Wilderness Literature, Spring 2012

(3 English and 1.5 Kines credits)

Do you enjoy —

  • backpacking?
  • rafting and rock climbing?
  • reading about the outdoors?

If you answered "Yes" to all the above questions, plan now to register for Wilderness Literature.

Check out this sample journal maintained by students and the photo tour of the previous program.

In the classroom and on the trail you will read, write, and have discussions about how adventure and wilderness literature can give us a greater understanding of the relationship between humankind and the natural world. This 4.5-credit field study will also help you develop and improve your backcountry travel skills. It will feature four days of hiking, covering three to eight miles per day with backpacks weighing forty to fifty pounds. Two highlights of the trip will be a day of backpacking in the Dolly Sods Wilderness and a day of white-water rafting on the Youghiogheny River.

You do not have to be an expert in the outdoors! In fact, those with little or no experience are welcome. You will receive backpacking and rock-climbing instruction from qualified and experienced outdoor instructors. However, if you are unsure of your physical preparedness, please contact the instructors.

ENGL 297C — a 3-credit Humanities field study
KINES 001 — 1.5 credits

You will combine:
  • canoeing on the Susquehanna River, rafting on the Youghiogheny River, rock climbing, and backpacking in the beautiful Dolly Sods Wilderness in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia
  • class sessions in which you will explore texts about how American culture has been affected by nature

Plus, you will earn 4.5 credits!  

Summer 2012: Tentative Course Dates

February 14, 2012
First Class (Room 24, Deike Building)
(Class meets weekly until end of semester.)
 
February 26, 2012
Rock climbing

March 31, 2012
West Branch Canoe Trip

April 12–15, 2012
Backpacking in Dolly Sods

May 3, 2012
Rafting the Youghiogheny River

April 24, 2012
Course officially ends