Halfway between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountains and surrounded by lakes, rivers, trails and waterfalls, Eugene has access to the outdoors in spades. But what many University students may not realize is just how much access they have to the outdoors. By simply going to school here, students are all automatically members of the Outdoor Program.
Since 1967, OP, the oldest of its kind in the country, has offered University students and area residents the chance to take part in Oregon’s hiking, biking, climbing, kayaking, rafting and skiing opportunities at discounted prices.
Always looking to offer more adventures, OP recently held a Trip Initiator Clinic.
“A trip initiator is basically the individual who sets up the trips,” said OP Trip Facility Manager Dave Villalobos, who is initiating OP’s next trip: kayaking the McKenzie River on July 13. Villalobos enjoys “anything with adrenaline,” but his favorite types of trips involve snow or the river.
Somewhat comparable to a class, the clinic has three parts and typically runs twice per term.
One person attending the clinic was Ben Silver, a University sophomore majoring in chemistry. Silver, who is spending the summer in Eugene, thinks being a trip initiator looks fun. He also sees it as a way to experience the outdoors more.
“I don’t do a lot of (outdoor activities), but when I do it, I enjoy it,” he said. “I like hiking and want to get into water sports.”
Part one, which takes place in OP’s resource room in the EMU basement, primarily deals with how to go about planning a trip, OP history and most importantly, OP philosophy.
“It’s cooperative, egalitarian, ‘let’s arrive at a consensual decision,” Villalobos said. “It’s all based on the common adventure philosophy.”
Stressing learning, teamwork and democracy with a horizontal structure, the common adventure philosophy is rooted in all participants having equal involvement in the adventure. So, while the initiator may have set the trip up and serves as an inspiration for those who have been on fewer trips, he or she is absolutely not the “leader.”
“It’s cool when you have the motivation to start a trip, but it’s even cooler when you can empower other students who have less experience,” Villalobos said. “It makes it easier for others to become trip initiators and carry the torch.”
The second part of the clinic is held in the Outdoor Program Barn, where future initiators are familiarized with OP’s gear, equipment, vehicles and rental procedure.
Located on 18th Avenue near University Street, adjacent to the Student Recreation Center fields, the barn is a massive garage with walls alternately covered in murals, tools and kayaks in every color.
To the left, there is a fenced-off area housing gear such as fleeces, wetsuits, climbing shoes, first aid kits, snowboards, sleeping bags, and helmets, among others. Except rafts and kayaks, the equipment – much of which was donated from companies like The North Face, Nike, REI and Columbia – is all available to rent for less than $5, plus a deposit.
Free gear rentals is one of the perks to being a trip initiator, along with the ability to plan trips and turn others onto the outdoors, get discounts on gear from high-end outdoor companies such as Mountain Hardware and Patagonia, the opportunity for personal growth, and potential free ski lift tickets. For example, Villalobos has worked out a deal with local ski resorts, where an initiator skis for free if he or she can recruit other students.
The low prices are a big draw for Jacob McDonald, who is currently working toward earning an Outdoor Pursuits Program certificate from the University.
“If you want to do a day trip on the weekend, it’d be like $100,” he said. “But here, a trip down the McKenzie is $12. It’s exceptionally affordable.”
The final part of the clinic is driving training, where students learn to hook up trailers and safely maneuver the large OP vans. Villalobos stresses the importance of the training, calling the drive to a trip “the most dangerous part.”
Once he is a full-fledged trip initiator, McDonald hopes to get other students into back-country trips, which he calls “backpacking and camping in any area not accessible by modern infrastructure.”
Avidly into camping, backpacking, rock climbing and mountaineering, McDonald has never taken any trips through OP, but looks forward to starting.
“It’s a great program,” he said. “I’m glad the University is supporting it.”