Plymouth’s Ride for Students to the Great Outdoors

Connor Smith

For The Clock

cmsmith17@plymouth.edu

Not many students are aware that Plymouth State provides different ways for students to get away from campus. It can be hard to get away, especially if you don’t have a vehicle to go out and enjoy the out-doors that surround Plymouth. There are many chances around campus to participate in outdoor activates, even if you don’t have a vehicle. One of the best places to go would be the Outdoors Center.

The Outdoors Center is located on the first floor of the All Well North building. Here, you can rent equipment for a huge variety of New England activities. You can get gear to go hiking, camping, ice climbing, skiing, and even surfboarding. The list goes on, and the best part is you can get all of this free. The only thing a Plymouth State student needs is a valid student ID. The hours are open from Monday to Friday 12pm to 4 Pm and also Monday to Friday 6pm to 8pm. One of the best parts of the Outdoors Center is their connection with the SOAR program.

SOAR stands for Student Outdoor Adventure Recreation. They get volunteers, generally junior or senior Adventure Education students, to lead groups of students on outdoor trips around New Hampshire. This is free to sign up and they will drive there for no charge at all. SOAR has a heavy emphasis on the leave no trace policy, in which hikers make sure to leave no litter and make sure it looks like no one has been there before. Students get the chance to learn leadership roles on how to lead a group safely so they can do this on their own trips. Mike DeFilippo is the head of the SOAR program and has lead many trips. When talking about what the SOAR program give to students, DeFilippo said, “It’s really fun to get people out of their comfort zone and get around us. I know not a lot of people take advantage of what’s around us so it’s a good way to show people what’s up. Also for adventure Ed and other majors to hone their skills professionally, while using the school’s equipment.” This is a great way for any student get out there and discovery the areas around us. They have forms at the student activities center in the HUB for anyone who wants to sign up. Also anybody or any organization who would like to organize a trip with SOAR, those forms would also be there.

Alex Sanguily, a former Student at PSU who just graduated PSU last year and is working for the Northern Outdoors in Maine, was asked what advice he has for freshmen at PSU who want to get outsdoors. Sanguily says “as a freshman I remember my first couple months partying a lot. But the best part of PSU for me was when I learned about the awesome outdoor places around. The White Mountains are an incredible place to go to school near because of the huge amount of hiking, camping, snowboarding and skiing spots. Also the outdoors center is an awesome place to go help find those places.”

Some places that are common hikes for Plymouth Students to visit include Rainbow falls, Quincy Bog Natural Area in Plymouth, and the Sutherland Trail on Plymouth Mountain. There is also the Stinson Mountain Trail in Rumney, West Rattlesnake Mountain, and the Old Bride Path in Holderness.