In a wild pre-finals extravaganza, Sofia Nyez and Ryan Fernandez led a three-day, two-night trip to the High Sierras. Leaving UCLA midday on Friday, all 15 participants made their way up to Wild Willy's Hot Springs in Mammoth, where they soaked in sulfuric-smelling pools and watched the sunset paint the eastern face of the Sierras. It was truly magical. Near sundown, the crew headed into town for dinner before driving up to camp at the trailhead after dark. After a solid night at 9,000 feet, it was time to start the long crusade in. Hiking past roaring waterfalls and pristine alpine lakes, TUBC finally arrived at the destination: Lake 5. Half-frozen and ringed by a wall of snow, Lake 5 was a secret winter wonderland tucked deep in the Sierras. With a little peer pressure, almost everyone locked hands and took the polar plunge into the icy water, completing the mission of going from a hot spring to a frozen alpine lake in less than 24 hours. While participants warmed up, Sofia and Ryan got dinner started when a surprise visitor appeared out of nowhere: Jess McKay! After dinner, the group swapped stories and shared good memories before turning in for the night. The next morning, they hiked out while being chased down the trail by a rolling thunderstorm, returning to Westwood tired, a little singed by the alpine sun, and ready to take on finals.