Outdoor activities to increase

Return of service members brings back high adventure

Bob Reinert/Northwest Guardian

Expect more to do outdoors as the recreation programs from Joint Base Lewis-McChord North, Main and McChord Field dovetail this year.

“Basically, we’re going to combine and make ... JBLM Outdoor Recreation bigger, better,” said Rick Kivett, installation adventure program manager. “We’re going to serve populations both here on JBLM North and Main, as well as McChord Field.”

Greater outdoor opportunities at JBLM will greet the increasing number of service members coming home from deployments during 2010. The merger of the two programs should end trip conflicts.

“Whether it’s a Soldier or an Airman, they can sign up at either installation, and it will be one calendar,” Kivett said. “Essentially, we have the same mission. We did a lot of the same trips. We would run into each other rafting on the same day.”

In recent months, deployments have changed the focus of Outdoor Recreation’s offerings.

“We’re running a lot of trips, a lot of family-oriented trips,” Kivett said. “We’ve shifted to the family side, slightly, just because that’s our major population right now. We’re doing everything we can to help the spouses and families ... because we do have so many Soldiers (who) are deployed. It’s really important that we keep them as active as possible and that they have ample choices.”

According to Kivett, ski, snowboard and snowshoe trips have been quite popular again this winter.

“Our Crystal Mountain ski and snowboard trips — those have been really popular this season,” Kivett said. “And (they) will continue to be, as long as the snow holds. I got certified to teach snowboarding lessons at Crystal Mountain, and so we’ve been incorporating that with our trips.”

As Kivett pointed out, he’s been able to offer 2 1/2-hour snowboard lessons for $15 at Crystal.

“Their ski school’s been very accommodating to us,” Kivett said. “They just want people to come up and enjoy the mountain.”

Needs something different? Perhaps a snowshoe trip to Mount Rainier would be more to your liking.

“The snowshoeing has been phenomenal up in the higher elevations,” Kivett said. “We’ve had some great trips this season. It’s still looking really good up high like that.”

Snow conditions this winter, while not tremendous, have been adequate, Kivett said.

“I mean, it’s definitely not been a phenomenal year as far as snow,” Kivett said. “But there’s been enough snow that the mountains have been open, and we’ve had a lot of fun.”

The good times will continue in the upcoming schedule. One of the highlights will be Crystal Mountain military appreciation day March 12.

“It’s a half-price lift ticket,” Kivett said. “It’s $30.”

The annual hunter-education course will take place in April. The registration deadline is March 1.

More of the high-adventure trips will return as the Soldiers do, Kivett said.

“A lot of the units that are returning home, we have the ‘Warrior Adventure Quest’ for them,” Kivett said. “We love to get the organic units out. It allows them to bond and just have some fun within the unit.”

Bungee jumping makes its return on March 21.

“We’ve had a lot of interest,” said Kivett of the bungee-jumping trips. “People are like, ‘Oh, yeah, I’ve been waiting all winter for this.’

“This is going to be the third season that we’ve been doing the bungee, and every year, more and more people find out about it. It’s a lot of fun.”

As always, Kivett said, Outdoor Recreation can tailor trips to specific groups. All trips are open to ID cardholders and their sponsored guests.

For more information on JBLM Outdoor Recreation, call 967-6263 or visit www.jblmmwr.com