By Emma Grace Howlett ‘25
I remember the last sunset of my first year at Pomona. To celebrate this landmark, I embarked on a sunset hike with On The Loose (OTL), Pomona’s hiking and outdoor club (open to students at all The Claremont Colleges). In less than 20 minutes we had driven to the trailhead, and were marching up Potato Mountain, so named for the collection of assorted potatoes deposited by hikers at the summit. We began late in the evening, the light low as we started our ascent beneath a twisting tunnel of live oak trees, a small stream gurgling in a nearby gulley. As we climbed, we emerged from the oak forest to see views of the surrounding mountains. In the fading light, the green hills glowed with a golden hue, the farther ones fading into pale blue.
We reached the top of Potato Mountain just as the sky began to change color. While not violently vibrant, the sunset’s gentle pastel tones were beautifully delicate. Our group of 12 sat in a circle on the summit and watched in rapture as the sky gradually shifted through a slight gradation of yellow, orange, pink, and then blue. We munched on deconstructed s’mores, passing around packets of graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate chips.
When the light had dimmed enough to see the Big Dipper twinkling overhead, our group leader posed us a question. Going around in a circle, we each said the most unexpected surprise or thing we learned this year, which gave us a chance to both get to know each other better and reflect on our own school year. As an introvert, I had been very nervous about making friends my first semester, even though I had read countless accounts declaring that the best thing about Pomona is “the people.” After my first year, I can confirm this to be true. Surrounded by people from other states and even other countries with diverse backgrounds and interests, my peers and I are united by an unquenchable curiosity and an unprejudiced kindness. I have closer bonds with the friends I have made in the past year than with any I have ever made in my life.
This OTL hike is a testament to the incredible open-mindedness and accepting nature of the 5C community. The magic of OTL hikes is that you can undertake a hike with people from other colleges that you have never met before, and leave with a strong bond cultivated through a shared experience. After sharing our reflections, we hiked back down in the dark with headlamps, the constellations above us and the sprawling, golden city lights below us. As we charged the night air with laughter and conversation, I was filled with gratitude for my first year of college, and excitement for what was to come. After all, this was only the first last sunset.