The new year is the perfect time to get outside and try new things. Southern Utah University is known as the “University of the Parks,” and SUU Outdoors has planned adventurous excursions for those that are seeking that experience.
Over the course of the Spring 2020 school year, SUU Outdoors offers trips for students on weekends. These outings are designed to help students at SUU get out and enjoy the great outdoors in SUU’s own backyard.
The campus is surrounded by a variety of landscapes and these trips give them an opportunity to learn new skills and expand their horizons.
“Come expecting good times, camaraderie, and to see something cool if you are not from Utah,” said Lance Smrstick, an employee and trips guide at SUU Outdoors. “People that come from other countries are able to experience something totally different than what they are used to.”
Each trip has around 10 spots for students and two guides. This year, there are eight new guides that have been specially trained in leadership and outdoor competencies.
Some of the activities this spring range anywhere from hiking to XC skiing to bouldering. These trips are geared towards those with no prior experience, as the guides will teach students there.
The cost of the trips are free, excluding a few of the bigger, badder, radder trips which do have a fee to cover some of the expenses of the trip. These trips are marked below with asterisks.
In addition to the regular trips scheduled, SUU Outdoors offers The Female Series. These trips are for women that are seeking to have an adventurous experience, but do not want to feel out of place doing activities that are traditionally “boys’ activities.
There are 21 trips scheduled during the Spring 2020 semester. To sign up for trips, head to SUU Outdoors’ Basecamp located in the Sharwan Smith Student Center room 127.
Sign-ups open on the Monday two weeks prior to the trip, so getting to Basecamp early is advantageous, especially for the bigger, badder, radder trips that fill quickly.
Remaining Trips for the Spring 2020 School Year:
February
- 1: Snowshoeing at Cedar Breaks (Female Series)
- 1: Hiking at Dixie N’tl Forest
- 8: XC Skiing at Dixie N’tl Forest
- 8: Hiking at Dixie N’tl Forest
- 15: Snowshoeing at Dixie N’tl Forest
- 14-17: Bouldering at Joshua Tree*
- 22: Hiking: Geology at Dixie N’tl Forest
- 29: Hiking and Camping in St. George
- 29: Climbing at Dixie N’tl Forest
March
- 7: Hiking at Dixie N’tl Forest
- 7-8: XC Skiing at Tushar Mountains Yurt (Female Series)
- 13-16: Rafting at Grand Canyon*
- 16-19: Backpacking at The Needles, Canyonlands*
- 28: Canyoneering in the Zion Area
- 28: Bouldering: Geology in St. George
April
- 4: Climbing in St. George
- 4: Canyoneering in the Zion Area
- 11: SUP (Stand-up Paddleboarding) in St. George
- 11: Canyoneering in St. George (Female Series)
- 17-19: Backpacking at Coyote Gulch*
Story by: Lacy Truman
outdoors@suunews.net
Photos by: Lacy Truman and Reyce Knutson
