College Outdoors
New Student Trips
Click here for the New Student Trip Brochure! (coming soon)
What is the purpose of these trips?
New Student Trips are designed to help students transition to life at Lewis & Clark—whether they are coming from high school or another college. Students have a great opportunity to form a core group of friends before they head into the fast-paced experience of moving into the residence halls and starting classes. First and foremost, we want participants to have FUN on these trips! We incorporate programs designed to enhance decision making skills, inspire group communication, and spark discussions on issues facing college students. These trips seek to build community, increase an individual’s confidence, and give participants an appreciation for people with diverse backgrounds. Time has shown that these trips truly enrich students’ Lewis & Clark experience starting from day one! Plus, the usual excitement and uncertainty associated with arriving at a new place is much easier to manage after spending some time with a group of new students who may become your best friends!
No Experience Needed!
Every trip we offer is suitable for people with no background in the outdoors or service, in the case of our service projects. The outdoor adventures are led by competent and experienced outdoor leaders and the service projects by strong leaders in those fields. Our backpacking trips are the most physically demanding, and while no prior experience is needed, backpacking necessitates good physical fitness.
These trips fill up fast, so register as soon as possible!
————————-
Where to Start:
Read about the trips on our brochure! (coming soon)
Complete the Online Registration (link coming soon)
Fill out the online Health and Diet Questionnaire (link coming soon)
Please note: your registration is not considered complete until you have filled out a health and diet questionnaire (links above). It is critical to fill out the health and diet questionnaire thoroughly indicating all current medications, past injuries, and any present conditions. For this reason, the questionnaire is due within 24hours of submitting your trip reservation to hold your place.
The trip fee covers transportation, food, leaders, and all equipment.
|
Trip Name |
Departure Date | Return Date | Trip Cost |
| Backpack the Wallowa Mountains |
Tues morning |
Tues evening 8/25 | $975* |
| Raft the Deschutes River |
Tues morning 8/18 |
Tues evening 8/25 | $1350* |
| Hike & Kayak Waldo Lake |
Wed morning 8/19 |
Tues evening 8/25 | $1050* |
| Backpack the Mt. Adams Wilderness |
Wed morning 8/19 |
Tues evening 8/25 | $850* |
| Backpack Oregon’s Cascade Mountains |
Wed morning 8/19 |
Tues evening 8/25 | $750* |
| Hike and Stand Up Paddleboard the Columbia Gorge |
Thur morning 8/20 |
Tues evening 8/25 | $690* |
|
Thur morning 8/20 |
Tues evening 8/25 | $690* | |
|
Beyond Portlandia: Economic Justice |
Thur morning 8/20 |
Tues evening 8/25 | $350* |
|
Beyond Portlandia: Environmental Action |
Thur morning 8/20 |
Tue evening 8/25 | $350* |
| Surf & Hike the Oregon Coast |
Fri morning 8/21 |
Wed morning 8/26 | $690* |
|
*This price reflects the full cost of the trip. If you submitted a FAFSA, you may be eligible for a need-based financial scholarship to defray the trip price listed. Simply check the box regarding financial aid on the New Student Trip Reservation Form (link coming soon). Your financial award (if granted) will be included in the email with your trip placement. You have no obligation to pay for the trip until you receive an email from College Outdoors informing you of the amount of your financial aid award. You can accept the award or decline the trip with no financial obligation at that time. Plan to add $5/day for vegan, gluten-free, or other specialized diet requests (a vegetarian option is included at no extra charge). Medical dietary restrictions are exempt from the additional $5/day fee. |
Summer Schedule:
Registration Opens: Monday, May 4th @ 9 AM PST
Registration for New Student Trips opens online at this website at 9:00am (PST) on Monday, May 4th. Registration is rolling - be sure to get your application in as soon as possible! Last year many trips were fully booked soon after registration opened. Based on several factors and considering that trips fill up quickly, we cannot guarantee your first choice placement on any of our trips; however, do not worry, all trips are amazing opportunities.
New Student Trip placements assigned by:
Two weeks after receiving your application
Within two weeks of registering for a New Student Trip, we will confirm your registration and trip placement. After this point, please refer to your individual trip pages for any and all trip information and subsequent due dates.
New Student Trip balance due: Monday, June 8th
Unless you are waiting to be notified about financial aid, the balance of your trip is due by 5pm.
Required Forms due by: Friday, June 26th
Your individual New Student Trip page will have access to the 2 forms that are required by this date. Those forms are the equipment you would like to borrow and your travel information. There is no additional charge for any equipment you would like to borrow for your New Student Trip.
————————-
Cancellations and Refunds
While we rarely have to cancel a New Student Trip, should it be necessary, we will provide the earliest possible notice and give you a choice of a full refund or an alternate trip.
If you cancel a reservation, the following schedule applies:
On or before June 9th: Full refund.
After June 9th: We can refund the full amount less a $50 cancellation fee if we can fill your spot from the waitlist. If we cannot fill your spot, you may forfeit your payment.
————————-
Can’t make a New Student Trip? Don’t worry!
College Outdoors offers a veritable plethora of activities all year round, from rafting to backpacking and cross-country skiing to sea kayaking. We also offer a very popular Wilderness First Responder course during LC’s winter break. Student Leadership & Service also run alternative fall and spring break service trips along with many smaller weekend trips. So don’t worry! If you can’t make it on one of the NSTs there are plenty more opportunities to get outdoors each semester. Look for more information in September, or come by our office and say hello!
————————-
Do you have any other questions?
Contact us:
Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm
244 Templeton Campus Center
503.768.7116
outdoors@lclark.edu