Outdoor Pursuits Newsletter

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Outdoor Pursuits Newsletter"

Harriet Francis
5 years ago
Views:

Outdoor Pursuits is excited about the fact that spring is here and with the change of seasons comes changes in outdoor activities - boating season is right around the corner!

is fun and safe: Wear your Life Jacket regardless of boat type or difficulty of water Avoid alcohol and illegal drugs Avoid extremes of weather and water Avoid dams - Small low-head dams are

1 Spring 2013 Outdoor Pursuits Newsletter Outdoor Pursuits Student Life Center 1000 Rim Drive Durango, CO Office Hours Mon. - Fri. 10am - 5pm Climbing Wall Mon. - Thurs. 11am-1pm & 4:30pm-10pm Fri. 11am-1pm & 4:30pm-8pm Boating Season is Upon Us! Outdoor Pursuits is excited about the fact that spring is here and with the change of seasons comes changes in outdoor activities - boating season is right around the corner! Given that the Animas runs right through town and OP can provide you with the equipment to float on it, we would like to remind folks of a few basic safety topics in order to insure that your float is fun and safe: Wear your Life Jacket regardless of boat type or difficulty of water Avoid alcohol and illegal drugs Avoid extremes of weather and water Avoid dams - Small low-head dams are responsible for 10% of river fatalities Have a frank knowledge of your boating ability Carry the equipment needed for unexpected emergencies Boating alone is discouraged If you have any questions about gear, safety, rivers or anything pertaining to boating, stop by the OP office and we will be happy to assist you in any way that we can. Adventure Trips Climbing Wall Equipment Rental Weekly Activities

OP Summer Office and Rental Hours Beginning May 7th Tuesday - Thursday 11am - 2pm Closed April 29th - May 3rd Annual OP Gear SALE!

You,the citizens of this great state of ours, benefit by being able to purchase this equipment in a silent auction format.

OP accepts cash, check, and credit for purchases. Man, April just came out of no where, didn t it?

The year has been a full one, that s for sure - lots of running about in the outdoors, lots of time spent learning and working with a stellar staff and student body, and lots of memories made.

And there s no way that this year would have been the same without YOU, the students here at Fort Lewis.

2 OP Summer Office and Rental Hours Beginning May 7th Tuesday - Thursday 11am - 2pm Closed April 29th - May 3rd Annual OP Gear SALE! Come join Outdoor Pursuits at our annual gear sale and equipment swap on Friday, April 20th, as we retire old gear and circulate new equipment into the program. You,the citizens of this great state of ours, benefit by being able to purchase this equipment in a silent auction format. While the auction is going on, folks are also able to buy, sell and trade their own equipment at the swap, with the only caveat being that they must be present to handle their own equipment sales. OP accepts cash, check, and credit for purchases. Man, April just came out of no where, didn t it?! It s hard to believe that the end of the year is quickly approaching and with it the end of my time as the intern here at the great Outdoor Pursuits. The year has been a full one, that s for sure - lots of running about in the outdoors, lots of time spent learning and working with a stellar staff and student body, and lots of memories made. I have certainly learned a lot about what a career in collegiate recreation entails and I have been able to work alongside some of the best in the industry. And there s no way that this year would have been the same without YOU, the students here at Fort Lewis. I have had the best time ice climbing, splitboarding, climbing, mountain biking, swapping stories across the checkout counter, and SUKing with you guys, and I ve learned a lot from you along the way. So a huge thanks to all of you! Intern's Corner When writing an ending of an era tidbit, it has always been pretty commonplace to pass on some advice or knowledge that you ve gained from your experience. To keep with that tradition, I just want to encourage you all to keep getting after it, in all aspects of life. Don t let laziness, uncertainty, or fear keep you from taking that next step or being a part of something that could change your life. Keep a solid balance of heart and mind, don t let one overpower the other. Life is your adventure to own, one day at a time. And when you catch the edge of your snowboard and it smacks you to the ground, the only way to get to the bottom is to get up again. It just gets colder the longer you wallow in the snow. My future plans, you ask? They involve a summer stuffed to the brim with climbing and kayaking followed by grad school preparations sometime in the year following that. In the time period between those two events, I plan on giving my passport some new tattoos - New Zealand looks like it could entertain me for awhile. It s been fun y all, Katelyn

Revelation in the Rough I m in a box that has everything I need a mere switch flip or faucet turn away. A house.

