Dearest shredders,
I am happy to report that I am no longer sick! But boy oh boy do I have work to do this week… Personally could not be *more* stoked for Gauley Fest this weekend, though I will not be getting on the river like some of our brave comrades because I enjoy living enough that I’d like my own lifetime to extend beyond Saturday. That being said, it’ll be absolutely sick watching our friends (and many, many others) get tossed around by some crazy whitewater. Hope you’ve all been getting outside and rolling around in the dirt as good ODC members do! Have a good week 🙂
– Sarah “My PFD makes me look like a human traffic cone” Dowling
ANNOUCEMENTS:
Gear Checkout Policy Changes Reminder
- Gear checkouts for technical climbing gear beyond shoes, helmets, harnesses, chalk, and belay devices can only be checked out by members who are LEADING TRIPS.
- Items with *limited* personal checkouts from now on:
- Rafts (2x per semester)
- Crash Pads (4x per pad per semester)
- With this, a reminder: for water sports and mountain bike checkouts, please reach out to the officers at outdoors-officers@virginia.edu! Gear questions and checkouts should go through our email whenever possible.
As Always, BRING BACK YOUR GEAR!
- Did you borrow something this spring and forget to bring it back? Maybe sometime this summer? Well, here’s your opportunity (and friendly reminder) to return your club gear to a gear room this week or email the officers (outdoors-officers@virginia.edu) to schedule a return time.
Gear Requests!
- From Mitch: “Hello gear gremlins! If you have items of outdoor gear that you would like to see purchased by the club, please fill out the form below!”
- Google Form OR Microsoft Form
WOOOAAAHHH ODC Member DISCOUNTS?!
- You read it right! Anyone who is a member of this lovely club can now get 10% off at High Tor Gear Exchange & Endeavor Cycles here in Charlottesville!
Are YOU in the GroupMe?
- Join it here!
GEAR RESOURCES AND POLICY
This Year’s Gear Room Schedule:
Mondays @ 12pm — Max St. Clair (617-780-1129)
Tuesdays @ 3pm — Mitch Lang (804-955-8990)
Wednesdays @ 5pm — Ed Aten (434-326-8868)
Thursdays @ 8:30am — Evelyn Needham (303-944-5484)
Fridays @ 3:15pm — Renee Erickson (703-850-9725)
If none of these times work for you, please email the officers outdoors-officers@virginia.edu at least 24 hours in advance to schedule a separate time to be let into the gear room. Please only do this if you really can’t make the gear room times, not just because you don’t feel like it or didn’t plan ahead.
You can stop by the gear room to check out or return gear and be reimbursed at any of the times listed above! Officers remain at the gear room only for as long as people are checking in/out gear (usually about 20-25 minutes). You may also purchase ODC t-shirts, hoo rags, patches, stickers, and more at the gear room!
MISC. GEAR INFO:
- Before returning gear, refer to the GEAR CLEANING DOC!
- If you return damaged, dirty, or incomplete gear, you will jeopardize your ability to check out gear in the future. It is your responsibility to return your gear in the condition you received it.
- Please refer to our reimbursement policy here.
- You can check our gear inventory here.
- Want to check out water sports gear or a mountain bike?
- Please email the officers at outdoors-officers@virginia.edu. They are stored at separate locations. We ask that you give at least 24 hours notice.
- Gear is due one week from when it is checked out unless renewed by an officer at a gear room. Keeping gear past its due date is a UVA Honor Offense. Club trips have priority access to gear.
Directions to the Gear Room:
- Start at Echols Dorm → go right on McCormick → turn right on Alderman Rd → take a left on Leake Drive → walk to the end of the road (there are several buildings and parking on either side) → pass a picnic table on the right → keep going! → walk straight to the first big maintenance building directly ahead → walk behind the building on the left side (if it feels like you maybe shouldn’t be there, you’re in the right place) → walk up the stairs → End: knock on the door!
- Map to Gear Room
TRIP RESOURCES AND REMINDERS
Leading Trips:
To become a trip leader, thoroughly read the Trip Leader Manual (resources page of the website) and send the officers an email (outdoors-officers@virginia.edu) letting them you know you have done so. They will then activate you on the website! Alternatively, come to a Trip Leader Workshop, lead by the officers several times each semester and posted on the website.
As a reminder, climbing, caving, mountain biking, and whitewater trips have special rules to lead! To learn more about types of trips and to become an approved trip leader for the sports listed above, feel free to contact the club’s Sport Advisors (emails can soon!).
- Climbing:
- Melu (alt7yjh@virginia.edu)
- Abby (als6qm@virginia.edu)
- Caving
- Renee (rle6juc@virginia.edu)
- Aidan (ajw3ttr@virginia.edu)
- Biking
- Max Titov (uhg2nv@virginia.edu)
- Hiking/Backpacking
- Grace (gag4jaz@virginia.edu)
- Ed (eba4ksx@virginia.edu)
- Water Sports
- Mitch – All (mcl2hxw@virginia.edu)
Jade – Paddleboarding (jma9x@virginia.edu)
Marion – Kayaking & Rafting (mtd6tx@virginia.edu)
- Mitch – All (mcl2hxw@virginia.edu)
If you have questions about how to lead trips, refer to the Leading Trips pages under Resources on the club website.
Want to lead a trip for an under-represented group in the outdoors? Lead an Affinity Trip! See the link for details and guidelines.
Absences:
- Please be aware that if you are joined on a trip, and you do not show up, or you drop out at the last minute, you are depriving another member of a spot on that trip.
- No-shows and last-minute absences not only hurt trip attendance, but they also make logistics more complicated.
- If a member is reported for two absences, trip leaders are permitted to take this into account when moving people off wait lists.
Sexual Harassment and Equity Reporting:
- Outdoors at UVA is committed to providing a safe and welcoming space for everyone to enjoy the outdoors. If you feel you or another have experienced sexual or gender-based violence or misconduct at the hands of another club member, you can report the misconduct here.
- If you feel you or another have experienced harassment based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, etc. at the hands of another club member, you can report the misconduct here.
- Outdoors at UVA’s Sexual Misconduct policy can be found on our Resources webpage and is linked here. Our policy for harassment and discrimination is here.
ADVENTURE OF THE WEEK!!!
The one, the only, Backpacking High is Cooler trip to Dolly Sods, WV from September 1-3!
“Matthew loved exploring the many different ecosystems together at Dolly Sods Wilderness this past weekend. First-time and seasoned backpackers alike escaped the heat while trekking 22 miles — a double-accomplishment for the participants who had never day hiked 10+ miles in one day. The adventurous spirits embraced Mother Nature in many ways, including sleeping beneath the stars all nights. Pictures show some things being done by the book and some not, as folks enjoyed experimenting and learning by doing; it sure was fun, and as Charles Ingalls often said: ‘all’s well that ends well!'” -Matthew
- How to be featured:
- Each week we’ll feature a different adventure that happened within the previous 7 days. To be featured, send us (outdoors-officers@virginia.edu) a couple of pictures of you and your pals adventurin’ and a little blurb about what you did!
- We’re stoked to see what y’all get up to, but PLEASE (please!) do not take pictures of people without their consent (and don’t submit them to us without their consent).
- Try and submit pictures as .jpeg files if possible! (not .heic live photos!)
Who will be the next ADVENTURE OF THE WEEK???
ET CETERA.
Social Media:
FB: (https://www.facebook.com/groups/OutdoorsAtUVA/)
Insta: (https://www.instagram.com/uvaoutdoors/)
GroupMe: (https://groupme.com/join_group/68250538/0HmzE2tL)
Peace, Love, & Dirt,
Sarah and the Officers