The campus on a hill
As winter approaches and students anticipate the hills around campus becoming ski slopes, the questions emerge: which hill is the hilliest and which students will be sliding back down the most?
Huffing and puffing up a seriously steep hill is how many Utah State University students begin their days.
From the switchbacks coming up from the “Island” to rock climbing up 800 North, students get their daily exercise as a result of the uphill climbs surrounding campus. Some of these inclines around campus have steep grades as well as extreme lengths. Mark Nielsen, from the Logan City public works department, said the steepest hill on campus is 800 North. The climb has a16.6 percent grade, which equals the vertical climb divided by the horizontal distance of the hill. But those climbing up 700 North shouldn’t feel too left out. That hill is just behind, with a 15.4 percent grade. Other hills include 800 East, with an 8.6 percent grade, and 1200 East, with a 7.3 percent grade.
Nielson didn’t have any information on Old Main Hill or the hill from the Island on the south side of campus.
“I drive up 700 North every day,” Jonathan Young, a junior majoring in art education, said. “It’s a pretty bad drive.”
However, many students don’t only have to climb up, they also have to climb far.
Nielsen said the longest climb is 1200 East with a distance of 712 feet and 800 East comes in a close second with 601 feet. Others are 800 North with 289 feet and 700 North with 325 feet. All of the measurements begin at the bottom of the incline.
Kim Drommond, a senior majoring in elementary education who walks up 900 North and then 800 East, said, “It doesn’t matter how many times you walk up it, you still get winded.”
As students pack their backpacks full of books up the various hills around, the health benefits can add up.
According to bodybuilding.com, a 150-pound person carrying zero to nine pounds for 15 minutes up a hill will burn 125 calories.
Adding 10 to 20 pounds to the backpack and a climber will burn 134 calories.
Many students climb the hills two and three times a day. This means the calories burned can really add up.
And not everyone hates the hills.
“I like it because it sets campus above everything,” Erika Blank, a sophomore majoring in biology, said.
Still, Jen Adair, a sophomore majoring in interior design, said, “My legs hurt so bad every time. Even with the stairs, Old Main Hill is hard to get up.”
-hollyadams@cc.usu.edu
The hill on 800 North is one of the steepest climbs in the area around Utah State University´s campus.
This veiw of 800 North shows a large portion of the 289-foot climb up to campus. Many students must climb this hill or others everyday.