New semester, new adventures

Students wanting more from their college experience than parking citations and stale food-court pizza are enjoying the great outdoors with the help of the Outdoor Adventure Center.

This semester the Outdoor Adventure Center has lined up a calendar of events that students can write home about.

With the help of the Outdoor Adventure Center, the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour will make its annual stop on campus on Feb. 12 and 13. If you enjoyed Sean Penn’s Into the Wild, the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour is definitely for you. The films presented in the festival are unbelievable. Each night of the festival different films will be presented in the Ragan Theater. Tickets are available in advance from the Outdoor Adventure Center for $9 per person. On the nights of the festival tickets will cost $11 at the door.

On Feb. 20 the Outdoor Adventure Center will be leading a full-moon cross-country skiing trip in American Fork Canyon. If you enjoy snowshoeing, a full-moon snowshoeing trip is planned for March 21. The cost of each of these activities is $10 per person, which includes transportation and equipment. Exploring the snowy backcountry under the light of a full moon will be a college experience you will not soon forget.

This semester, the Outdoor Adventure Center will again offer date night and family night activities. Date nights offer outdoor date activities that won’t break the bank, while family nights allow students to take their loved ones on family friendly outdoor adventures. Activities will include ice blocking and snowboarding under the lights at Brighton.

Are you more of a warm weather wanderer? In March the Outdoor Adventure Center will lead trips to Moab, for mountain biking on the slick rock, and Coyote Gulch, for slot canyon backpacking. This year’s spring break excursion will be a backpacking trip to Havasupai. It will be held March 12-16 and will cost $170 per person. Havasupai is world renown for its waterfalls and blue-green pools.

Obey parking regulations this semester and bring your lunch to school. Doing so will help you save money for a truly different college experience provided by the Outdoor Adventure Center.
The Outdoor Adventure Center is located in the Student Center between the post office and Scoops. Information about trips and gear rental is available online at http://www.uvsc.edu/oac/

Ray Cheatham is a UVSC student majoring in Outdoor Recreation Management.