Before cold winter weather arrives at Binghamton University, the BU Outdoor Pursuits department encourages students to explore the scenic outdoors.
This semester Outdoor Pursuits is offering a variety of outdoor activities and workshops to students of all skill levels, ranging from whitewater rafting to navigating a corn maze.
“I think students are anxious to get off campus and explore the local and regional area,” said Teresa “Birdie” High, assistant director of Outdoor Pursuits.
As soon as Monday, Sept. 28, students can take a trip to explore a national natural landmark, the Ellenville Fault Ice Caves in Ellenville, N.Y.
“Historically, people went there to use the ice to keep things cold before there was refrigeration,” High said.
However, instead of exploring an underground tunnel, guests travel along a boardwalk illuminated by motion-activated lights, she added.
“[The cave] is not like walking into a hole or anything,” High said. “It’s a big, deep crevasse.”
A new trip Outdoor Pursuits is offering this fall is a weekend stargazing camp-out, scheduled for Sept. 17.
At the Kopernik Observatory & Science Education Center in Vestal, students can spend a night learning how to view constellations and stars through the observatory’s powerful telescopes.
According to High, there will be additional telescopes outside for viewing, and camping equipment will be provided.
“It’s for that backyard astronomer,” High said.
Outdoor Pursuits is also forming a group for 24th annual Riverbank Clean-up of the Susquehanna River on Sept. 19. At the event, sponsored by the Broome County Environmental Management Council, students can help clean up garbage and debris along the river, and receive a free Outdoor Pursuits T-shirt.
The location of each activity is chosen by Outdoor Pursuits staff members, who visited these locations in previous years or on their own time, according to John Greene, an instructor of a hiking class offered through Outdoor Pursuits at BU.
“The places we are going on day trips I’ve been to, and they are pretty interesting, so I thought they would be fun places to [take students to],” he said.
Greene, who plans to lead the Catskill Fire Tower hike, says some of the more difficult hikes are made easier with a background of hiking experience.
“If you haven’t done a lot of mountain hiking, you might not be ready for the exertion of how hard it can be at times,” he said.
However, no student is left behind on any hike, as instructors stay at the front and back of a group.
“No one has ever gotten lost,” Greene said.
While some hikes can be strenuous, sometimes even the simplest of activities, such as the corn maze, can bring unexpected events.
“One of my instructors last year said, ‘I got in there and it was so much work at the end of the day to find my way out, I started cutting through the rows until I found myself in a parking lot,’” High said.