If anyone has yet to make Thanksgiving plans or are looking for an escape to avoid consuming hundreds of calories worth of turkey and stuffing, Tech’s Outdoor Pursuit Center may be a savior.
The OPC is inviting students and faculty to ditch the traditional Thanksgiving and join them on a six-day adventure to the Grand Canyon. OPC staff member Sean Villa-Lobos will be one of the trip leaders and said participants will get plenty of great views and exercise.
“We’ll be heading out right as Thanksgiving break gets going and we’ll drive straight to the canyon. It’s about an 18-hour drive, and once we’re there we’ll set up camp,” Villa-Lobos said.
“The next day we’ll load up our packs. They’ll probably weigh about 40 to 50 pounds, and we’ll begin the descent down into the canyon. I think the entire time we’re going to spend down there is about six days, and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Registration for the trip will run until Wednesday, and the $450 trip fee will include transportation, meals, all the necessary equipment and backpacking instruction needed. No previous hiking experience is necessary but Villa-Lobos said participants should be prepared for long hours of hiking.
“It is hiking but with a multi-day backpack on,” Villa-Lobos said, “In the backpack you’ll have your tent, your food, your stove, all of your clothes and various other gear you’ll need out on the trail so it is hiking but at the next level.”
If the idea of spending the holiday with mother nature hasn’t quite convinced everyone, OPC staff member Stephen Velez assures them the Grand Canyon trip is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“You may never get this type of opportunity again, especially for the price that we offer it. It’s a great price — you’re hiking in the canyon for at least five days,” Velez said.
“You know Thanksgiving is every year and I’m sure you’ve spent every Thanksgiving with your family. It may be hard to spend one away, but you have finals maybe two weeks after that and then you’re going home for Christmas break.”
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