Tech Treks offers Alaskan adventure to new freshmen

This summer, Outdoor Recreation at Georgia Tech (ORGT) will lead 12 incoming freshmen on a 14-day adventure through south central Alaska. The trip will include travel on the "Denali Star" of the Alaska railroad, sea kayaking, a visit to Kenai Fjord National Park and over four days of backpacking in Denali National Park.

There's more to this Alaskan adventure than just roughing it in the great outdoors, however. Other planned activities include doing yoga in the backcountry, reading John Krakauer's Into the Wild and various group-building activities.

Participants will pay 1800 dollars each for this unique experience. A small subsidy has been provided by the ORGT Endowment to keep this price below 2000 dollars.

This Yukon freshman orientation has been organized with the support of Success Programs/FASET and the Campus Recreation Center (CRC).

"Wilderness adventure orientation programs have been very popular at...colleges for decades. Over the last decade, more and more universities have added these programs," said Matt Marcus, outdoor recreation coordinator.

Named Tech Treks Alaska, this program follows the inaugural year of Tech Treks. Tech Treks Southeast will continue the original Tech Treks program, taking roughly 30 incoming freshmen whitewater rafting on the Oconee August 25.

Tech Treks Alaska will be guided by Marcus and CRC Assistant Director of Outdoor Recreation Leigh Jackson-Magennis, with the aid of two other professional outdoors people. The travelers will also solicit the aid of Kenai Fjord Tours and Seaside Adventure Eco Tours for specialized activities.

Marcus said that some of Tech Treks' greater goals were having fun, bonding with fellow students and learning how to succeed at Tech from upper-class students.

"Tech Treks was started to fill a niche that was not being met at Tech currently," Marcus said.

When asked about the possibility of similar trips for older students, Marcus replied that "it is the goal of ORGT to begin to develop fantastic epic trips for other students, faculty and staff in the future. The ORGT Endowment was given with that goal in mind. It is expected that the first 'big trips' will begin this coming school year."

"I wish they'd had that program ten years ago," said John Hoyt, an Electrical and Computer Engineering alumnus who remains active in ORGT.

On the other hand, Paul Von der Porten, a fourth-year Aerospace Engineering major, was puzzled by the prospect of the trips. "It sounds like fun, but I'm not sure how it would help with engineering," Von der Porten said.