By Piper Rutherford | Staff Writer
Outdoor Adventure is gearing up for this year’s spring break trips, in which students can travel to national parks and lace up their boots for hiking, rock climbing, canoeing and mountain biking excursions.
Cody Schrank, associate director of Outdoor Adventure, said while the Utah trips filled up within the first 15 minutes, there are still spots available for those interested in going to Arkansas.
“For our trips offered this year, we will be … in Moab, Utah, where students can rock climb and repel down the mountains. Another will be in Arkansas, where students can go to Bentonville to mountain bike on the hundreds of miles of trails,” Schrank said. “As for the more popular trip, we will have two different groups going to Paria Canyon, which is a backpacking trip that starts in southern Utah and ends in northern Arizona near the Grand Canyon, which is about a 43-mile hike.”
Schrank said Campus Recreation makes a big push to get students outside during spring break so that they can embark on adventures beyond Waco.
“One of the main reasons why our trips fill up so fast is that we have about 6-10 spots available for each trip, due to safety permits from the national parks as well as how many professional graduate leaders we have on the trip,” Schrank said. “It is also important to note that since our goal is to keep these trips as cheap as possible, we cover the costs of food, gear and lodging for students, leaving them to pay only about $500-595 on their end for travel expenses.”
While Schrank will be sitting out of this year’s spring break trips for the first time in 13 years, he said he feels confident leaving them in the hands of capable graduate student leaders, who have been training for years to guide their own trips.
Allen graduate student Rachel Burduroglu is one such leader and will be guiding the Moab, Utah, trip. She said the spot feels like her second home.
“I created this trip since I used to guide out in Utah,” Burduroglu said. “It holds such a special place in my heart, since it is where my mom — who instilled my love and adventurous spirit for backpacking and climbing growing up — and I often go. And it is also where I will be getting married after graduation.”
Burduroglu said her affinity for canyoneering keeps her climbing and helps her navigate her own life.
“This is when you have to get out of a canyon by continuing to move forward,” Burduroglu said. “This is a great analogy for students in college, since it teaches them how to persevere through their school experience so that they can one day graduate.”
As for the select number of students who will embark on one of these trips in March, Schrank said he will never forget the feeling of seeing national parks through the fresh eyes of first-time campers.
“A friend once asked me if I get tired of going on these trips — like Paria Canyon — since I have been on all of them in some form or fashion,” Schrank said. “And the answer is no. I don’t. I am honored that I get to take new Bears and backpackers on this experience each and every time.”