Outdoor Adventures Takes Day Trip to Stone Mountain Park For Labor Day Weekend

Outdoor Adventures took students on a hiking trip to Stone Mountain State Park Sunday, Sept. 3.  A two-hour drive from Raleigh, the park is home to a massive granite dome as well as more than 18 miles of hiking trails. It was the ideal place for a relaxed Labor Day hike.

However, this wasn’t just your average hiking trip, but a fun-filled adventure topped off with an hour of yoga.

Led by Garnett Bullock, a senior studying sustainable materials and technologies with a minor in outdoor leadership and environmental science. Bullock has lead three to four trips each semester since he started at University Recreation in the fall of 2016. Every trip leader has a goal of making their trips engaging and memorable for all participants. Hopefully enough so that they will register for one of the many other trips through University Recreation.

For Bullock, he likes, “to think of each one as a different chance to assist in providing a totally unique experience for someone that might have never tried to do the activity on their own.”

On this trip, Bullock gave students a unique experience with a combination of  “the two very compatible activities of hiking and practicing yoga.” It started with a hike to a spot overlooking the park. Once the group made their way up, the overlook served as a picturesque background as they transitioned into the yoga portion of the trip. Led by a University Recreation group fitness instructors, yoga was more relaxed and suited a variety of skillsets. Catering to all levels of experience is a large component on trips which aim to reach a broader group of students.

Following yoga was what Bullock calls the “OA standard lunch” consisting of a sandwich buffet with an array of toppings. Once the group had finished the lunch, they trekked onward on the trail for few hours before heading back to campus.

“The goals for us were really to keep everyone safe and able to push themselves to whatever point of physical exertion they wanted to,” said Bullock.

Participants seemed to enjoy the trip as it was a way to “mix up what might be a routine of going on a casual day hike, and spicing it up with an hour of yoga.” Many of Outdoor Adventures trips take getting outside and exercising to a new level by adding a unique twist. While hiking and yoga has passed, there are still many trips to register for.

Outdoor Adventures strives to provide students with the opportunity to expand their comfort zones by organizing unique trips and excursions that challenge the day-to-day routine.