On September, 21 2020, the MS-III and IV Cadets from the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program conducted their annual train-up event at Mt. Spokane State Park. The train up is used to get the Cadets refocused on ROTC activities before that start of the school year. You can watch a video of the train up below:
The train up began with an early morning bus ride from EWU campus to Mt. Spokane State Park located an hour away. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the Cadets sat one person per seat with their masks on and windows cracked on the bus:
The Cadets began their hike up to the summit of Mt. Spokane at the Lower Mt. Kit Carson Trailhead. The Cadets were divided up into three small groups, remained spread out, and wore their masks during the hike:
During the hike the Cadets stopped at pre-designated training stations along the way to conduct Cadre facilitated classes on skills they need to become proficient on for the upcoming academic year.
While the Cadets conducted their training they also got to take in expansive views of Eastern Washington:
Once the Cadets reached the summit of the 5,883 foot Mt. Spokane, they took a break to each lunch and enjoy the views:
After departing the summit the Cadets stopped again at pre-planned spots to finish their training before returning to the trailhead. Overall the Cadets hiked 9.5 miles with approximately 2,000 feet of elevation gain during the day. The Cadets received great training and an even better workout. The weather was also phenomenal and was a great break from the smokey days we had recently in the region due to forest fires.
All of us Cadre members were happy to conduct in-person training with our Cadets for the first time since winter quarter. EWU Army ROTC is approved to conduct in person training for our leadership labs, field training exercises, and physical training that all occurs outdoors. For our classes that occur normally inside a classroom, they will continue to be conducted virtually until the COVID conditions improve. We are committed to providing the best training we can in the safest manner possible to ensure our Cadets all remain Eagle Strong!
Note: You can view more pictures from the train up on our Flickr page.
