UAF’s Outdoor Adventures: Wilderness Welcome Trip - Fall 2022

By Matthew Scragg

Students were welcomed to their fall 2022 semester at UAF with the annual Wilderness Welcome Trip, hosted by the university’s Outdoor Adventures (OA). Wilderness welcome takes new students, both freshman and transfers, on a four-day three-night trip in the Alaskan wilderness. This year, participants had the choice between a backpacking trip at Ksuegi Ridge in Denali State Park and a multi-sport trip in the Eastern Alaska Range.

Participants in the Ksuegi Ridge groups spent their time hiking above the tree line across blueberry filled ridges within the park. Unfortunately, the usual views of 6000m Denali and the rest of the Central Alaska Range were shrouded in clouds and rain for the August groups.

For the multi-sport trip members, the rain was on and off, leaving plenty of time for activities in between. Students went climbing at Bear Creek, a newly developed sport climbing wall just off the Richardson Highway. They also spent one day canoeing on nearby Fielding Lake and another day hiking up on the Gulkana glacier.

“A big part of enjoying life in Fairbanks is embracing an active, outdoor lifestyle. UAF Outdoor Adventures offers Wilderness Welcome Orientation before the traditional New Student Orientation.”

Keep an eye out for next year’s Wilderness Welcome trip here.