Johanna Stangland

Outdoor Recreation Associate Director

Q. What is Outdoor Rec?
A. Outdoor Rec is a student-led program, where PLU students, faculty, and staff are offered opportunities to experience the outdoors through a medley of activities, including hiking, snowshoeing, and kayaking, as well as on-campus programming. Outdoor Rec brings the splendor of snowy Mt. Rainier, the azure waters of Puget Sound, and the steaming waters of the Olympic hot springs to hundreds of students each year, while encouraging advocacy and conservation of the environment. The program is made up of 15 volunteer guides and two directors who are experienced outdoor leaders and trained in wilderness medicine.

Q. Why should I go on an OR trip?
A. OR provides affordable access to places all over the Pacific Northwest. Trips are a great opportunity to take a break from studying, get off campus, make new friends and see new places, all while getting spoiled by your guides. Each trip includes transportation, food, equipment, park fees, and at least two magnificent guides, and the program subsidizes 40 percent of the cost. If that’s not enough to convince you to come on OR trips, we can help you go on your own. Our guides are always willing to share their personal knowledge on where to go and if you don’t trust them, we have lots of reference material as well. Once you know where you want to go, our rental program offers all kinds of gear including camping packages, stoves, sleeping bags and tents, and we also have snowshoes, cross-country skis, backpacks, etc.

Q. What if I’ve never been outside before…?
A. Whether you are a novice hiker or an expert mountaineer, Outdoor Rec trips offer an outdoor experience for everyone. We don’t offer trips that are exclusive or skill-level specific, so the guides will teach you everything you need to know for your trip. Part of any outdoor experience is the people around you on your trip, so no matter what your skill level, you can be assured of a great group of fellow students to enjoy whatever nature brings you on your trip.

Q. How do I get more information?
A. Stop by our desk in the lower level of the UC, in the back corner of the ASPLU office. Chat with the guides standing outside of the cafeteria at dinnertime. Visit our Web site: www.plu.edu/~outdoor. Send an email to outdoor@plu.edu. Call x5087.

Out of doors, into the wild

Ditching the t.v. for a hot spring couldn’t be easier

Kyla Ross

Mast LuteLife Intern

As fun and exciting as college may be, it tends to get stressful at times. Whether it is finals week, a big reading load, or a 12-page paper due in two weeks, sometimes students just need to kick back and have a good time. Lucky for the community here at PLU, there is an organization just for that purpose. Outdoor Recreation’s goal is to take students out of doors to enjoy weekends trips from hiking to snowboarding, promoting a healthy and diverse way to take a break from campus.

These trips aren’t just for students. They are also available to all PLU faculty and staff. Along with those students who choose to attend these trips, there are 15 volunteer guides with a wide variety of backgrounds in specific outdoor areas to make sure that participants get the best out of their experience out of doors.

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