By Emily Schoch | Staff Writer
Students looking to embrace the great outdoors this semester can take advantage of a lineup of activities offered by Outdoor Adventure. From scenic hikes and camping trips to rock climbing and kayaking, the spring schedule promises opportunities for exploration, fitness and fun catering to all skill levels.
Zac Huston, assistant director for Outdoor Adventure, said there are many spring break trips, which will open for registration on Wednesday in the McLane Student Life Center. Students can register in person on Wednesday, and on Feb. 3., the trips will be open on the Outdoor Adventure website for registration.
There are three trips which will occur over Baylor’s spring break from March 10 to 14. Every trip is open to all students with the first being a trip to Ouray, Colorado, where students will be ice climbing and snowshoeing, Huston said.
There will also be two groups going to Arizona to backpack and camp, he said. One group will go to the Grand Canyon and the other group will go to the Paria Canyon. Huston said the Paria Canyon is typically a more challenging trip because it is a slot canyon, meaning the trails are significantly more narrow.
“The Paria Canyon actually ends at Lees Ferry, which is considered the beginning of the Grand Canyon,” Huston said. “So if you go to Paria Canyon, it’s more remote, [and] it’s a harder trip. But you will be sending pictures home to mom and dad, and they would just assume you were in the Grand Canyon the whole time because that’s what it looks like — massive, massive red walls of stone.”
The last spring break trip will be going to Moab, Utah. The trip to Utah is a more relaxing way to spend spring break exploring the mountains with other students, Huston said.
Outside of spring break, Outdoor Adventure also hosts day trips and local adventures in Texas for every student. Each semester students have the opportunity to attend a day trip to Milton Reimers Ranch Park in Dripping Springs for a day trip of rock climbing, Huston said.
San Jose, Calif., sophomore Hannah Ciprian said she is excited and looking forward to the Outdoor Adventure day trip schedule for the spring semester.
“I just love the fact that Baylor offers so many opportunities for students to get outside and be active,” Ciprian said. “And I love that there’s out-of-state trips. But I think what is super awesome about Outdoor Adventure is that they also offer day trips that we can plan into our schedules a little better than an out-of-state, longer trip.”
There will also be a day trip going to the San Marcos River where students can experience white water rafting. Huston said that the Outdoor Adventure team is going to do a fly fishing day trip with the location to be determined.
If students would rather stay in Waco for the day, they can indulge in the Pedal Paddle adventure, a reoccurring event that takes place each semester. Students will start a guided bike ride on campus through downtown Waco and over to Cameron Park. Once they get to Cameron Park, they will swap out their bike for a kayak and paddle back to campus.
The last event that Outdoor Adventure will host this spring is called Bear Climb, taking place in the SLC on April 5. Bear Climb is an all-inclusive climbing competition where Baylor will host anyone who wants to participate, including non-Baylor students and even people from other universities.
“If you ever went to a high school track meet, that’s kind of what Bear Climb feels like,” Huston said. “There’s just people from all over, — so UT, A&M, TCU — and it’s kind of the track meet vibe.”
As Outdoor Adventure finalizes trips and plans, there will be more dates and times added to the Baylor Outdoor Adventure website throughout the semester.
