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Club climbs, backpacks, kayaks, snowboards . . . anything in the mountains By
Dusty Decker
A member of Mountain Club ascends the Fucoidal Quartzite climbing crag Thursday in Logan Canyon. / Photo by Dusty Decker For people who don't have just one favorite hobby, activity or sport, but want to get involved, the Mountain Club is the way to go. The club ranges from simple day hikes to weekend backpacking trips, from beginning climbing clinics to extensive mountain climbs. The club also does mountain biking, snowboarding/skiing, kayaking and anything else you can do in the mountains. Club president Kit Petersen, said, "The Mountain Club is an opportunity to get out and enjoy the outdoors and meet people with the same interests." Petersen, a junior at USU, is majoring in finance and economics. He's from Milwaukee, Wis. He had not planned on being the president or even thought of holding office until Chris Jones, former president, asked him last year. At first Petersen assumed that he wouldn't have to do much, just plan a few road trips, but the first two weeks of fall semester changed his thinking. Petersen does have help. His vice president is Brian Cardall, and the club has other officers too. It hasn't taken Petersen long to realize the importance of delegating, and he sees how it will make life easier for him and make the club more successful. The club started in 1995 by Mike Kirshman and Casey Francis. Last year there were 175 students and this year there are 170. About 100 of the members are women. The membership fee, $25 for the school year, allows each member a Mountain Club T-shirt and a membership card that gives access to deals set up with sponsors. Those sponsors include Black Dog skating, Trailhead, Adventure Sports, The Factory Pizzeria, Al's, The Sportsman Mountain Place, Norda's Mountain Outfitters and Sunrise Cycling. Deals vary from discounts off merchandise to cheap bike tune-ups to a large pizza for $6.99. The club has already had a number of activities this fall. During the second week of the semester it had an opening social for new and perspective members. The band Mountain Slim played and Adventure Sports Rock Gym hosted the party. There was free climbing, and numerous prizes were thrown to the audience or given away in a raffle to those who were already members. They also have been on a backpacking trip to Wind Rivers and last week they held a rock climbing clinic and barbecue. They encouraged beginners to try rock climbing, and Adventure Sports Rock Climbing Gym sent instructors to help out. Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 the club will go backpacking in the Tetons. Petersen said the club is interested in teaching and promoting techniques to improve the environment. Members also want to support the Ecos Club and help with its projects. Petersen said that their goal for the year was "to get people involved in outdoors, help people experience what the environment has to offer and to play" (maybe that should be the motto). The club also has a websight that is being updated. You can check that out at http://cc.usu.edu/~mtclub/. You can also contact the club at mtclub@cc.usu.edu.
Mountain Club gathers for a barbecue Thursday, during an outing to Fucoidal Quartzite. / Photo by Dusty Decker
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