COLUMN: Explore the outdoors with the ORP
I’m going to start with a little bit of honesty. Most of the outdoor activities I participate in are on my bike, commuting. I love it, don’t get me wrong. I have a few friends that work at just the place where an inexperienced “outdoorsman” like myself can learn about things to do to get in touch with nature, even if it is just every once in a while.
These friends are Hailey and Paul, and they work for the Outdoor Recreation Program. The ORP is mostly known for rental gear and the occasional group trip, but in actuality there is so much more that they have to offer.
If you’re like me, you probably have a pretty casual relationship with the outdoors and may not know how to organize a fun trip all by yourself if you wanted to take one. Just thinking of forgetting to pack something I might need makes me a little bit anxious. The first place you can look is the ORP. This place has way more than just gear rentals. They’ve got tons of small hikes and yurt outings going on all the time. Possibly, the coolest thing I learned during my stop by the ORP is their program for letting students organize their own trips. These trips would be an awesome chance to get some of your inexperienced friends together with an idea that the ORP could iron out for you and even go so far as to supply the transportation.
For example, last year the ORP took part in taking some of USU’s international students to the Tetons to show them some of the white-bark pine trees that have started dying in the area, to push their limits in nature a little bit. Roughly 40 students came from about 10 different countries, most of which were somewhat impoverished. These students had led predominantly urban lives and Brian, the program coordinator, told about how their faces and demeanor changed so much just by seeing what else there is to see. They came to know a little bit more about the region they were living in and saw the beautiful Tetons. Most of them had probably never been in any kind of setting where you could stand on the edge of a cliff and look at the amazing view and the valley below.
The look of joy on their faces in the photographs I saw truly embodied the attitude and sense of accomplishment these students felt once they were able to experience something a little out of the ordinary for them. This isn’t to say they, or any of us, have to become granola eating, Nalgene-wielding, backpacking, Chaco-wearing, expert mountaineers. But it does mean we can easily take advantage of an opportunity to have our minds blown by something we haven’t yet experienced.
Even now, another trip is being planned for this spring break. As of Wednesday, the ORP had 44 open slots for people to join them on a six-day trip to Moab that includes river rafting, hiking and participation in a vegetation restoration program. Even if you are an experienced outdoor adventurist, you could still learn a little something on this trip. There will be such a wide variety of things to do during the day and plenty of chances to get to know a lot of people on a whole new level.
My friends talked about their very specific satisfaction they get from slapping the rapid with your paddle and splashing somebody in the face, the opportunity to meet people and enjoy the camaraderie, or the large group meals at the end of the day. Undoubtedly, it was the chance to watch someone do something they had never done before and learn more about themselves that drives Hailey, Paul and Brian to keep doing these trips.
Many of us novices often experience a bit of apprehension or anxiety when trying to plan these kinds of outings, and these guys still feel those same feelings. Only now it’s not about making sure all of their own bags are packed, but it is the excitement to see others enjoying a bit of the good ol’ outdoors.
– dhsteiner26@gmail.com