Explore Oregon with the EOU Outdoor Program

Check out this amazing video of the scenery around the great state of Oregon! At 1:01, a time lapse of Eagle Cap mountain, in the Wallowa Mountain Range (the "backyard of EOU'), is silhouetted against a rising sun and starry sky. If you want to see this in person, stop by the Outdoor Program and ask about upcoming trips to the Eagle Cap Wilderness!

AIARE Level 1 Course

A big thanks to Michael Hatch and George D'Angelo, instructors of the AIARE Level 1 course this weekend. With the recent storm snow sitting upside-down above the sandwich of melt-freeze layers there was lots to look at!

Ski Bus from EOU to Spout Springs Ski Area

Don't miss the bus! The EOU Outdoor Program is sponsoring a 50-passenger bus on Friday, January 20th to Spout Springs Ski Area for Night Skiing! The bus will leave from the Hoke/Loso Parking Lot at 3:45pm. The bus is FREE for EOU students, faculty and staff. Lift tickets at Spout Springs have been discounted to $20 for EOU students.

For more info stop by the Outdoor Program (Hoke 102) or email gisaak@eou.edu.

Winter Storm = Great skiing & high avalanche hazard

The EOU campus is blanketed in new snow that continues to fall. The Elkhorn Mountains (including Anthony Lakes Ski Area) and the Wallowa Mountains (including the Eagle Cap Wilderness) are also getting slammed with snow. The signifigant amounts of new snow makes for great skiing, horrible driving and high avalanche hazard. Use caution when travelling in the backcountry. Check out this SPECIAL BULLITEN from the Wallowa Avalanche Center about the recent snowfall and the current snowpack condition.

Backcounty Skiing at Anthony Lakes

Despite the dry snow year (so far...) there are great backcountry touring conditions in Northeastern Oregon and good turns can still be found. Last week while preparing for an AIARE Level 1 Avalanche course (Jan. 20-22) we found some soft snow in the upper Angel Basin area by Anthony Lakes Ski Area.

Winter at Eastern Oregon University!

Winter has come to northeastern Oregon and to Eastern Oregon University. The season started with a bang in November with early snowfall, followed by an exceptionally dry December. Snowfall late in December has boosted the mountain snowpack, but we are still at below average snow depth.

The good news is that during the break we have been out in the mountains, ice climbing, backcountry and nordic skiing, and snowshoeing. Winter is a great time to be outdoors in eastern Oregon and the Outdoor Program has a full slate of events set for the Winter 2012 quarter.

Upcoming events include:

Jan. 14 (Sat.) - Cross country ski day trip (Andes Prarie)

Jan 17-21 - Winter Wellness Week

Jan. 17 (Tue.) - Snowshoeing (half-day trip)

Jan. 18 (Wed.) - Indoor Rock Climbing Competition (open to all EOU students)

Jan. 19 (Thu.) - Backcountry Film Festival & Avalanche Awareness Presentation
Jan. 20 (Fri.) - Night Skiing at Spout Springs (FREE bus from EOU) 

Jan. 20-22 - AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course

Feb. 3-5 - Winter Backcountry Travel (INTACT course)

Feb. 4 - Snowshoeing day-trip (Andes Prairie)

Feb. 11 - Valentour Nordic Skiing day-trip

March 2-4 - Intro to Backcountry Skiing (INTACT Course)

In addition to these events we will be planning an overnight snowshoeing trip in the Eagle Cap Wilderness, an ice climbing clinic, and multiple opportunities for backcountry skiing/snowboarding.

If you are looking to take a class for credit, check out our course offerings through the Physical Education and Sport section on Webster. Classes include: downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, advanced skiing and advanced snowboarding.