The group was learning the basics of backcountry camping near Cinnamon Butte, a collection of volcanoes and lava domes in the Cascade Mountain Range.
The exercise was part of REC 375: Winter Adventure Leadership, which takes students out of the classroom to practice basic wilderness living skills like snowshoeing, food preparation, field risk management, and building an overnight shelter.
“Our location on the North Coast gives us a huge advantage when it comes to these type of experiential classes,” says Marchand, the instructor and a lecturer in HSU’s Outdoor Adventure program, an option in the Recreation Administration major.
Every year, the popular major option attracts students from around the country interested in careers in outdoor leadership and education. Classes include Adventure Theory and Practice, Geotourism, Expedition Planning and Environmental Education.
In REC 480, Expedition Planning and Leadership, upperclassmen take two outdoor adventures, where they get hands-on experience planning and implementing camping trips. Earlier this month, they spent a weekend in the Trinity Alps and a week at Henry W. Coe State Park in the Diablo Range, where they planned and led their own excursion.
“It’s great to be outdoors and not in a classroom,” says Sarah Dumont (’14, Geography), a student in that class who’s minoring in recreation administration. “I feel like I learn so much more when I’m actually experiencing it.”
The goal of the major is to prepare students for careers in outdoor adventure, one of the fastest growing sectors of California’s economy. Many students find positions in outdoor leadership and education after graduation, while others work as guides for national leadership schools like Outward Bound.
In addition to learning outdoor survival strategies, students gain real-world skills in communication, time management and problem solving. The hope is that they’ll also have a better grasp of their priorities and where they’re heading after graduation, Marchand says.
One student in the program, Mitch Butt (’15, Business), has already started a company with his friends called “Huckitlist” that helps people complete outdoor activities on their bucket list like kayaking, fishing and backpacking. “The idea is to bring people together on outdoor adventures,” says Butt, who’s minoring in recreation administration.
Whether or not students choose a career in recreation administration, the lessons are invaluable, Marchand says.
“A lot of these programs are about personal growth more than anything else,” Marchand says. “You become completely dependent on yourself when you’re out there. You’re carrying your food, you’re carrying your clothes and you realize what is most important to you.”
“It’s definitely changed my life,” agrees Cassie Keigan (’14, Recreation Administration), who will work as program director for a summer camp in Mississippi after graduation. “It takes you places you’ve never been before and it helps you overcome your struggles. It’s life-changing.”
For Butt, the classes have also been a lesson in self-reliance.
“I’ve become more of a yes man—I know what needs to be done and I do it. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the outdoors, school or the workplace,” he says.
“It’s also nice knowing that if there was ever a zombie apocalypse I’d survive.”