The Marshall Rec Center’s Outdoor Pursuits program offers students and members of the community a chance to experience the beauty and natural wonder of the Grand Canyon. Outdoor Pursuits is venturing to the Grand Canyon for an all-inclusive four day back-packing adventure at the end of May.
Outdoor Pursuits sponsors trips and clinics throughout the year. Home to the three-story indoor rock-climbing wall at the recreation center, Outdoor Pursuits uses the rock wall along with other recreation activities to help increase an individual’s self-confidence, outdoor recreation skillset and environmental awareness. The trips, clinics and programs provided by Outdoor Pursuits advocate for individuals to improve their health through activities powered by their own mind and body.
Outdoor Pursuits educates and teaches individuals the skills needed for back-packing, hiking, kayaking and rock-climbing. All of the equipment is included in the registration fee for a specific outdoor trip. The program intended to host a spring break trip to Key Largo, Florida but didn’t receive enough registrants to take the trip. The lack of participation for the trip may have been due to a variety of factors. However, Outdoor Pursuits coordinator Chad Steen said he chooses to not get discouraged by the lack of interest in the spring break trip and instead focus on how to best provide other quality trips to individuals.
“It’s a constant trial and error process when it comes to planning trips because of the expense factor involved,” Steen said.
Steen said he thinks it’s the culture of the campus and of the region for individuals to weigh the price of a service or good more than the experience the service provides to the individual.
“I would go if it weren’t $600,” is the reasoning Steen said he hears most from interested participants. Steen said the reasons the value of the trip often include exploring places unfamiliar to most people and includes all other expenses such as equipment rental, travel, lodging and food.
Steen said he contributes the lack of participation in the spring break trip to the price. Many of the activities for the Key Largo trip were considered add-ons so the price was higher than most trips.
Steen said the Grand Canyon trip has been more successful so far than the spring break trip because of the location.
“The Grand Canyon carries more of an awe factor than Florida,” Steen said. “Also, the success of the Grand Canyon trip could be due to the lower price. The Grand Canyon is a more affordable trip because it essentially does not cost much to hike the area. The expenses factor into the travel and equipment.”
Steen said the nature of the trip also attracted more interest in people. The chance to take a road trip across the country and stop at landmarks along the way entices people to do something they may never get to experience again.
Finish off the semester by telling it to take a hike. The Grand Canyon trip is May 21-26 and two spots still remain. The last day to claim a spot on the trip is April 22. The price for the trip is $449 for members of the rec and $549 for nonmembers. The price includes all of the equipment, travel, lodging and food.
Elayna Conard can be contacted at [email protected].