Outdoor Leadership Center debuts new trips

Next week, the OLC will be conducting spring break trips to two locations.

One group is heading to the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

Leaving on Saturday, the group will drive for two days and then enter through the south entrance.

They’ll camp out for a few nights, and conclude by hiking back up the Canyon, which entails two-thirds of a mile of elevation gain and then drive two days back home.

Going on this trip, students will join the 0.0005% of visitors who backpack to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and touch the Colorado River.

Another group, also leaving on Saturday, will be embarking on a journey.

There’ll be a one-night pit stop in the Black Hills, followed by a mid-day hike.

From there they’ll continue onto the final destination, the Red Lodge Mountain, located in Montana, where students will have the choice of skiing or snowboarding for two days, on the 70 runs, 2,400 foot vertical drops and 1,000+ acres of skiable areas.

According to their website, the OLC has three learning goals.

“Provide experiential learning for its customers through outdoor programming and the rental of outdoor equipment. Introduce clients to new areas of interest in the outdoors. Provide alternative leadership opportunities and encourage socially responsible life skills,” the website says.

The Red Lodge group will offer free snowpants and gloves, and free camping gear will be offered for the Grand Canyon group.

This year marks the first year that the spring break trips will be led exclusively by Outdoor U Student Staff, per Sierra Hietala, Outdoor Education Program Manager.

Throughout these journeys, the Outdoor U Student Staff hope they will be able to share their knowledge with the students attending and enrich their experiences.

SJU junior Brady McElroy said he has really enjoyed OLC activities, claiming it has provided experiences of a lifetime.

He went on the Collegebound trip as a first-year, where they trekked up to the Boundary Waters.

“[I enjoyed the trip and] returned to Collegebound as a leader, hoping to give incoming students some of the same fun opportunities that I’d had,” McElroy said.

Throughout his time here, he said the OLC has been a resource that has provided him an outlet to scratch his itch for exploring the outdoors.

“The OLC really drew me in because of my love for the outdoors and outdoor adventure that I’ve had my whole life. I think the varied outdoor adventure opportunities that the OLC offers with its break trips are a great time for students,” McElroy said.

He went on to note the community and camaraderie that is built up within a relatively short time.

“I made friends on OLC trips from years ago whom I’m still close with today, and on several occasions different trip groups have had reunion parties to reminisce and catch up,” McElroy said. “Some of my fondest college memories are from OLC trips. Whether it’s stargazing late at night after deep conversations, cramming ten people into one tent to play cards or trying to keep people’s spirits up after three days of nonstop rain on the trail, there’s never a dull moment, and that’s what I love about outdoor adventure.”

McElroy encouraged students to take advantage of the program’s offerings.

“Overall, the OLC’s break trips are a tremendous opportunity for outdoor adventure that take advantage of the nature in Minnesota, the area and even places further afield in the U.S. The OLC gives students the opportunity to get out of their comfort zone, push their limits and reconnect with nature,” McElroy said.