Experience nature with the Outdoor Recreation Center

College is a time to try new things and have new experiences. With the Outdoor Resource Center (ORC), you can do more than join a fraternity or a sorority; you can learn to experience the outdoors first hand.

With a team of student leaders, ORC plans multiple trips throughout the year designed to give students with varying experience levels and interests an opportunity to engage with nature.

“We have a lot of outdoor activities that almost anyone can do,” Quinn Hirt, trip leader for ORC, said. “You don’t have to climb or backpack, we also have paddleboarding and kayaking. There’s something for anyone to come and have a fun time doing.”

One of the events ORC has planned for the summer is a backpacking trip to the San Juan National Forest in Colorado from July 30 to August 7. Students interested in backpacking in Colorado should act fast, as there is only one spot left.

Costs for transportation, on location meals and equipment is all compiled into the $400 price. Any experience level is welcome, and new backpackers can count on instruction provided by trip leaders.

“Some people go on it who have never backpacked before get a feel for what it’s like to backpack, and what it’s like to be out in the country and carry everything on your back,” Office Manager Erin Sherrets said. “That’s the incredible thing about it: being able to carry everything, all the essentials. It’s a really interesting experience for most people.”

In addition to the Colorado trip, incoming freshmen can accompany ORC on the Freshman Outdoor Orientation Trip or FOOT. For $350 students can backpack the Appalachian Trail while meeting other freshmen who love the outdoors. Backpacks, tents, sleeping bags and pads, food and transportation are all provided, and the trip will last from August 17 to August 24.

Trips like these, according to Sherrets, help students get engaged with the community on campus.

“When I discovered ORC, it changed my life completely,” Sherrets said. “My first trip was New Mexico, and there was snow on the ground. I never backpacked before. I’ve had hiking experience, but nothing extremely strenuous. We snowshoed up mountains on snow. It was freezing, it was single digits during the night. It was so cold and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life, but it was also the best time of my life. These opportunities are right here in the student union. I could never imagine not finding [ORC] or not having the experience.”

There are also shorter trips, like an outdoor rock climbing trip to John Bryan State Park on July 17 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. There are also classes for kayaking and stand up paddleboarding on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. through most of the summer.

The WSU Climbing Gym is still open over the summer on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. There are also belay classes offered on Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Students interested in more information on future trips and classes offered by ORC can visit their webpage wright.edu/campus-recreation/outdoor-recreation. You can also stop in their office at 037 Student Union, or contact them through phone at 937-775-5019.