Mavericks Adventures takes advantage of the snow
Maverick Adventures has wintertime events in full swing, with activities such as snowshoeing fast approaching. The program at Minnesota State University, Mankato is designed for students to learn, stay active, and gain leadership skills in fun and unique ways.
Maverick Adventures offers a wide range of courses in multiple locations, such as the fitness trail on campus, Seven Mile Creek, and Minneopa State Park. They run events that feature everything from ice fishing, to hiking, to canoeing.
“Our events are beginner friendly, so it doesn’t matter what your level of experience is. We provide all of the guidance, instruction, and material that you need,” says Madison Vandersee, one of the graduate assistants with Maverick Adventures. “If you’re worried that you don’t have enough experience to do it, that’s what we’re there for. We’re there to help you feel comfortable in that and to have a group to go out and explore with.”
One of the upcoming programs this month is snowshoe yoga, with the next date being Feb. 24.
“We have the wellness and fitness program coordinator with Campus Rec come out and lead some mindfulness discussions on our hike. We do different yoga poses along the way that you can do while wearing snowshoes, and there’s also a point where we’re gonna stop and people can take off their snowshoes, and we’ll have yoga mats out so people can do different poses if they want to. It’s just a good way to get outside,” Vandersee explained.
Masaki Hara, MSU senior, has attended past Maverick Adventures events including the winter hikes and ice fishing.
“Ice fishing was very interesting. Sam [the program’s coordinator] taught me how to fish and set up. I wanted to do more outdoor things,” says Hara.
He will also be attending upcoming snowshoe events.
“I’m looking for these kinds of experiences at MSU,” Hara added. “Maverick Adventures is very helpful for me and they make a lot of interesting events. I’m excited to join.”
Some programs with Maverick Adventures require students to register beforehand or to pay a small fee, and all require a signed liability form before participating. Thanks to the MyCampusRecMNSU app and website, these preparatory tasks are all found in one place.
“Students can go on to register and sign the waiver virtually which has all the information for events. When they register, they’ll get an email about where we’ll meet, what to expect, and exact timeframes,” says Vandersee.
Downloading the app and signing the waiver is simple. Every MSU student has an account, which is connected with their StarID, and the registration process includes the waiver. Students only need to sign once, which then applies for all future events they attend.
Payment, which may cover transportation or equipment maintenance, can also be completed through MyCampusRecMNSU. Scheduled snowshoe events range from $3 to $5.
The app also lists upcoming events, which are currently scheduled out to the end of February for the outdoor events. Students can also access group exercise events associated with the Otto Rec Center through the app.
(Courtesy Photo)
Write to Alexandra Tostrud at Alexandra.Tostrud@mndu.edu