{"id":165,"date":"2017-10-23T15:23:24","date_gmt":"2017-10-23T19:23:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/recsports\/?page_id=165"},"modified":"2018-02-23T15:57:50","modified_gmt":"2018-02-23T20:57:50","slug":"outdoor-pursuit-center","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/recsports\/outdoor-pursuit-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Outdoor Pursuit Center"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bridget Oliver in the New Zealand OPC Trip<\/span><\/h1>\n

Bridget Oliver, Miami Alumna is currently one of the Assistant Directors for the Outdoor Pursuit Center. She attended the New Zealand OPC trip during her time here, and answered a couple of questions for us explaining her amazing experience.<\/p>\n

What was a day like?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Kayak through seal colonies off Abel Tasman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Days were different depending on if we were in the front country or backcountry. \u00a0Front country was typically: Wake-up, breakfast at the hostel or bakery in town, and then exploring the town. \u00a0Specifically in Queenstown, we had a chance to do some high adventure activities since it is a mecca for that (skydiving, canyon swing, paragliding, bungee jumping, etc.) Some of our front country days were spent driving through beautiful countryside to new towns and then prepping for the next backcountry trip. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A typical backcountry day would be: Wake up, breakfast at the hut, hike\/climb\/kayak and explore until we get to a lunch break or the next hut. \u00a0We typically had some time to explore around the hut before and after dinner sometimes including time in natural hot springs.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the thing you liked the most about the trip?<\/b><\/p>\n

I loved that we got to experience so much of an amazing country. \u00a0We spent just enough time in each place (well maybe not enough\u2026I definitely want to go back!) and moved around so much that I know I got to see and enjoy way more than if I had tried to plan and complete a trip on my own.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Angelus Hut\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

What was your favorite place?\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

The Angelus Hut for sure!! It was an amazing, challenging, and fulfilling hike in. \u00a0The hike from the previous hut took us above the clouds (and a small airplane that flew by) and along a ridge of the mountain for an exhilarating feeling. \u00a0It was a long day, and I just felt so accomplished to make it to the hut. \u00a0The Angelus Hut was big enough that our entire group (which normally had to split in 2) was able to be together. \u00a0It was our last hike of the trip and we had bonded so much that it was so nice to be able to share the time all together. \u00a0The amazing view didn\u2019t hurt either. \u00a0The lake right outside the hut was so blue and calm and some of the purest, most delicious water we\u2019d ever tasted. \u00a0I remember waking up to a gorgeous sunrise right out our bunk room window too. \u00a0My friend shook me awake thinking he was seeing the Southern Lights it was so vibrant and beautiful. \u00a0Everything about getting to and the time we got to spend at that hut was perfect and definitely my favorite place of the trip.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Why would you recommend students to go on this trip?<\/b><\/p>\n

Why wouldn\u2019t I recommend this trip?! To me it is the perfect study abroad opportunity!<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. You get a chance to visit a country many people only ever dream about.<\/li>\n
  2. \u00a0You get to experience so much of the country.<\/li>\n
  3. You get to be outside and enjoy the true beauty of the country in a way that many citizens of the country don\u2019t even get out to do.<\/li>\n
  4. You learn so much about yourself from your leadership skills and style to how\n
    \"\"
    Climbing the Fox Glacier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    you handle good and bad situations in and out of nature. \u00a0The journal I kept is still so important to me, to be able to look back at the physical, emotional, and spiritual journey I had. \u00a0It\u2019s powerful to be able to learn naturally, and that\u2019s what this course allows you to do. \u00a0The fact that I got to earn 3 of my college credits on this trip still blows my mind! This trip helped to steer me into my chosen career path, so I may be a bit bias, but I would say that this trip is a powerful development tool that people would be crazy to turn down (especially if you like being active in the outdoors and traveling even a little).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \n

    New River Gorge Fall Break Trip<\/span><\/h1>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Have\u00a0 you ever wanted to brave class 5 rapids, hike to gorgeous sunset views, and experience the third tallest bridge in the United States all in one weekend?\u00a0 Well that’s just what the folks from the New River Gorge Fall Break Trip were able to accomplish.\u00a0 The participants of this Outdoor Pursuit Center<\/a> trip took full advantage of their time in the area considered the Grand Canyon of the East.<\/p>\n

    While its name suggests youth, the New River is actually one of North America’s oldest rivers and its banks are home to ancient boulders.\u00a0 This is where participants tried their hand (and feet) at bouldering-rock climbing at low heights without harnesses or ropes.\u00a0 \u00a0Later in the day, they experienced these rock formations in another way while on the water.\u00a0 They loaded rafts with some of the most entertaining raft guides they could find and powered \"\" their way down the rapids of the Lower New River.\u00a0 With the sun overhead and not a cloud in the sky, it was perfect weather for rafting and occasional swimming in the river.\u00a0 \u00a0the next day allowed participants to experience the river from high above.\u00a0 They found multiple hikes around the rim of the gorge with picturesque overlooks and breath-taking views.\u00a0 \u00a0The highlight of day two was the hike to Long Point to watch the sunset behind the trees just beyond the 876ft. tall New River Gorge Bridge.<\/p>\n

    \"\"After each day filled with adventures, each night concluded around a campfire with stories and laughter under the stars.\u00a0 Participants walked away from this trip with new skills, new and deepened friendships, and new memories of a beautiful land not so far away.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    By Bridget Oliver<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \n

    Backpacking The Cranberry Wilderness\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n

    The Cranberry Wilderness. The crown jewel of West Virginia\u2019s 919,000 acre Monongahela National Forest. It\u2019s like stepping back in time: trails are small and unmarked, wildlife are not habituated to humans, and cell phones are useless due to the dense canopy overhead. This is the site of one the\u00a0Outdoor Pursuit Center\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0Fall Break trips that ran this past weekend. Did it live up to the hype?\"\"<\/p>\n

    \u201cThere is something about being out in the middle of nowhere that refreshes my soul.\u201d \u2013 Cole Baker<\/p>\n

    Participants hiked a total of 23.5 miles over 2.5 days. The days were long and challenging, but participants were rewarded with beautiful backcountry campsites near waterfalls and trickling streams. We spent time on the trail getting to know each other, playing games, and telling stories. Our nightly entertainment was sitting around a campfire, with our dinner in hand, telling more stories and playing card games.<\/p>\n

    \"\"Luckily the weather was perfect, with only rain on the night we arrived which didn\u2019t affect us. There were no bugs the entire trip too.<\/p>\n

    The students got a chance to explore a new place and a new activity. They developed old friendships and started new ones. They\u2019re leaving with a truly unique experience.<\/p>\n

    By Zach Cross<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Bridget Oliver in the New Zealand OPC Trip Bridget Oliver, Miami Alumna is currently one of the Assistant Directors for the Outdoor Pursuit Center. She […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2263,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_s2mail":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-165","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/recsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/recsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/recsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/recsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2263"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/recsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=165"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/recsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/165\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/recsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}