By Katie Manion
Cardinal Staff
The usual route to “the rock” is now being discouraged due to damage caused by overuse and weather, but students should not be alarmed; there is an alternative route.
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Instead of climbing the steep embankment that leads straight up the bluff, hikers are being advised to travel a route that ascends the bluff at a much more gradual incline and is a well-managed footpath. The path can be found by going down into Yon’s Valley and up into the ski trails. Outdoor Leadership coordinator Davey Warner said that the alternative route is “a lot easier to walk up, […] it doesn’t take as much work, and isn’t as hard on your joints as the other trail.” Also, he said that the old path is “eroding horribly,” losing all of its soil and trees.
Most trips to the rock are for personal recreation purposes, but the trail is also used for trips led by Outdoor Leadership or even for biology or philosophy class outings. For whatever the purposes, Warner said “it makes for a good hike.” The full trip takes roughly two hours and is something that Warner said “everyone should (do) at least once, if not multiple times just as long as (they) take the back way.”
This path has been used for many years, Warner said, but recently people have either forgotten it was there or are unaware of its existence. In an effort to educate students about the preferred route, the Office of Activities, Leadership, and Service decided to take some first year students on the trail during orientation. Warner said that they took over 80 students “to show them the better way to do it.”
It is hoped that these efforts will keep people off the old path. However, if it continues to suffer damage, it may need to be closed. For now, the path will remain as it is, with no plans to repair due to lack of time and resources.
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