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Weekday Warrior: Quick Canoe Trip Close to Campus

10/20/2017 by Nick Thomas Leave a Comment

EWU EPIC equips you with outdoor gear for insanely cheap prices so everyone can be an explorer any day of the week. Have an afternoon free? At EWU you can grab a canoe for $11, lash it onto your car roof, paddle a nearby lake and stream, and be back by dinner.

Bonnie Lake is just one of half a dozen narrow lakes tucked in the ancient flood-carved canyons south of EWU. The only way to enter the lake is by paddling up a mile long stream through lush grasses teeming with wildlife.

Navigating stream to hidden Bonnie Lake

Above the stream we spotted an amazing, rare basalt arch. A half-mile later a beaver dam marked the entrance to the lake. Even steeper cliffs rose up on all sides. An island in the middle of the lake is a great lunch spot.Besides a few kayaks and little fishing boat we were utterly alone and engulfed in complete silence. I live near the freeway and a train track, so I appreciate true silence, as rare as that basalt arch.

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Red Winged Blackbird guards entrance to Bonnie Lake near EWU (Photo: Nick Thomas)

We ate lunch on the island, and took a nap, only to realize that time had gotten away from us. It was four in the afternoon already. How had four hours passed already? We were astonished. We loaded our gear and headed back. This time it was cooler, the shadows deeper, the beams of light brighter and the cliffs awash in intense slanted evening light glowed like the walls of some ancient fortress. More wildlife was out, too.

Spring cascade adorns the water route to Bonnie Lake (Photo: Nick Thomas)
Spring cascade borders the paddle route to Bonnie Lake (Photo: Nick Thomas)

Red winged blackbirds, unperturbed by our presence, sang from perches six feet from our canoe. A great Blue Heron rose startled from the marsh and flew in a wide circle down the canyon and back up toward the lake. Osprey hunted for fish to feed their fledglings, and ducks and geese browsed the riparian grassland for insects. From deep within side canyons past the thick marsh the sound of waterfalls echoed, taunting us with their mysterious and brief spring time existence.

Filed Under: EWU Tagged With: bonnie lake, canoe trips near cheney, Cheney, ewu outdoors

EWU Promises EPIC Adventures

04/19/2016 by Nick Thomas Leave a Comment

“Hanging out around a campsite is a natural way to socialize and meet people.” – Brent Goodson

When you walk up to the EPIC climbing wall most mornings, you will see a group of students learning the ropes, usually there is a actual class. But any student can climb, starting with bouldering, which requires no ropes. Simply walk up, sign a waiver, watch a short safety video, and pick a route on the short wall design to challenge you without being dangerous.

EWU students take EPIC adventure to hotsprings (Austin Marvel photo, Instagram @austinmarvels)
EWU students take EPIC adventure to hotsprings (Austin Marvel photo, Instagram @austinmarvels)

EWU EPIC Adventures offers way more than a climbing wall. It’s a way to experience pretty much all of the Northwest, have fun, and make new friends. If you’ve never been camping before, jump aboard one of EPIC’s year-round adventures.

They get a lot of students brand new to outdoor recreation. Especially for weekend trips like to hot springs, or dog sledding. Ice-climbing is a popular trip, too.

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EPIC Climbing at Leavenworth (Photo courtesy Austin Marvel. Instagram @austinmarvels)

Bernt Goodson, a senior Environmental Science/Geology major, started going on EPIC trips his freshman year, now this is his third year leading them. He says EPIC is perfect for freshmen college students. And it brings together students from different cultural backgrounds and experience levels.  “International students love our weekend trips; they often come as a group. We have a ton of fun.”

Upcoming trips include Methow Valley and Wenatchee Raft and Climb trips. Bouldering and climbing day trips trips are coming up to McLellen and Minnehaha, close to Spokane. On the Spokane River, rafting, kayaking and even river surfing is popular.

Service Learning trips involve giving back. EWU Climbing Club recently returned from a Service Learning trip to Dry Falls, an ancient dried up waterfall 2 hours east of EWU. They hiked around the vast canyon, picked up litter, and checked climbing holds for safety.

As Goodson says, “just try it out!”

Click here to view the 2016 EPIC trip schedule.

Filed Under: EWU Tagged With: climbing college, epic adventure, epic adventures, ewu climbing, ewu climbing club, ewu climbing wall, ewu epic, ewu hiking, ewu outdoors, EWU outdoors clubs, ewu rafting, outdoors adventure, schools with outdoor clubs

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