OUTDOOR PURSUITS NEWSLETTER

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Hollie Hudson
5 years ago
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11am-1pm & 4:30pm - 8pm OP Announces New Student Leadership Program OP has been developing a new outdoor leadership program over the last year called Student Outdoor Leadership Experiences or SOLE.

The SOLE program includes a three week training in May and opportunities to lead trips for OP during the school year. The May training will take place both on and off campus.

1 Spring 2011 OUTDOOR PURSUITS NEWSLETTER OUTDOOR PURSUITS Student Life Center 1000 Rim Drive Durango, CO OFFICE HOURS Mon. - Fri. 10am - 5pm CLIMBING WALL Mon. - Thur. 11am-1pm & 4:30pm-10pm Fri. 11am-1pm & 4:30pm - 8pm OP Announces New Student Leadership Program OP has been developing a new outdoor leadership program over the last year called Student Outdoor Leadership Experiences or SOLE. During the spring semester students from all over the campus took part in a lengthy application process in hopes of being selected for the program. The SOLE program includes a three week training in May and opportunities to lead trips for OP during the school year. The May training will take place both on and off campus. The first week will be spent on campus learning the OP trip system, exploring leadership and learning styles, as well as completing a van/trailer driving course. The following two weeks will be spent at OP s Mountain Base Camp and backpacking through the Weminuche Wilderness. In total 9 students have been selected to go through the first ever SOLE training. When the May training is complete these new student leaders will begin leading OP trips. Their first trip will be a 4-day backpacking trip in the surrounding Durango area as part of the college s new Peak Experiences program. This program was specifically designed for incoming freshmen. It will offer the new students insights into their upcoming year at FLC, while building a community of friends that they can depend on when classes start. Best of all, they will get to experience the best of what Durango has to offer the outdoors. Once classes start next fall, the SOLE leaders will begin leading OP trips throughout the Southwest. Each leader is different and each has his or her own personal outdoor experience. These students will be taking on anything from beginning snowboard lessons to climbing and backpacking trips. They will all be learning from one another and helping one another to grow as leaders. What this means for OP members is that you can expect to see an increase in the number of trips offered this fall and into We plan to offer more outings to the places that FLC students want to go to the most. We will continue to offer the same high quality, safe, and fun trips for which OP is known. Keep an eye out for the fall OP program guide for more details. For more information regarding SOLE or any of OP s programs contact Joey Parent at or parent_a@fortlewis.edu. Adventure Trips Climbing Wall Equipment Rentals Weekly Activities

New Summer Hours And Programs Beginning Tuesday May 10th SUMMER OFFICE HOURS Tuesday - Thursday 11am - 2pm ***The climbing wall is closed for

We will ride from campus to any number of trails in the surrounding Durango area. Bring your own bike, or ride one of ours!

Meeting: 3PM at OP Thursday Kayak Trips Thursday s, June 9th - August 11th Grab a kayak, get out on the water!

The OP paddling staff will be there teaching anything from draw strokes to front loops.

Workshop. This is the best known certification in the U.S. for kayak instruction.

2 New Summer Hours And Programs Beginning Tuesday May 10th SUMMER OFFICE HOURS Tuesday - Thursday 11am - 2pm ***The climbing wall is closed for the summer*** Tuesday Mountain Bike Rides Tuesday s, June 6th - August 9th Go for a ride with the OP crew. We will ride from campus to any number of trails in the surrounding Durango area. Bring your own bike, or ride one of ours! All levels and abilities are welcome Cost: FREE! Meeting: 3PM at OP Thursday Kayak Trips Thursday s, June 9th - August 11th Grab a kayak, get out on the water! We will leave OP and find a stretch of river appropriate for those who show up. The OP paddling staff will be there teaching anything from draw strokes to front loops... All levels and abilities are welcome Cost: FREE! Meet: 2:30PM at OP (Does not Include transportation) American Canoe Association (ACA) River Kayak Instructor Development and Certification Workshop. This is the best known certification in the U.S. for kayak instruction. The course will strengthen your kayaking skills, provide you with solid teaching methods and create a solid background to be a whitewater kayak instructor. w K AYAK M 2011 AY TH TH Includes transportation, course materials and some equipment. Sign-up begins Immediately Contact Brett Davis at OP for course information and registration (970) davis_b@fortlewis.edu I COST: $250 HITEWATER NSTRUCTOR C OURSE (FLC Students with OP Memebership)

GRADUATING SENIORS Chris Parker Major- English Communications Favorite OP Experience- Seeing students have a blast climbing during our Climbing Wall Comps. So rewarding!

Writing articles on climbing, climbing, taking pictures of climbing, climbing, editing stories on climbing, and yeah climbing.

semester. They are set up with Voile bindings. Its a pretty sweet set up that will get you out shredding some backcountry pow! There are only two at the moment so come in early if you want to get one.

