We will meet you at the Agricultural Arena Building at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 8, on the University Park campus. Please bring a bag lunch and everything you will need for the trip (as specified on the gear list). Complimentary parking will be available in the lot adjacent to the Agricultural Arena building. Students who drive their own cars and wish to park them for the week will need to obtain a parking permit. (Permits for the week can be requested through our office in advance or on your ORION application—an extra fee applies). We will have an introductory session that parents are invited to attend. Following this, students will be assigned to their trip groups and the adventure will begin!
Arrival Day
After your arrival we will spend time getting to know one another better through some fun, informal "ice breaker" activities. We will also take time to discuss our goals for the week, the trip route, and the various responsibilities for which group members will be accountable during our time together. Logistically, this time slot will be used to issue backpacks, sleeping pads, and sleeping bags, as well as group gear and food. Once we have packed all personal and group gear, we will load into the vans and travel to the trailhead. You may bring your own backpacking gear if you have it-however, it will ultimately be up to the discretion of your leader on whether or not you can take this equipment into the backcountry.
Backpacking
Although each ORION trip may vary, participants should expect that once dropped off at the trailhead they will spend the next four days and nights backpacking with their trip group. Each participant will be carrying a 30-to 40-pound pack that contains food, gear, and personal items for hiking between four and ten miles each day, on variable terrain, depending on the pace that the group decides works best for them. (Participants are encouraged to physically prepare before arriving.) During this time you will learn a great deal about yourself and others as you hike, camp, keep a journal, and explore. Some participants may have had a great deal of experience in the backcountry; others may never have had a backcountry experience at all. Together you will learn from one another, and your instructors, the proper methods of environmentally-conscious camping, including group cooking, tent/tarp placement, water purification, and backcountry hygiene. In addition, one can expect to learn map skills, natural history, and risk management. and others as you hike, camp, keep a journal, and explore. Some participants may have a great deal of experience in the backcountry; others may never have had a backcountry experience at all. Together you will learn from one another, and your instructors, the proper methods of environmentally-conscious camping, including group cooking, tent/tarp placement, water purification, and backcountry hygiene. In addition, one can expect to learn map skills, natural history, and risk management.
Additional Adventure Experience
Following your time in the backcountry you will spend a day canoeing on a local river or challenging yourself on Penn State's high ropes course. Your activity will be designated for you based on the location of the trail where you are hiking. Both activities are great fun. A picnic lunch will be provided. This is a great time to meet people from other groups and enjoy a different experience after four days of backpacking.
Cookout
Following your group's additional adventure, you will receive your shower bag and will have time to take a shower. All groups will come together at Shaver's Creek Environmental Center in the evening for a final celebration cookout. This will be a time to mingle with other students, recount some of your adventures, and, of course, EAT! Your group will have its final group meeting at a later time.
Conclusion
On the final day of the course we will discuss goals and assignments, and we will complete evaluations of the ORION program. Gear will be cleaned and returned before you leave. All groups will return to the Agricultural Arena building by 11:00 a.m. on August 13.
Day 1: Meet at the Agricultural Arena at the University Park campus at 11:00 a.m. There will be a welcome session for participants (and parents), and you will meet your group members, get your issued equipment, and get on the trail. This will be a short hiking day.
Day 2: A day of backpacking and so much more!
Day 3: A day of backpacking.
Day 4: Last day of backpacking.
Day 5: Van pick up from the trail. A day of canoeing or on Penn State's high ropes course. All groups will come together for a grand feast--our celebration cookout.
Day 6: Cleanup, group good-byes, review of the course requirements, program end at the Agricultural Arena.
Meals
All food for the trip will be provided, except for the arrival day lunch. The menu is designed to provide you with a variety of nutritional and filling foods. The food will be "trail friendly," including pasta, rice, beans, cereal, nuts, cheese, etc.
Sample meal:
Breakfast: bagel, peanut butter, jelly, coffee/tea
Lunch: cheese, pepperoni, sandwich on pita bread
Snacks: trail mix, granola bars, fruit
Dinner: macaroni and cheese, Jello instant cheese cake
PLEASE NOTIFY US IN ADVANCE if you have specific dietary restrictions. If you are a vegetarian, it is easy to slightly alter the ingredients of a meal to avoid meat. In the event that you require specific foods for your diet, you may be asked to bring your own food. Please check with the program director about this before arriving. asked to bring your own food. Please check with the program director about this before arriving.
Departure
All students will need to be picked up in front of the Agricultural Arena building at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 13. The program officially ends at 11:00 a.m.
Special Situations
In the event of an emergency requiring parents to contact their son or daughter, please call Shaver's Creek at 814-863-2000 or the program director's personal cell phone at 814-386-2276. Please be aware that in some cases it may take several hours to transport a message, as participants will be out on the trail. Again, these numbers are for emergencies only.
Physical Preparation
ORION is a physically demanding program; participants carry 30-to 40-pounds of weight on their backs for hours/days at a time. The trails surrounding State College are rocky, variable, and sometimes steep and rigorous. The best way to prepare for ORION is to spend some time with physical conditioning; running, hiking, swimming, and other cardiovascular activities will help to get you in shape.
Hiking boots are the most important piece of equipment that you will bring. Be sure that the boots that you have are boots truly made for hiking; they should be well broken in, they should fit well with some wiggle room, and they should be sturdy. If you are buying new boots, be sure to work with your local outdoor retailer to ensure that you have the proper fit and correct boot for your feet. Blisters are a common complaint with ORION participants. When your feet are sore on the trail, you will not be enjoying the program as much as you could be.
Program participants of all levels (from beginner to advanced) for the last twelve years have reported after completing the ORION program that the physical challenges are doable and worth it. Come on out with an open mind. Billy Coane, a participant from an urban area in Texas, said, "Hiking with ORION was the most amazing experience." Another participant stated, "I feel this is a great opportunity for incoming students. It takes some of the fear out of going to a huge school, because we’ve already met a group of people who have the same interests."
Important note: ORION will be listed on your fall class schedule as KINES 089 Wilderness Experience as soon as you complete the six-day program. Do not drop this course from your schedule. Contact our office if you have any questions regarding this process.
We look forward to seeing you!