On Sept. 14, the University of Northern Colorado’s Outdoor Pursuits organization went on one of their famous trips to the great outdoors where they hosted a stand-up paddle boarding trip for students.
The cost of the trip was $15 and Outdoor Pursuits provided all the equipment, which means inexperienced students could join the trip without needing to purchase their own equipment. The paddle boarding trip was conducted at Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins, only an hour away from UNC.
Some of the equipment that was used during the trip included inflatable Stand-Up Paddle Boards made by Glide, a company that specializes in Stand-Up Paddle Boards that are ultra-durable and eco-friendly. Outdoor Pursuits also used several dry bags, a piece of equipment meant to keep your stuff completely dry under the wet and wild conditions of paddle boarding.
Riley Davis-McDougal, a staff member of Outdoor pursuits and one of the trip leaders of the paddle boarding trip, is an experienced person when it comes to paddle boarding. Davis-McDougal has been paddle boarding since they were young.
“One of my major tips and tricks would be prepared and have straps to make a large barge, this is useful for staying connected and building trust within the fleet.” Davis-McDougal said.
A fleet is a group of people paddling together. According to Davis-McDougal, a big fleet is great for a trip like this, but everyone has to stay together in order to stay safe and have fun. Without the ties that keep the fleet together, people would naturally float off and be alone without the rest of the group to help guide them along.
Outdoor pursuits is hosting many more events and trips like this one and they are all open for UNC students at a reasonable price for the average college student budget. Outdoor pursuits has posted their list of events that they are hosting during this semester and during the spring, which range from the Costume Ride on Halloween to the Estes Park Cabin Retreat in November. Check out their website for more details. https://www.unco.edu/campus-recreation/outdoor-pursuits/.
