Black Canyon Bound

Hello everyone! My name is Frank Bednarczyk, and I am a ProRanger in Cohort 7. I am a Senior at Temple University, studying Anthropology with a focus on American Archaeology. 

Growing up in Michigan, I always liked the outdoors and camping with my family. This blossomed in my high school years as I got more and more into the outdoors. It was around this time that I also joined the Hamburg Township Police Explorers. Soon I had two passions, a passion for camping/backpacking and a passion for law enforcement. As I was struggling with where law enforcement could take me as a career, and deciding between if I wanted to become a city or county officer, I stumbled upon the career of Law Enforcement Ranger for the Park Service on a trip to Mammoth Caves National Park for spring break one year. The idea intrigued me, but I wasn't completely convinced. After about three semesters at community college, I decided it was due time for a break, so I took a semester off and took a month-long backpacking trip in Patagonia, Southern Chile with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). My time in Patagonia only deepened my passion and love for the outdoors. It was one of the best months of  my life despite the severe lack of showers and only 4 pairs of underwear. 

The end our Kayaking section was at the foot of this mountain

Calm water on Estero Puelma

After I returned from my NOLS trip, I was more committed to becoming a Law Enforcement Ranger, and luckily for me, I had a friend and former fellow explorer in the ProRanger Program at Temple. So, I reached out to him and he told me all about it. I was sold (thanks Justen for your continued help). I applied to Temple, and later that year I moved to Philadelphia and applied to the ProRanger Program. Fortunately, I got in.

My time in Patagonia and subsequent trips to my brother in Colorado and to West Virginia for Leadership Camp has developed into a love for the mountains. This summer I hope to learn more about back-country patrols and maybe do some backpacking. In recent months, since joining the program I have gotten more into climbing and I hope to do some of that this summer as well.

Rappelling at New River Gorge National River last year during Leadership Camp

Stay tuned for my adventures in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park this summer!