Finding Community with Outdoor Adventures

By: Cameron Addertion ‘20 communications

Who wouldn’t want to make the transition to college easier? Wellness and Recreation offers two Outdoor Adventure trips exclusively to incoming freshmen to build community while experiencing the outdoors: Wolf Camp and Wolfpack Bound.

“Our trips are a great way to make the university a small community. These are friends students keep during their four years of college,” said Nathan Williams, assistant director of Outdoor Adventures.

Wolfpack Bound has two trip options for students, a four-day kayaking excursion to North Carolina’s charming coast or backpacking in the Grayson Highland region of Virginia. The days are spent kayaking or hiking and the nights are spent bonding through meaningful conversations around a warm campfire. The trip is led by experienced students who are already established in the NC State community and can provide information and advice to the incoming class. Wolfpack Bound is ideal for students who want to be immersed in nature. Students can enjoy the peacefulness of nature while building friendships in a small and intimate group.

Sidak Bachher ‘20 attended Wolfpack Bound before arriving at NC State in 2018. Sidak, a biomedical engineering major, found Wolfpack Bound on the list of new student programs available online. Sidak said the trip interested him because he is an outdoors enthusiast, frequently going hiking and camping on his own. Sidak had never kayaked before and was excited to experience a new adventure with other incoming freshmen.  

Bachher thought that Wolfpack Bound would be a good way to socialize before the school year began and a way to understand NC State’s community. Sidak and his friends he made on the trip make it a priority to see each other at least once a month by spending time over a meal. During Fall Break, the group of friends took their own camping trip to Linville Falls to catch up after a few months of being apart. The bonds made by students last far beyond the duration of the trip.

Bachher is the first in his family to attend college in the United States and had no reference to what college would be like. Therefore, he took advantage of having established trip leaders and asked for recommendations about transitioning into the ways of the Wolfpack.

“I liked that the trip was led by second-year students that I could ask advice from,” said Bachher. Trip leaders were able to offer tips about balancing the workload of classes, time management and resources available on campus.

Both Wolf Camp and Wolfpack Bound are created for beginning and advanced adventurers alike. Students do not need to have any previous experience camping or kayaking. Both trips encourage students to step out of their comfort zones, overcome challenges they may face and try new things. More information about Wolf Camp and Wolfpack Bound can be found online through  Wellness and Recreation.