Pacific Outback Trips
Fall
Sea kayaking
Outback is the perfect source for your introduction to sea kayaking. We paddle the waters of five different bays along the Oregon and Washington coasts and the lower Columbia River. Outback has solo and double expedition outfitted kayaks that are used on every trip. Whether you want a day trip to escape stresses of academic life, an over night trip to experience the real potential of kayaking, or just an afternoon at a kayak clinic on a lake, we can satisfy your needs.
Rafting
Oregon is the land of liquid sunshine! We have the good fortune of having constant river flows through the fall season on the Deschutes River in Central Oregon. The Deschutes is a perfect introduction to white water rafting. Outback provides the transportation, equipment and leadership. All you need is a pair of shorts and you are good to go!
In the spring Outback runs trips our local gem: the Clackamas river. For the next step in rafting, this is the river for you. It is a thrilling spring run that is easy to get to. While the Deschutes offers a great adventure in the desert of central Oregon, the Clackamas highlights the forests of western Oregon.
Hiking and Backpacking
The Cascade Mountains and our local Tillamook state forest are classic stomping grounds for adventures on terra firma. We offer day hikes, weekend backpacking trips, and vacation long multi-day adventures. Our gear is your gear. The only thing you need are the boots to walk in. Different trips appeal to different people. Some hikes are short and leave time for taking pictures and looking at flowers. Other hikes are physically hard work and offer great exercise. Backpacking is a perfect medium for a first time outdoor experiences. Escaping your daily routine with a weekend in the mountains is medicine for the soul.
In the past we have offered a variety of backpacking trips including: Mt. Hood; Salmon/ Huckleberry wilderness; Mt. Adams, Indian Heaven wilderness; Tillamook State Forest; Kings mountain; Mt. St. Helens; the South Sister and the Columbia River gorge.
Canoeing
We offer introcutory trips for both lake and river canoeing. The fall season is a key time to get out on mountain lakes after the bugs and before the first snowfalls. It is also when rivers are the most accessible to beginner paddlers. We also offer Canoes in our rental line.
Rock Climbing
Our climbing series has a lot to offer. Fall adventures start with day trips to crags on Mt. Hood. You don’t even have to own your own climbing shoes for these trips! Our guides provide the transportation, equipment and instruction to make your day the best possible. We end the fall with a three-day climbing trip to Smith Rock state park in central Oregon. This is a real blast! Smith is the Mecca for sport climbing in the Northwest. Routes can be found to excite all types of climbers.
Indoor climbing is the solution to wet weather days. Evening trips to Stoneworks (the local climbing gym) during the winter months get you through to spring. Discounted gym passes and transportation to the gym are provided. These are favorite trips for many who crave a weeknight adventure.
Winter
Cross country and Back country skiing
When Old Man Winter moves across the Northwest, we trade our boots in for skis. Outback puts together some fun trips that introduce folks to the sport of Nordic skiing. Both cross country and back country styles are taught. Cross-country skiing focuses on skill instruction and day trips on even or groomed trails. These are trips that offer a great day of exercise and fun with friends. Our backcountry skiing, while still designed for beginners, is off trail and involves more route finding, ups and downs and cutting trial. We even offer over night trips on skis. Mt. Hood, Crater Lake and the Wallowas are some of our favorite stomping grounds.
Snow shoeing
For some, a swap of the boots for skis is a little too much a little too fast, so snowshoes are the remedy. Snowshoes allow you to stomp all year long through meadows, between trees, along winter trails—the options are boundless! Outback has several sizes to feet your needs (pun intended). We supply the snowshoes, the gaiters (for warm, dry feet), transportation and guide. Your job is to show up with a lunch and a lot of questions. Don’t let Old Man Winter keep you indoors…get out and see the world in a whole new season with Outback!
Urban Adventures
All year long Outback offers trips to destinations more refined (i.e. don’t require gaiters or a camp stove!). Our line-up of urban and cultural adventures highlights downtown Portland and Seattle through theater performances, festivals, gallery and museum tours. Cooking classes, winery tours and off beat restaurant nights also help us create adventures out of the culinary arts.
Spring
Spring Mountaineering
Outback ends the year with a Mountaineering basics clinic. We have put together a package that lets first time mountaineers progress from skill workshops to peak assents. We offer multiple day clinics focused on snow travel skills and safety. Then offer a progression of summit attempts on Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Hood to end the year. Early season mountaineering is very rewarding. Students have been psyched to complete there year at Pacific with a climb of Oregon’s highest peak.
White water kayaking
In the spring, Outback organizes a white water kayaking school. A series of classes leads the participant to two river trips. The school starts with pool sessions at our aquatic center, then an afternoon at Hagg Lake with the continuation of practicing rolling in cold water. The next class is on an actual river where participants can focus on entering and exiting eddies and ferrying in moving water. The final class is a down river experience where participants link all of their skills on a class II River. The warm water and high instructor to student ratio make for accelerated learning. We have had a lot of success with this class and it is a favorite with students.
Spring Break Adventures
Each spring break Outback focuses on larger, more involved outings. Previous outings have included: skiing and snowboarding in Whistler B.C., Canada; backpacking the Lost Coast of Northern California or the Canyonlands of southern Utah; and white water kayaking on Southern Utah’s San Juan river. Every year we try to develop new offerings and introduce students to new adventures throughout the west.
Outdoor Recreation Class
Students can also receive credit for enrolling in Outback’s Outdoor Rec. Class. Three field experiences along with weekly classes help to introduce students to solid wilderness travel and trip planning skills. Sea kayaking, snow camping, and backpacking are the activities that bring out skill development and give students an applied lab for subjects addressed in the classroom. (Offered as HPER 150 credit)