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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (June 12, 1989)
Adventures create summer escapes 1989 Summer Outdoor Adventures Calendar | June i . 2-6 In ter media le Koek ( limhinu 11-13 lamih < nnoeinj» on the Niohrara \cbrasku 11 -20 Mountain Hack packing m the I etons ll vomin'j 18-20 Canoeing on the Dismal Ki\er. \chra\ka 26 Da\ Canoe t rip. Xchriiska =______ Campus Recreation 19R9 By Connie I,. Sheehan Senior I'Hitor I always envy those w ho go some - where lor the summer 'tel. as a member ol the Iive-yoar college progiamc lub, my sunny summers are '•till spent gn/mg at classroom walls. Now even summer wallllowers s.m experience exciting adventures nianeuxermg canoes through while walei loam, gliding over still pools ol rellevied prairie meadows or even brushing chalk from tired hands while ga/ing over the legendary Needles c limbing area. Your guides to summer excite ment, Jim [ ullerlon and Ins Outdoor Recreation crew, just returned Irom two weeks ol extensive training in Wyoming and South Dakota. The crew soon xnll be lulling the outdoor trail again, and this tune the entire university population is united along. < anocing is h\ lar our niosi populai program, said f ullcrion. coordinator lor (Hildooi Recreation He said it makes up one hall ol the total summer schedule. Experienced canoeists or not, par ticipants can find a trip to lit any expertise. Choices range from lei surely day trips along quiet waters, weekend outings on challenging Nebraska waterways or camping and canoeing for the entire family. Although canoeing currently leads in popularity, Fullerton said, rock climbing used loatlract the most students during the F)7()s, when he was a student employee for campus recreation. Interest in rock climbing was so high at that time, campus recreation organized a trip to the Andes of South America. Fullerton suit! tentative lulure plans exist lor a similar international trip, but lor this summer, students ol the 'HOs will be sealing in South Dakota. I his stale boasts some ol America s most famous climbing areas. Outdoor Recreation s program will oiler basic rock climbing in struclion close to home and a gradu at ion climb at Palisades Stales Park, S I). I aler this summer the interme diate climber's program will host an adventure to the popular Needles climbing area in South Dakota. Whether it be rock climbing, ca noeing 01 othei programs oilered In siimpus recreation, beginning or intermediate outings are supervised mm ii.iiiiai -uim. t till K. Mi 11 > receive instructions which allow I hem lo leel coni idem when ap proaching their chosen activity. The outdoor department is fortu nate to have the support of campus recreation. Fullerton said, in provid ing an intensive staff training period along w ith an ongoing training pro gram. Fullerton explained that the staff is taken into the field, citing the re cent training trip to Wyoming and South Dakota, and new staff works alongside veteran staff on leadership and teaching skills. “So when they’re (student staff) placed in charge of another group of students and maybe there are proles sors in the groups too, they feel con I idem leaching." f ullerton said Neve stall members aren't chosen as trip leaders right awns I iillcrton explained [tut a lughlx trained stalI mi i the onl) benelil in planning a trip through ()uldooi Kecicalion I ullciton said the departuieni s equipment rental can oullil pi.uti c.itIn .ms ac11sit), Irom mountaineer mg expeditions to camping I he equipment is available to umversiis students lac tills and stall One money-saving note Most trips alread) include required equip ment m the program cost I he adventure has been planned experienced leadership pros ided and the equipment packed -so how much does this pac kage cosi' II 1 can a fiord these exc iling ad ventures on a tv pic al student ineoim ’he prices must be modest indeed I or example, student ..osts lor a tven dii> .. ... . V ,l„.„ . u,, ... ... onl> S5M. Ill's puce includes iian> pollution. meals while canoeing, full) outlined canoes, cooking and camping equipment, leadership and instruc tion, and student held trip in sura nee. “All you have to do is show up. gel in the \an and we drive." Fuller ion said. “We provide a lot for the cost.'" With program choices ranging from canoeing, railing, rock climb ing, backpacking and bicycle tour ing, no one needs to sit at home this summer. So whether you're an inexperi enced wallflower, like myself, or expert “wild"’flower -- Outdrxx Adventures can change summer humdrum to fun. ■■ ■ —« —■—r« Canoers brave the unpredictable B> ( onnit* L. Sheehan Senior I'.dilor Americans have spent the last eight years dazzled by Indiana Junes’ world pursuit lor adventure -- the excitement of the unknown. But a group of local adventurers recently discovered that one doesn’t need to travel the world to tap the unknown. I his local adventure began May 14 with whitewater rafting on the Dolores River of Colorado, a trip tillered by Outdoor Recreation. Just days before departure, the discovery was made that the water level at the dam-controlled Dolores U__.. i . . »AI » V i VUHIIU IIIUUI IUU IUV\ Ilf lull, said Jim Fullerton, coordinator for < Hildoor Recreation. “We were wrestling with cancelling the trip w hen we found out we couldn’t rail," Fullerton said. Canoeing is more challenging than rafting, he said, because one has to Aork harder and work more as a •earn. But w hen offered canoeing as an alternative to railing, everyone in the group was enthusiastic. “We drove to southwest Colo rado, and when w e got down there. Fullerton said, “we realized they weren't going to release hardly any water the week we wanted to canoe.” The group had thought the Delores River would contain enough water at least for canoeing, although railing was out of the question, but this didn't prove to be the case. At that point, the group had to make a decision on what to do; head back to Nebraska or make other ar rangements. Within hours, the group leaders arranged a trip to the San Juan River in Utah, said Axel Krings, a computer science graduate student. “The group played a makeshift game of baseball while calls were being made and in two hours the trip was completely planned,” he said. Krings said he was impressed by the efficiency of the planning, w hich included everything from necessary licenses, permits and campsites to river condition checks. “After putting in the river at Mexican Hal, Utah, it wasn’t more than live minutes be (ore w'e hit our first fast water,” Krings said. Every canoe took in water and some canoes only had about two inches of space lefl before being completely full of water, Krings said. “The leaders don't lake chances but there’s still plenty of room for challenges on the trip,’’ Krings said. Bruce Rischar, program assistant and leader for the trip, took care of everything, Krings said. “Bruce read through the river maps at night, and 1 don’t think there was any situation of the river that he couldn’t handle,” Krings said. After five days on the river, the eroup arrived at the final destination only to find the university van had not been delivered as planned. Krings said the group used the time to sw im, while Kisehar located a ride for the two-hour, one-way trip to Mexican Hat to locate the missing van. “The funniest thing was the school bus arranged to pick us up because the van was missing. (The bus) broke down about fifteen min utes later," Krings said. Fullerton said not all his trips arc as unpredictable as this one, but then again, according to Indiana Jones -- it's the excitement of the unknown that makes for adventure. Courtesy o( Axel Krings Canoes are walked through rapids on the San Juan River which are too difficult to maneuver.