Campus Recreation has exciting trips planned for the spring semester through the Outdoor Adventure Club. Students in the club are exploring Austin and the surrounding areas by going on hiking, camping and skiing trips.

Last semester, the club traveled to locations inside and outside the state, including a day trip to Enchanted Rock in Fredericksburg, Texas and a week-long ski and snowboarding trip to Breckenridge, Colo. over the winter break.

There are three trips planned for this semester, including a hiking excursion to Pedernales Falls State Park this Saturday, Feb. 15. There is also a camping trip to Colorado Bend State Park planned for the weekend after spring break, and finally, a day trip to Hamilton Pool in Dripping Springs.

The club was started in the spring of 2011 with the main goal to provide students with a way to get active and explore the outdoors. Campus Recreation sponsors the club and provides transportation for the trips, but students must pay for other expenses, such as entrance fees to the parks.

Clint Jones, assistant director of Campus Recreation, goes on many of the trips himself. Although he was unable to go on the ski trip to Breckenridge, he believes the students had a great experience.

“They stayed in a hotel right at the base of the slope,” Jones said.

Breckenridge seemed to be a popular trip among the attendees. Maria Rixen, a junior and photo communication major, went on the trip with eight other students.

“I skied a lot when I was growing up, and then I didn’t at all when I moved here to Texas,” Rixen said. “So it was cool to have a week-long ski trip to just get it all out at one time.”

Rixen joined the club when she was a freshman at St. Edward’s. Having lived in California, she loves the outdoors and finds the Outdoor Adventure Club to be a great outlet for all of her trekking and hiking needs.

Bethany Cuenod, a senior and the Marketing and Outdoor Manager for Campus Recreation, is currently the head of the club. She explains that the club has no core membership, and if anyone is interested in the trips they should email her directly.

“There are a lot of opportunities for a lot of different people,” Cuenod said. “There is no set membership, so people can just show up if they find the trip interesting.”

According to Jones, Campus Recreation is limited on how many people they can take on each trip. However, if there is a large demand, they will try to accommodate them the best they can.