the question, students turned to the great outdoors for some summer fun.

With maps, water bottles, and a backpack, Matt Deckers ‘21 spent his summer exploring Maine’s wilderness. “I went to Maine with a group of Boy Scouts to climb Mount Katahdin, which is the northernmost point of the Appalachian Trail,” said Deckers who traveled with a group Salesianum scouts. “We summited three peaks on the mountain and hiked a long stretch of narrow rock with 1000ft drops on either side called the Knife’s Edge.” Matt noted that while the hike was difficult, the views from the mountain were worth the effort.

For Chase Flanagan ‘23, summer fun came in the form of an exhilarating trip to Kanuga Bike Park in North Carolina. Equipped with his full suspension bike and his helmet, he shredded Kanuga’s jump trails. “It was awesome,” exclaimed Flanagan. “I hit a 25 foot jump, my biggest one so far!”

Jack Ansley ‘21, along with his scout troop, also hit the trails on a bike. “We went on a 17 mile mountain bike trip through the New River Gorge in West Virginia,” said Ansley. During the two weeks he spent riding there, Ansley mentions he had some rather interesting encounters and discoveries. “The trail went by coke furnaces, where they used to make coke for the steel industry. We also discovered this enormous Caterpillar bulldozer parked in the middle of a forest. Not sure how it got there, but it was definitely the most unusual thing I saw on that trip.”

With events cancelled and gatherings limited, the Salesianum community took to the outdoors for their summer fun. Through hiking, biking, and exploring, they made the most out of their summer. Although the circumstances were far from ideal, students still created many lasting summer memories.