Trips and Workshops - Archive

Spring 2008

Date	Trip	Location	Cost	Other Information
Sat., Feb 2 11 a.m.-6 p.m.	Day Hike	Jones State Forest and Mercer Arboretum	$20	Enjoy the outdoors near Houston. Home of endangered species red-cockaded woodpecker!
Feb. 22-23	Rock Climbing	Reimer's Ranch Austin, TX	$35	Camp and Climb for the weekend. Pre-trip meeting required: Feb 20, 6 p.m.
March 22 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m.	Day Sail	Kemah, TX	$35	Sail a 38-foot boat off the coast of Kemah
April 3-5 Spring Recess	Big Thicket Canoe Trip	Big Thicket National Preserve	$35	Camp on a sandbar in the Pineywoods. Pre-trip meeting required: April 1, 6:00 p.m.
April 19 5:30-7:30 p.m.	Outdoor Cooking on Campus	Rice University campus	$5	Learn the basics of outdoor cooking

Fall 2007

Date	Trip	Location	Cost	Other Information
Sat., Sept. 8	Coastal Sailing Trip	Kemah, TX	$20	Sail a 38-foot boat off the coast of Kemah
Sat., Sept. 29	Canoeing	Colorado River	$20	Canoe a scenic 6.1 mile stretch of the Colorado River
Mon., Oct. 15	Horseback Riding	Galveston, TX	$20	Ride along a stretch of Galveston Beach during Midterm Recess
Fri., Oct. 19	Night Hike	Brazos Bend State Park	$10	Hike through the woods at night to catch a glimpse of the night wildlife
Nov. 2-4	Backpacking	Los Maples State Park	$30	Pre-trip meeting required: Mon., Oct. 29 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Travel through Los Maples to view the Fall colors.
Sat., Nov. 17	Caving	Whirlpool Cave, Austin, TX	$20	Crawl under Ausin in the famous Whirlpool Cave

Trip Descriptions

All trips and workshops require advanced registration.

For registration deadlines, see chart above.

Day Trip: Coastal Sailing, Saturday, September 8
Learn to Sail on a 38-foot sailing boat with Blue Marlin Sailing School in Kemah. Instruction provided.

Canoeing, Saturday, September 29
Canoe a scenic 6.1 mile stretch of the Colorado River.

Horseback Riding Along the Beach, Monday, October 15
Travel south to Galveston for horseback rides on the beach. The ride is 30 minutes and will be walking only. This ride is designed for beginners, no experience necessary. After the ride, we will spend time on the beach, weather permitting. Transportation, horse rental, and lunch provided in the cost of registration.

Night Hike, Friday, October 19
Leave your computer behind for the evening. Spend the sunset outdoors and enjoy a moonlit walk with friends. We will hike at Brazos Bend State Park. Transportation included.

Backpacking, November 2-4
Extended information coming soon. Pre-trip meeting required for trip participants.

Caving Day Trip: Whirlpool Cave, Saturday, November 17
Join ROPE in a day trip to Austin's Whirlpool Cave. Head underground to experience caving under Austin. Crawl and climb around the cave during the two-hour cave trip. Take a close look at the Karst features while you illuminate your own way through the cave. All experience levels welcome. Participants should wear old clothing and sturdy boots/shoes. Transportation, caving equipment provided.

Spring 2007

Date	Trip	Location	Cost	Deadline
Sat., Jan. 27	Day Hike and Outdoor Workshops	Brazos Bend State Park	$18	Jan. 26 2 p.m.
Mon., Feb. 5	Workshop: Climbing Basics	Rice Recreation Center	Free Registration Required	Feb. 5 5 p.m.
Feb. 9-10	Climbing Overnight Trip	West of Austin at Reimer Ranch	$70	Feb. 5 5 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 24	Caving Day Trip	Austin's Whirlpool Cave Joint trip with Univ. of St. Thomas	$12	Feb. 22
Sun., March 18	Canoe Houston	Houston Bayou	$5	March 15 5 p.m.
Sat., March 24	Horseback Riding on the Beach	Galveston, TX	$20	March 23 5 p.m.
April 5-7 Spring Recess	Enchanted Rock Weekend	Enchanted Rock near Austin, TX	$65	April 3 6 p.m.
Sat., April 14	Coastal Sailing Day Trip	Kema, TX	$50	April 12 5 p.m.

Trip Descriptions

All trips and workshops require advanced registration. Trip prices are for Rice students, undergraduate and graduate. Faculty and Staff prices increase by $10.00.

For registration deadlines, see chart above.

Day Hike and Outdoor Workshops, Saturday, January 13
Travel to Brazos Bend State Park, southwest of Houston, for the day. Outdoor workshops will include GPS, outdoor cooking, and fire building. Time will also be allotted for hikes around the park. Lunch, transportation, and equipment included.

