On Sunday, Nov. 15, Outdoor Adventure Club went on their second trip of the year to Bullfrog Lake. Members had the option of either mountain biking or hiking while on the trip.

The club is sponsored by teachers Christina Brodell and Daniel Scheldrup, and recently changed to become a broader club inclusive of all outdoor activities. This has led to greater student participation, and members are eager to raise awareness.

“This year we have seen a huge turnout to meetings and activities,” Brodell said. “It has been awesome to see how much interest there is to be outside.”

Bella Ivanov, junior, is one of the presidents of the club and also attended the last trip.

“Not everyone knew each other [at first], but by the end of the trip we all got pretty close, and made a lot of good memories,” Ivanov said.

Camp Bullfrog Lake is a forest preserve in Willow Springs. It offers fishing and camping, and includes more than 50 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails in Cook County.

Ivanov runs the club with Claire Weil, junior, and Andy Weil, senior, but all members are encouraged to become leaders and propose trip ideas. Ryan Parker, senior, is one of the original founders of the club.

“I personally have added mountain biking to the club activity list. The more we offer in the club, the more members we will get,” Parker said.

For future trips, OAC plans on going rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, and offering the opportunity to participate in the Tough Mudder obstacle race in Chicago. The club is also making t-shirts and hopes to sell winter hats as a fundraiser to offset costs such as transportation to locations.

“It’s really fun to get to see our teachers outside of school and relax with them,” Ivanov said. “We are hoping to have more people join us in the winter.”

And experience with the outdoors is not necessary.

 “We encourage everyone to join us on these activities. Even if you’ve never hiked, skied, or have gone rock climbing, try it. You’ll be hooked,” Brodell said.