Peak Adventures holds many kinds of hikes throughout the semester, such as the Starlight Snowshoe Hike, the Hike of the Month and the Snowshoe Day Hike.

These hikes take people through the scenic view of California in different types of weather conditions and terrain.

The Snowshoe Day Hike on Saturday at Echo Summit is similar to the Starlight Snowshoe Hike near Soda Springs last Saturday but is held during the day.

Brad Pointer, operations manager for Peak Adventures, said he remembers growing up in the Midwest as an eagle scout where adventure was limited.

Fortunately, adventure isn’t limited at Sacramento State, said Brad Pointer, thanks to Peak Adventures.

“Trees in my backyard became a jungle gym and eventually I told my parents that I wanted to climb mountains for a living,” Pointer said. “Peak Adventures is assisting me in achieving this goal – by simply being a member of the staff.”

Pointer said people should go on the hike because it can be a jumping point for them to start or heighten their adventure.

The cost of the trip is $40 for students, $51 for faculty, staff, paid members of the association and alumni, and $57 for the general public.

According to Peak Adventure’s website, this cost includes guides, lessons, transportation and equipment.

Pointer said he understands that everybody is tight on money but emphasized that people sometimes do not recognize how important recreation can be in their lives.

Pointer said if people hold back on buying a cup of coffee for a few weeks, they could easily pay for the cost of a trip with Peak Adventures.

A trip with Peak Adventures, Pointer said, will still be memorable 30 years from now, but they will not remember the coffee they had at that time.

Pointer said traveling up into the mountains to snowshoe brings him into another world of peace and harmony that he cannot get in the city.

“It’s amazing when you get out in the mountains at night – there is a silence and husk in the atmosphere being away from the city,” Pointer said. “It’s a serene experience.”

Early registration is suggested and Peak Adventures will provide a checklist of items people will need to bring such as: snow pants, a packed lunch and proper clothing attire once registered for the trip.

A pre-trip meeting will be held on Feb. 17 and will inform participants about what to expect at the snowshoe hike.

Alicia Taylor, program specialist for Peak Adventures, was one of the staff member who attended the starlight night hike and said she was looking forward to the hike at Castle Peak.

“It’s aerobic, accessible and a different environment at night than in the day,” Taylor said.Taylor said she prefers the night snow shoe hike to a day snow shoe hike because the trails are not as congested.

She said on each trip the participants will hike on a three-mile journey on snowshoes through very accessible terrain and will be given tracking poles to keep them grounded.

Karphik Suresh Kumar, graduate computer science student, said he snowshoed for the first time last year on the Peak Adventures’ starlight snowshoe hike at Castle Peak.

During the snowshoe hike, Kumar said he began to acknowledge how difficult snowshoeing actually was.

“It was brutal,” Kumar said. “A few people had a hard time keeping up.”

He said the hike became easier when the participants began to work as a team. He said members would volunteer to “break the trail” periodically.

Kumar said the trips Peak Adventures sponsor may seem challenging but they are worth while in the end.

Taylor admits, like many people, she can get consumed with the busy work in everyday life and adventure trips like showshoe hiking is what our culture does not prioritize.

“We’re a culture that values work,” Taylor said. “I get consumed with work, paying bills and going to the grocery store but it’s important to take time to adventure, recreate yourself and slow down your internal pace.”

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