Workshop: Climbing Basics, Monday, February 5 at 7 p.m.
Join the ROPE staff to learn the basics of climbing, such as belaying, knots, and equipment use. Have time to practice with instructors nearby. This workshop will help you get ready for your next climbing gym or outdoor trip. Workshop required for upcoming Climbing trip participants.

Climbing Trip: Reimer's Ranch, Friday-Saturday, February 9-10
Travel west of Austin to Reimer's Ranch for a beginner to intermediate climbing trip. We will leave campus Friday afternoon, camp out Friday night, climb all day Saturday, and return to campus Saturday night. Travel, equipment, and instruction provided in the registration fee.

Caving Day Trip: Whirlpool Cave, Saturday, February 24
Join ROPE and the University of St. Thomas in a day trip to Austin's Whirlpool Cave. Head underground to experience caving under Austin. Crawl and climb around the cave during the two-hour cave trip. Take a close look at the Karst features while you illuminate your own way through the cave. All experience levels welcome. Participants should wear old clothing and sturdy boots/shoes. Transportation, caving equipment and lunch provided.

Spring Break Funding Available, for trips March 5-11
Are you planning an outdoor-based spring based trip? Do you want to apply for funding to help out with your outdoor trip? The application is now available for the 2007 spring break. View the ROPE index page for more information.

Horseback Riding Along the Beach, Sunday, March 24
Travel south to Galveston for horseback rides on the beach. The ride is 30 minutes and will be walking only. This ride is designed for beginners, no experience necessary. After the ride, we will spend time on the beach, weather permitting. Transportation, horse rental, and lunch provided in the cost of registration.

Enchanted Rock Weekend, Thursday-Saturday, April 5-7, Spring Recess
Spend Spring Recess at Enchanted Rock. Leave campus Thursday afternoon and camp at the park. Backpack on Saturday morning to site. Spend the weekend hiking up the granite dome and on trails, going through a short cave, bouldering, and relaxing at camp. Returning to campus Saturday night.

Day Trip: Coastal Sailing, Saturday, April 14
Learn to Sail on a 38-foot sailing boat with Blue Marlin Sailing School in Kema. Instruction provided. More information coming soon!

Fall 2006

Date	Activity	Location	Cost	Deadline
Friday, Sept. 1	Night Hike: Spider Walk	Brazos Bend State Park	$12	5:30-11 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 10	Canoeing	Sam Houston National Forest	$34	All day
Saturday, Sept. 30	Horseback Riding	Lake Livingston	$37	Sept. 28, 4:30 p.m.
October 14-15 Midterm Recess	Backpacking	Sam Houston National Forest	$43	Oct. 9, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 4	Caving	Whirlpool Cave	$35	Oct. 30, 4:30 p.m.
Weekday Evening, TBD	Workshop: "Cooking in the Back-country"	Rice Rec Center	$10	Nov. 9, 4:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 1	Night Hike 2	Armond Bayou	$12	Nov. 30, 4:30 p.m.

Trip Descriptions

All trips and workshops require advanced registration. Trip prices are for Rice students, undergraduate and graduate. Faculty and Staff prices increase by $10.00.
For registration deadlines, see chart above.

Horseback Riding, Saturday, September 30
Trail ride at Lake Livingston State Park's stables. All experience levels welcome. Guides will lead the group through the woods at Lake Livingston State Park. Transportation, lunch and trail ride included. Long pants required. Minimum 5 people. Maximum 13 people.

Backpacking, Saturday and Sunday, October 14-15
Escape from campus during midterm recess. Head north out of town to the Sam Houston National Forest. This overnight backpacking trip will be on relatively flat terrain on a portion of the Lone Star Hiking Trail. Good general health and fitness levels required. Sturdy boots/shoes required. Transportation, camping gear, and dinner provided. Minimum 5 people. Maximum 9 people.

Caving, Saturday, November 4
Head underground to experience caving under Austin. Crawl and climb around the cave during the two-hour cave trip. Take a close look at the Karst features while you illuminate your own way through the cave. All experience levels welcome. Participants should wear old clothing and sturdy boots/shoes. Transportation, caving equipment and lunch provided. Minimum 5 people. Maximum 13 people.

Workshop: Cooking in the Backcountry, Thursday, November 9
Looking for new recipes to bring on your outdoor trips? Interested in practicing for your next trip? Meet over at the Recreation Center to cook outside. Minimum 3 people. Maximum 10 people.

Night Hike, Friday, December 1
Leave your computer behind for the evening. Spend the sunset outdoors and enjoy a moonlit walk with friends. We will hike at Armond Bayou along the gulf coast. Transportation and park admission included. Minimum 5 people. Maximum 13 people.