CWI recently partnered with the Gettysburg Recreational Adventure Board (GRAB) and the college’s reenacting club to provide students with a special opportunity to engage in experiential learning. Students and staff hit the historic and blood-soaked section of the Appalachian Trail between Harpers Ferry and Crampton’s Gap, hiking some of the same ground tread by the soldiers who fought at the Battle of South Mountain in September 1862. Some of the crew were outfitted in 21st century hiking gear and clothing, but many members of the group wore Civil War military garb in order to get a sense of what it would have been like to campaign in the mountainous terrain. In juxtaposing the conveniences of modern gear with the difficulty of hiking in wool uniforms and brogans, the group got a sense of how difficult it is for us today to even imagine the hardships of soldier life.