My sun lit skin becomes less ruddy and robust every second I bask in this luxury. Warm water soothingly sp r i n k le s over my dirty, greasy, and scab covered body.

.. Author Courtney Ott on the Arizona Trail We would like to thank the following for their support:... Cold water soothingly sp r n k i le s over my dirty, greasy, and scab covered body.

Suddenly the sky B r EAkS with a startling crack.! Torrential gusts of water-filled wind bu f FeT me. I m reminded that I ve got a bike to control, to confine to my 4 feet of up rocky trail.

one hour passes, then two. Then three. After the fourth hour, time simply fades away..... I look up and take in the beauty. Swooping ridgelines d e l ve into rugged and luscious valleys.

3 Revelation in the Rough I m in a box that has everything I need a mere switch flip or faucet turn away. A house. Generated heat bleeds from the floors to warm me, recycled water gushes deceivingly abundant from the walls to quench my thirst, and these artificial lights beat down on me. My sun lit skin becomes less ruddy and robust every second I bask in this luxury. Warm water soothingly sp r i n k le s over my dirty, greasy, and scab covered body. Mud trickles down my sun baked legs, dancing through the ridges of the scabs on my shin. My dirt crusted fingers rake through my wet hair, and with a sigh I close my eyes... Author Courtney Ott on the Arizona Trail We would like to thank the following for their support:... Cold water soothingly sp r n k i le s over my dirty, greasy, and scab covered body. It teases out the heat from the last five 80 degree days of mountain biking under the Arizona sun. It blends with my sweat, hiding my own exertion from me. Suddenly the sky B r EAkS with a startling crack.! Torrential gusts of water-filled wind bu f FeT me. I m reminded that I ve got a bike to control, to confine to my 4 feet of up rocky trail. up and the green cliff-lined valleys we c limb,rounding buttes, c rest i ng r i d g es and canyons only to pick up another and another. Rusty gears grind and muscles surge. Numb hands shift and steer. one hour passes, then two. Then three. After the fourth hour, time simply fades away..... I look up and take in the beauty. Swooping ridgelines d e l ve into rugged and luscious valleys. Rain f alls from the darkest, deep est clouds, soaking the world withrichness. Sunlight filters in shafts through the clouds. It illuminates the golden brown planes of the distant bold butte that commandingly protrudes from this indescribable earth. Then I look down and take in the pain. Cactus punctures riddle my arms and legs. Scabbed over gouges mar my shin. A stream of blood flows from an unregistered cut in my knee. My jaw hangs open, sucking in the moist air in gasps growing ever more distressed. I stopped twisting my agonized muscles to crank up these e n d l e s s rocky p i t ches long ago. My body hunches over the handlebars as I haul my 60-pound bike up the trail. As my legs fight through the mud and loose rock, my gasps turn to sobs because I know that soon I won t be able to satisfy the demands of this trail. The sky thunders! again. Like a barrage of bullets, hail pellets crackle over my helmet and bore into my skin. At first I wince and groanwith every striking piece of hail, but after a while I assimilate the sensation into my repertoire of feelings and continue on in silence. The world begins to tip and LURCH. My mind grows hazy and everything becomes as a dream.slow. Heavy. Confused. I lift my head to find my companions. Ahead, Beau stands strong. A sharp red figure against the green valley below, challenging those beautiful and HEINOUS clouds. Brett marches behind me, there to see me through this dream. A comforting hand on my shoulder, my bike f a lls to the ground and I rest. In my stupor, I sit and prop my head up with the palm of my hand. Beau sits behind me, Brett beside me, and nature is staring me in the face. A thirsty desert under a pregnant sky. Rain. Wind. Sun. Cactus. A winding path. Through my wavering vision, I see life in all its rawness. I feel its beauty and cruelty and know at once that yes,this life is worth living.... I open my eyes to the white plastic shower wall in front of me and s i nk slowly to the floor, hugging my tired legs to my chest. The warm water sprinkles soothingly over my body. -Courtney 0tt, OP Staff Member and Member of Team AZ

Graduating Seniors Major? Adventure Education Favorite OP Experience? My favorite Outdoor Pursuits experience would have to be the the 2012 Thanksgiving Grand Canyon trip.

In the future I plan on expanding my experience with climbing, canyoning and working with children. Josh Larsen Greg Cairns Major? Liberal Studies-English Favorite OP Experience?

No better way to spend the break than in the bottom of the Grand Canyon! Future Plans? I want to pursue independent film. I have two projects in the works that I'm very excited about.

