Outdoor Pursuits and Rentals (OPR) offers different trips throughout the year. According to their website, OPR will provide opportunities such as being able to attend outdoor trips and rent equipment. OPR also provides resources that are fun and inclusive for winter. OPR rents outdoor gear and provides outdoor trips to CWU students, so they can enjoy the outdoors and make new friends while creating everlasting memories.

This quarter OPR offers a variety of different events to CWU students. OPR has multiple outdoor trips for students to enjoy outdoor adventure, for example, Snoqualmie Pass ski trips, Mission Ridge trips, ice climbing trips and many more. 

Each trip has admission fees but with a connection card, CWU students always get the lowest rate. Rates vary from $10 to $50, depending on the trip.

Free Clinics

In addition to paid trips, OPR also offers free trips. For example, Avalanche Beacon Training clinics are free of charge.

Assistant Director of CWU Student Development and Programs Dania Cochran said it provides knowledge about avalanches to students, so students can go out on their own and have fun later.

Cochran said people find themselves unable to read weather conditions or snow conditions very well. Therefore, OPR offers beacons and gears that help keep people safe and train them in clinics on how to use them.

OPR also offers guided trips in Winter. Guided trips are offered to students looking to go on an adventure with a trip leader. According to Cochran, leaders are well-trained and professional in leading trips.

“Student employees get very well-trained and certified, as part of their trip leader training,” Cochran said. “They have to check weather conditions, safety protocols and pick where the students would have fun and what is interesting for them to lead.”

Winter outdoor trips offer opportunities for students to get away from the stress of class and stay active. Director of CWU Recreation Matthew Boyer said these opportunities are important for students to have at CWU.

“A lot of students come to CWU for education, yet we know in recreation that being active helps them achieve success in the classroom, and the activities may be outdoors, through sports, or fitness class,” Boyer said. ”We want to make sure we have a variety of offers for students to pursue their passions.”

Renting Equipment 

Besides winter trips, OPR offers rental equipment to students. Equipment rentals are convenient for students who won’t use the equipment many times, so they can save money on buying the equipment. 

Boyer mentions the equipment prices of rentals at CWU are generally cheaper than in town. 

Moreover, OPR provides lots of information to students. OPR Coordinator Bradley Gasawski said OPR answers students’ questions about hiking, sight-seeing or general questions about outdoor activities.

“A lot of students here like to get outside and play, and we can be a good resource about where they can play outside,” Gasawski said. 

Gasawski said OPR’s bookshelf has has guidebooks for winter sports. The books talk about places where people can visit during specific seasons.