On Saturday, January 22nd, we had the opportunity to join Lewis & Clark’s College Outdoors program on a one day Cross Country Ski clinic at Teacup Lake in Mt. Hood!

The College Outdoors program provides year ‘round trips for students to learn how to ski, hike, camp, surf, canoe, raft and many more outdoor activities. The trips are also open to staff and provide a great opportunity get to know each other in the great outdoors!

The particular trip that we went on included a fellow co-worker, three students and an instructor from College Outdoors. We set off from the campus early Saturday morning and arrived at Teacup Lake in Mt. Hood in about an hour and a half. The trails are groomed regularly specifically for cross country and skate skiing and are a perfect place for beginners to advanced skiers. One of the first things that we did when we arrived was to get into our skis and learn how to properly fall down! Even though it was strange to learn that first, it wasn’t long before someone would take a little tumble as we headed down the trail!

We skied to a large open meadow which was relatively flat and spent the next couple of hours learning how to properly balance, glide, go up hill, use the poles and many other techniques. The weather was really well suited for skiing as it was sunny, clear and not too cold or hot. The views of Mt. Hood were really amazing! Before heading back onto the trails, we all sat around and enjoyed a hearty lunch and great fellowship! Not everyone knew each other, so it was also an opportunity to make new friends!

We spent the next couple hours, exploring the myriad of trails including the one that passes by the Teacup Lake (small and therefore appropriately named)! All of us were more confident on the skis since we had learned various techniques, but there were still occasional spills along the way! We finally all met up together at a large warming cabin to rest our legs and have some hot cocoa before heading back home. The whole way back we all enjoyed sharing about the great weather, beautiful scenery, fun skiing that we enjoyed together!

We look forward to joining College Outdoors on another great adventure!

Click here to view our photos.

Click here to view other College Outdoors trips