When winter settles in the Maine woods, most people scurry indoors to take comfort in a modern marvel called the thermostat. Yet for a select group of students, the arrival of winter means it is time to throw off cushy comforts and boldly go where few have willingly gone before—the wilderness.
At least that’s where you’ll find the men and women of the Bowdoin Outing Club’s Advanced Winter Leadership Seminar (AWLS).
The Outing Club also offers a popular Leadership Training (LT) course, where selected students learn how to organize and lead outdoor expeditions safely. Although seemingly similar, Assistant Directors of the Outing Club Rebecca Austin and Devin Farkas explained that AWLS is different in two critical ways.
First, AWLS is an opportunity to increase the relatively basic outdoor leadership skills of LT graduates. In addition to giving them extra experience, it lets them take greater ownership of the BOC. In fact, AWLS students are responsible for planning their own trips.
“Devin and I really take a back seat and let them do the planning,” said Austin. “We do a little bit of that in LT, but it’s really all dumped on their plates in AWLS.”
Students take responsibility for drawing up itineraries, packing supplies and equipment, and acquiring permits to camp in state and national parks.
Current AWLS member Kyle Werner agreed that the Outing Club staff plays a low-key supervisory role.
“We set everything up, and they kind of check to make sure we’re going to survive,” he said.
When choosing their trips, students keep in mind the skills they want to work on. Last weekend, the program split into two groups, says Austin.
“The group who felt that they wanted more practice using ice axes and crampons went to Wildcat [Mountain in New Hampshire] with Devin. And then I had a group that wanted more practice with cross-country skiing, and we went up to the Bigelow area near Sugarloaf.”
The distinguishing factor of AWLS is the development of these skills. Students learn advanced techniques unique to winter expeditions, like how to hike using crampons, ice axes and snowshoes, set up a camp in the snow, and stay safe in brutally low temperatures.
Even something as basic as pitching a tent can be dramatically different in the winter.
“When there’s enough snow, we try not to use tents,” said Werner. Instead, they cut snow into blocks and build snow shelters.
“It’s actually warmer, and it means we don’t have to lug any tents around,” he added.
Winter camping can be dangerous.
“You can never forget that it’s winter,” said Werner. “You still need to stay hydrated, even if it’s cold and all you have is ice water.”
Austin explains that leaders bare the burden of the group’s safety even more in the winter months.
“Leading in the winter, the risk is a lot higher, and that’s another reason the leader really needs to be on the ball. If someone is cold it’s not just that they’re chilled—they could lose a finger or a toe,” she said.
When they graduate from the program, students can either join people of similar skill levels on advanced trips, or lead other students in more basic winter activities.
“We train students both to use those skills themselves, or to know when those skills are above the skill set of the group they’re leading,” said Farkas.
For example, inexperienced hikers cannot be taught how to use crampons and ice picks in a single day. A leader who has taken AWLS can determine when a certain slope would require using such equipment, and then try to find a different path.
Of course, a major reason why people participate is to enjoy the Outing Club cuisine. When asked about the perks of braving the snow and ice, Austin and Farkas immediately praised the gastronomic dimension.
Austin explains that, “because your body needs more energy to stay warm, you can eat more calories, which is fun!”
“You get to eat Ramen Bombs, which are basically bricks made of ramen noodles, mashed potatoes, cheese and butter,” Farkas said.
After overcoming a day in the winter wilderness, another benefit for a Bowdoin student is a long night of sleep. “Since you go to bed when it gets dark, you can go to sleep at six or seven,” Farkas added.