As the first light of the Saturday sun stretches over the tips of Tucson buildings, a group of eight – four staff members and four customers – makes its way to Outdoor Adventures in the Student Recreation Center. An hour is spent discussing the trail, a seven-mile hike that climbs to the top of the highest peak in the Tucson Mountains, Wasson Peak, at an elevation of 4,687 feet. After gathering into a 15-passenger van, they trek to the base of the trail by 8 a.m. and hike for the next five hours, journeying into the desert terrain and overlooking vast scenery.

Outdoor Adventures lives up to its name, offering dozens of trips a year to students and non-students alike. The adventures take advantage of all Arizona has to offer, taking those who sign up from white water rafting in the Salt River to canyoneering in Salome Jug. As a student-run organization that started in 1990, each staff member is extensively trained before ever leading groups for any situation that could arise during a trip, making the journeys exciting for both the mild adventurer and the thrill seeker.