Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About What's happening. (Eugene, OR) 1982-1993 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 1985)
UO Outdoor Program: Excellent Resource by Tim Jordan For many people in Eugene winter recreation is hindered by either inexperience or the prohibi tive costs of gear and transpor tation. If you are one of these peo ple, pay close attention. There's a program in town that challenges you to come up with a good rea son not to be outward bound this winter season. That is the Uni versity of Oregon's Outdoor Pro gram. All you need to supply is some initiative and the time; they will do their utmost to supply all the rest. The Outdoor Program (O.P.), not to be confused with the Phys ical Education Department’s Out door Pursuits Program, has served as a prototype for similar programs nationwide. It is still the largest cooperative of its kind and is available for students, staff, alumni and community members of all skill levels. There are no user fees. Instead, where costs are incurred in plan ning a trip, they are split among the participants equally. The O.P. is not a guide service, so trips are not led, but initiated by a person or persons interested in a parti cular outdoor recreation experi ence. It is designed to help people cultivate new outdoor skills and/ or hone those skills they already have in a cooperative atmosphere that stresses experiential learning. The Outdoor Program typical ly appeals to enthusiasts who de sire a voice in their wilderness ex periences and who desire to learn life-long wilderness travel skills in a non-authoritarian, non-sexist at mosphere," states Director Bruce Mason in the O.P.'s annual news letter, The Free Country Times. "Wilderness preservation and con servation are stressed, ■ and a heightened environmental con sciousness is the natural result." To exclude the community would be to exclude valuable re sources," says work-study out door enthusiast Matt Smith. Photograph by Keith Nelson, UO Outdoor Program. “Community members are gen erally more familiar with the re gional terrain than their student counterparts.” To get out to the "great beyond" you merely need to go to the O.P. Office located in the UO/EMU building's west side. The main en trance is by the loading dock off 13th St. If you bear left and head towards the facing wall, you will find the trip board. In your mind you know you'd like to do some cross-country skiing, so you scan the board to see if someone else has a trip planned. No? O.K. Re main calm. Corner an O.P. volun teer to give you a hand posting a trip sheet on this board. Not sure where cross-country ski trails are located in this neck of the woods? The resource library has a wide range of information to help you design your trip, wheth er it's to Willamette Pass or Nepal. All right, so you post your trip; now you can kick back and wait while other like-minded people wander through the O.P. resource room and sign up. Details are dis cussed beforehand, if necessary; then it's time to have fun. To help facilitate and insure a good time, use those resources: the maps, outdoor equipment co-op, vari ous libraries, and especially the volunteers. The O.P. also presents a wide range of outdoor adventure moti vational films and presentations throughout each season. The win ter schedule will include a square dance, fly fishing seminar, a ski conditioning seminar and a begin ners winter snow camping semi nar followed by trips for snow camping. Call 686-4365 for more information. Or write the pro gram, EMU, University of Oregon, Eugene 97403. Even bet ter, just stop in and get ac quainted. The folks there are eager to make the outdoors avail able to everyone, regardless of ex perience. You've got no excuse not to participate! Special Occasion A Any Occasion ‘The city’s best restaurant.” -OREGON MAGAZINE , bXGbDSIGR GAPD 754 E. 13th • 342-6963 CAFE’ • RESTAURANT • BAR e. aS CC ouoUs . yate Y 0* W. 9 ooes . odacs ce aeee @ °co0%00—) coMLed cA oradr e‘ ee® — s%c% %w*6665 00,650 PRE SEASON TUNE UP SPECIAL BaseRopal Fiat Filing Custom Wet B Hot Wax Now just Bring your skis m now " and we’ll apply FREE HOT WAX! Berg’skifhop 134 Lawrence • 683-1300 • Mon-Thurs 10-6 • Fri-Sat 10-9 Ski Bus! 5 days a week Starting November 23rd I f. • Lha HONSE A UMA $7.50 Round Trip Iron Horse Stage Lines Willamette Pass • Odell Lake Lodge • Phone 688-3253
