Students Share Love of the Outdoors Through Backpacking, Hiking, Camping, and More

Many of us have wonderful memories from growing up that include being out in the great outdoors. There’s something magical about hiking a mountain on a beautiful day, roasting marshmallows by the fire with your friends, or descending deep into a cool and dark cave. These are the experiences that State High’s Outing Club gives to its members.

The club plans several trips a year for members to go backpacking, day-hiking, orienteering, rock-climbing, camping, caving, and more. Along the way, members also learn essential outdoor survival skills like fire-starting. Every school year wraps up with a culminating three-day expedition to the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia.

John Donoughe has been one of the club’s advisors for the past 23 years. He isn’t sure exactly when the club started, but Dave Klindienst, the advisor before Donoughe, said that the club was in existence in 1974 when he started teaching at State High.

Donoughe teaches 9th grade Earth Science and has also taught 11th and 12th grade Environmental Science for many years. An adventurer at heart, he traveled extensively before starting his family and settling down.

“I backpacked through Southeast Asia, went canoeing in the Everglades, hiked the White Mountains of New Hampshire in winter, and slept outside in any storm that came my way,” he fondly recalls. “We don’t get that extreme on school trips of course, but sharing that excitement with students of similar interests is a joy and a privilege.”

Maggie Jaenicke ’17, is the Outing Club President and has been a member for three years. She enjoys sharing her love of the outdoors with her friends and says she has learned more ways to start a fire than she will ever need.

“Before I joined, I got the sense that outing club was full of people looking for adventure around every corner,” she said. “That assumption has been proven correct.”

During her time with the club, Jaenicke’s appreciation for nature has continued to grow. She also cherishes time spent creating memories with her friends.

“My favorite part of Outing Club is spending prized moments with my friends: late nights cooking food around a tiny camp stove and early mornings waking up to see the orange sunrise,” said Jaenicke.

Each year there are about 50 members in the Outing Club, with members participating in some or all of the trips. Seasoned members and advisors often loan gear to newer members, giving students a chance to hit the trail without spending a lot of money.

The Outing Club is also a great place for students to meet other students with similar interests. For example, several members of the club are rock climbers. Although the club doesn’t plan rock climbing trips, it does provide an outlet for students to talk, learn, and share with one another about their outdoor pursuits.

“The trips we go on have all been field-tested (pardon the pun) and transportation is provided,” said Donoughe, “so students with no previous experience can give it a try.”

Meetings for the Outing Club are scheduled on an as-needed basis and are announced during morning announcements. For more information, contact Donoughe at jed12@scasd.org.