I want to ride a cow. Its a very important goal of mine! I also want to travel around the world using a bike, my feet, and a sail! Must See/Do in Life?

4 Graduating Seniors Major? Adventure Education Favorite OP Experience? My favorite Outdoor Pursuits experience would have to be the the 2012 Thanksgiving Grand Canyon trip. This was the first time I had ever seen the Grand Canyon and everyone in the group was motivated and had a good time. Future Plans? In the future I plan on expanding my experience with climbing, canyoning and working with children. Josh Larsen Greg Cairns Major? Liberal Studies-English Favorite OP Experience? My favorite OP experience was leading the Thanksgiving Break Grand Canyon backpacking trip. The weather was perfect and the canyon was amazing. No better way to spend the break than in the bottom of the Grand Canyon! Future Plans? I want to pursue independent film. I have two projects in the works that I'm very excited about. I plan to work in the great outdoors through wilderness therapy or wildland firefighting. I also just signed on as the coach of the FLC hockey team next winter! Must See/Do In Life? I want to ride a cow. Its a very important goal of mine! I also want to travel around the world using a bike, my feet, and a sail! Must See/Do in Life? I must go canyoneering in The Blue Mountains in Australia, featured in National Geographic. The canyon features three 150' waterfall rappels and many other cliffs and jungle to be navigated. Chris Panawa Major? Adventure Education Favorite OP Experience? Backpacking and mountaineering during Student Outdoor Leadership (SOL) training last summer, it was awesome climbing mountains and hiking through the rugged and beautiful terrain of the Weminuche Wilderness while getting to know future OP trip leaders and learning new skills. Future Plans? Get a job somewhere doing something I enjoy, backpacking the Colorado Trail, and exploring what America has to offer. Must See/Do In Life? I must see more mountains, technical canyons, bike trails, more coastal areas, and more cool people. In my life I want to make a difference in the world however small it may be.

The rock beneath you seems to move as you stretch out Author Kelsey Eans your hand to grasp at something, anything that will make you feel confident to make your next move.

But, you keep going; you keep pushing your body because you know what the reward will be when you reach the top.

you yell down to your belayer, and suddenly you re sitting comfortably in your harness, drinking in the view.

The next moment, your feet touch the ground, and you re ready to defeat the next challenge.

5 Life on the Rocks: A Climber s perspective on a week spent chasing the next climb. Focus. Breathe. Climb. The rock beneath you seems to move as you stretch out Author Kelsey Eans your hand to grasp at something, anything that will make you feel confident to make your next move. Your feet are aching, your fingers are tingling from the hard granite, and your legs are starting to do the Elvis shake. But, you keep going; you keep pushing your body because you know what the reward will be when you reach the top. Finally, you make your last move and you see two silver chains hanging from the rock like two beacons guiding you to victory. Take! you yell down to your belayer, and suddenly you re sitting comfortably in your harness, drinking in the view. All of the tiredness seeps from your body when you realize that you defeated the challenge; you overcame your fear. The next moment, your feet touch the ground, and you re ready to defeat the next challenge. The rock climbing spring break trip not only offered adventure and exploration, but it also offered challenges and overcoming fears. In the middle of the desert, my fellow rock climbers and I bonded over rocks. We grew as a team, supporting one another as we drove, cooked, cleaned, and of course CLIMBED!! We pushed ourselves during the day, trying things we had never done before. Under the Arizona night sky, we prepared feasts that made us all happy and plump. In the morning, we awoke with one goal in mind to climb. Sun, rain, and snow, we experienced it all. And, who gets to say that they have walked through a deserted carnival through the pouring rain? We OP rock climbers do for sure!! I don t hesitate for a moment when I say that all of us will remember the 2013 spring break rock climbing trip!

6 Spring 2013 Photo Gallery Ice Climbing in Ouray Ice Park Early morning on the Arizona Trail Rock Climbers in Arizona! Chowing down in the hut after a good day of skiing! Avalanche Training and playing in the powder! Team AZT about to start their trek to Superior, AZ

OUTDOOR PURSUITS NEWSLETTER

Spring 2011 OUTDOOR PURSUITS NEWSLETTER OUTDOOR PURSUITS Student Life Center 1000 Rim Drive Durango, CO 81301 970-247-7293 www.fortlewis.edu/recservices/ OFFICE HOURS Mon. - Fri. 10am - 5pm CLIMBING WALL