3 GRADUATING SENIORS Chris Parker Major- English Communications Favorite OP Experience- Seeing students have a blast climbing during our Climbing Wall Comps. So rewarding! Outdoor Passions- Rock Climbing! Cycling Future Plans- I am the Fall Intern for Rock and Ice Magazine starting in Sept! Writing articles on climbing, climbing, taking pictures of climbing, climbing, editing stories on climbing, and yeah climbing. Must See/Do in Life- Boulder in Fontainebleau New Gear For 2011 Venture Splitboards OP just purchased a couple of Venture Divide Splitboards that will be availible for check-out during the Fall 2011 semester. They are set up with Voile bindings. Its a pretty sweet set up that will get you out shredding some backcountry pow! There are only two at the moment so come in early if you want to get one. Well, my stay at Fort Lewis College as the Outdoor Pursuits intern is coming to an end. I would like to take a few minutes and recap the great times that I have had with OP and you, the students. I came in not knowing much about the campus, town, or the area. However, after the last two semesters with the help from OP and everyone at the Fort, I feel welcomed. I know great places to eat and hangout, and have ventured into some incredible places in the San Juan s and the surrounding areas. When reminiscing about the year at OP and the trips I was able to attend, several come to mind from the cold swims in Leprechaun Canyon and 50 mile per hour winds on Red Mountain Pass to the whitewater kayaking on the Animas and Colorado Rivers. Every trip I attended has a story and a memory and I would not trade them for the world. In addition to the memories, each trip also provided me Fly Fishing Gear Ever wanted to learn how to fly fish? Well here is your chance! OP will be offering fly fishing equipment as part of its already extensive inventory of equipment for checkout. Keep and eye out for upcoming Learn to Fly Fish Clinics in the fall semester. They will be a lot of fun! Intern Corner Brad Szlezak with phenomenal outdoor experiences, professional development, and great opportunities to expand my outdoor education. OP and the people I have met and played outdoors with have given me a great year in my life and I will never forget it. As for my future, I have no concrete plans as of right now. I am currently looking for the next step in my career which I hope is becoming an assistant coordinator of an outdoor program such as OP. If nothing comes up for me, then I will pursue a seasonal job which will help me build my resume to obtain this future job. And if all else fails I will join my sister in Alaska and play as hard as I can. Thanks for the great year! ~Brad Szlezak r

We would like to thank the following for their support:... My First OP Experience I had just finished midterm exams and my excitement level was growing.

Up to the top of the bus went propane tanks, river chairs, stoves, tables, paco pads, oars, raft frames and river ammo cans.

When all said and done we looked like the Beverly Hillbillies going rafting. What a sight to see. I knew this was going to be a great trip and my best spring break ever!

It was fun to spend time at the beach and with my family, though after three years, I realized that a trip to Mexico is not my ideal vacation.

4 We would like to thank the following for their support:... My First OP Experience I had just finished midterm exams and my excitement level was growing...i knew I was soon embarking on my first float trip with Outdoor Pursuits and I had no idea what to expect. I showed up early to help load the Fort Lewis school bus with tons of stuff. Up to the top of the bus went propane tanks, river chairs, stoves, tables, paco pads, oars, raft frames and river ammo cans. In the back of the bus went coolers and dry boxes of food along with all of our deflated rafts. We even had one of the OP professional staff s road bike. When all said and done we looked like the Beverly Hillbillies going rafting. What a sight to see. I knew this was going to be a great trip and my best spring break ever! During my senior year of high school my family went to Cancun for spring break. It was fun to spend time at the beach and with my family, though after three years, I realized that a trip to Mexico is not my ideal vacation. Floating the San Juan River with OP was an experience I will not soon forget. The OP staff members are knowledgeable and experienced, as well as fun and entertaining. Myself and several other students all agreed that everyone in the group seemed to mesh really well which made for a successful trip. This spring break wasn t just for relaxation while floating down the river we also were completing several service projects along the way. By the third day of the trip we had picked up a mound of trash consisting of plastic bottles, beer cans, tires, basketballs, Styrofoam and even a futon bed frame. For me, doing all this was the best part of the trip because I was on vacation and giving back to the river. Besides cleaning the river of man-made debris, we worked on eradicating an invasive weed called Ravenna Grass. Essentially, we used sharp tools and brute muscle to remove this pesky grass which is taking over the banks of the river and sucking the life out of everything. It was hard work to pull out these plants, but we all had a great time doing it. The San Juan River Service Project Spring Break 2011 Clancy Ryburn end results were dead Ravenna plants and us getting all itchy. The itchiness just gave us a good reason to plunge ourselves into the frigid water of the San Juan. After each day on the river everyone always looked forward to cooking an amazing meal and sitting by the fire under the comfort of the bright stars. On the last day of the trip everyone kept saying that they didn t want to go back into civilization, but wanted to continue our trip for a few more weeks. Upon reaching Clay Hills Crossing, our final stop on the river, we packed up the rafts and other supplies (including Brett s road bike which made its first ever journey down the San Juan) and then hopped on the overloaded bus and made our way back to Durango. We still looked like the Beverly Hillbillies now we just had the smell of eight days on the river to go with it! During this trip many new experiences were had and many new friendships were made. I knew it would be a trip that I would never forget. Needless to say, everyone should at least experience one Outdoor Pursuits trip during their tenure at the Fort.

5 Spring 2011 Photo Gallery Avalanche Awareness Clinic Trash removed from the Upper San Juan, Spring Break 2011 Ouray Ice Climbing Weekend Thanksgiving Backpacking in the Grand Canyon Spoony Love - Winter Break Hut Trip San Juan River wild life Down time on the Winter Break Hut Trip

OPEN KAYAK POOL SESSIONS UI Swim Center - This is a chance for kayakers of all experience levels to work on skills in the safety of the pool.

OPEN KAYAK POOL SESSIONS UI Swim Center - This is a chance for kayakers of all experience levels to work on skills in the safety of the pool. Cost: $5 pay at the pool, 7-10pm Dates: August 29, September