Somewhere on Linden Street, hidden from the bustle of urban civilization, is the home of some of Harvard's most ambitious outdoor adventurers. From the inside, it looks almost like a cabin from days past. Wood-paneled walls are lined with intricate trail maps and yellowing photographs of snow-covered mountain peaks. In one corner, on top of a makeshift shelf, lie skis and snowshoes (both new and well-worn models) and next to these several backpacks, all of which bear the marks of excessive use. An overturned canoe occupies another corner, jutting out conspicuously into the center of the room.

One would think the room belongs to a bunch of hard-core, gung-ho explorers. And at one point it did. But these days, the members of the Harvard Outing Club have changed focus.

"We aren't as ambitious anymore," explains Alex S. Myers `00, one of the club's co-presidents. "Our emphasis now is getting more people outdoors and having fun."

The Outing Club is one of the Harvard's oldest organizations, dating back to the 1920s. In the club's early years, club members were primarily concerned with mapping unfamiliar territories, of which their were still many in the New England area. By the `70s and `80s, it was not unknown for club members to travel around the globe. In fact, a few even hiked up some of the world's tallest mountains, including Mount McKinley. Today, however, the club has toned down its transcontinental trekking.

"We do a lot more local, short-term trips now," Myers says. "The main reason is that students here all have such busy schedules. Even just one or two days is a lot to ask."

Outing Club Office Hours

It's Monday night, and the club is wading through its weekly meeting. Though discussion is loosely based on an overnight hike set for two weeks from now, the topic of conversation constantly changes from future plans to more light-hearted banter.

"We're kind of informal here," says Maggie L. Schmitt '99, the club's other co-president, almost apologetically. "Our meetings are pretty laid-back."

Just then the makeshift table in the middle of the room collapses.

Once the laughter stops, members attempt to fit the table back together. After a few minutes they succeed, but the table appears wobbly and slightly tilted.

"This can't be right," says Phillip Johnson "01. He is met with more laughter.

Perhaps it is the casual spontaneity of this group that has attracted members recently. The group claims an e-mail list of about 100, and Myers says about 30 to 40 people have participated in trips or borrowed equipment from the club office. Among these are both seasoned outdoors types and greenhorns unafraid of braving the wilderness.

"The meetings are relaxed," says June Beack '01, a fledgling club member who is relatively inexperienced in outdoor hiking. "It's a good atmosphere for beginners."

A Trip is Still A Trip...

Officially recognized by the College, the club is nevertheless limited to a strictly social function. For insurance reasons, activities that outing club members participate in are not "official Outing Club trips" but "individual outings."