For students at Michigan Tech, the blustery gusts of snow that have hit the Keweenaw for the past two weeks mean more than just digging up winter jackets and early-morning windshield scraping. They signify the beginning of a season full of adventures.
“Its’ an opportune place to live” says Noah Marach, Manager in charge of the Outdoor Adventure Program (OAP) Gear Swap, which was held in the MUB Alumni Lounge on Saturday, Dec. 5.
The third annual Gear Swap, set up by the OAP, boasted 58 items of outdoor gear including five bikes and a few items from the OAP’s own rental center such as sleeping bags and hiking backpacks. OAP provided the services of promoting and setting up the swap, with no service charges for participants. “We get our name out there, OAP provides services for trips and equipment rentals but we’d really like to be a hub for outdoor experiences in the area.” Noah explains.
The OAP also offers several other winter activities for the spring semester including full-moon snowshoe hikes, kayak rolling clinics, sledding trips at Nara Nature Trails, the second gear swap, and a paddling trip along the Sturgeon River. Also look for information on Alternative Spring Break Trips from OAP at their Web site www.oap.mtu.edu. The theme for OAP is “Unplug Yourself”, an apt motto for our technological campus, urging students to explore the abundant opportunities of the Upper Peninsula as well as expanding students’ horizons to an outdoor lifestyle in general. The Alternative Spring Break Trips boast well-known outdoor destinations such as the Grand Canyon, Buffalo National River, Land Between the Lakes, and Puerto Rico.
Look for advertising around campus for the next OAP gear swap in April. “We get a lot of snow stuff around this time, while in April we get a lot of bikes” Noah says describing the swaps. That’s good news for winter sport-enthusiasts ready to pick-up gear and enjoy the seven-inches of snow that has blown through the Michigan Tech campus since the end of November. Keweenaw Snow Report and U.P. Weather reports 27.8” as of Dec. 7.
Other opportunities for winter enjoyment begin when Mount Ripley opens. The snow guns have been up and running and their Web site indicates a prospective opening date next weekend, Dec. 12 for the weekend. Weekday skiing and snowboarding begins the following week on Dec. 19. The nationally recognized Nordic Ski Trails in Michigan Techs’ backyard are free for students to use as soon as the snow blankets them. That’s almost 100 kilometers of adventure. National Geographic has repeatedly featured and rated areas of the Keweenaw as some of the best outdoor spots. Overall the Upper Peninsula is a Top U.S. Adrenaline Outpost. Are you ready for the adventure?