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Volume CXXXIII, Number 12 |
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BOC Notebook: Freezing temps inspire fun in the forest
ELLIOT JACOBS
COLUMNIST
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| The Outing Club makes trips to spots throughout Maine in late winter, including Tumbledown Mountain, seen here. (Courtesy of the Bowdoin Outing Club) |
So, it's pretty cold here. I am sure that I'm not the only one returning to Maine from milder parts a little shocked by the temperature. Who would have thought that you should leave the heat on in your off-campus residence when the temperature is consistently below zero? Now, like many of you, we have three burst pipes and a homicidal squirrel living in the attic. But that's neither here nor there. What's important is that even though we are in the absolute heart of a Maine winter, now is not the time to give up hope. So before you purchase one of those white light rooms like a vitamin-deficient Swede and spend all your time inside reading Vanity Fair and listening to world music, remember that the BOC has a semester full of ways to spend winter outside and having fun. This coming semester is crammed full of amazing snowshoeing, skiing, camping, and paddling trips, as well as incredible guest speakers who will allow us to relive their own adventures without ever leaving campus.
It all kicks off this coming weekend with the Winter Leaders Seminar on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. If you are a BOC leader and you want to lead trips in the winter, come in on Monday and sign up for this instructional class to learn how to survive in some of the coldest weather in the country. Regardless of the weather, this class is always an adventure. On Saturday, there will also be a cross-country ski trip going out to an undisclosed location. Whether or not you have experience, you should come sign up for this amazing chance to do some Nordic skiing in the beautiful Maine winter. People pay hundreds of dollars to stay at quaint little ski shacks in New Hampshire and ski all day, and we have the opportunity to do it for free. These trips early in the semester usually fill up fast, so be there on Monday to sign up!
Additionally, the BOC telemark ski class is starting up tomorrow! With 7 new pinheads who just completed their PSIA certification, and led by the radical Matt "the tele-sattva" O'Donnell, this class is a great opportunity for 25 Bowdoin students to head up to Sugarloaf and get telemark ski instruction. Telemark skiing is a lot of work, but, according to telemark skiing co-clubhead Callie Gates, "if it were easy, it would be called snowboarding." Though the telemark ski class is already full, stay tuned for some evening trips to Lost Valley Ski Area.
Finally, the big news this semester is all of the awesome speakers coming to Bowdoin College. Next week Kate Geis will be here to show her movie "RiverSense." "RiverSense" is an in-depth look at the world of whitewater kayaking, and it has some of the coolest paddling footage ever seen. You won't want to miss this opportunity to talk with the filmmaker and watch her movie-on Monday night at 7:00 p.m., right here at the OLC. Other speakers this semester include world-class sea kayaker Bob Powell, big wall climber Mark Synnott, and whitewater paddler Anna Levesque. So even if you don't make it out into the snow with the outing club, come see some of the world-class athletes who will be visiting this semester. All of the speaker information, as well as updates about BOC trips and classes are available on our website: http://www.bowdoin.edu/studorgs/outing. If you're in your room procrastinating, check it out.
That's just about it-welcome back everyone. If you are just getting back from study abroad, stop by the Outing Club and say hello and maybe even pay your dues. As for the rest of you, don't forget to go out on trips now when the workload is light and the snow hasn't turned to slush. Winters here in Maine are harsh but amazing, and everyone should get out and experience them at least once. Don't let a great opportunity pass you by-stop by the Outing Club Office and sign up for trips.
Also, if anyone has ideas for getting rid of the squirrel in our house, feel free to pass them along.
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