This week, the exodus of students out of Ames begins en masse. For those left behind to toil in summer session, campus can be a lonely place, tempered only (it seems) by nightly trips to the bars and daily drives to the unspectacular “beaches” at Big Creek, Saylorville and the aptly-named Peterson’s Pits.

All is not lost. If recreation means more to you than “laying out” and/or guzzling cheap brew, descend to the basement of State Gym. What you’ll find is a diverse range of outdoor-oriented excursions and workshops designed to afford students a mix of physical challenge, close camaraderie and tranquil repose.

Outdoor enthusiasts will still find plenty to pique their interest—including canoeing, backpacking and caving in such locations as Minnesota, Colorado and Illinois.

The following is a mere sampling of what the center plans to offer this summer; a complete listing with eligibility information and costs is available at State Gym 0260.

A canoeing workshop offering basic instruction and practical experience on Lake Laverne is scheduled for June 7 at 5:30 p.m., and group size is limited to 12. Registration deadline is June 6.

Fly-fishing instruction is offered at 5:30 p.m., June 15 and July 19. There is a maximum enrollment of six for each session, and the deadlines for registration are June 14 and July 18, respectively.

Up to 13 participants will backpack among the splendors of Yellow River State Forest, which the center calls “one of Iowa’s most beautiful.” Departure is June 24 at 7 a.m., and the approximate return time is 8 p.m. the following evening. The required pre-trip meeting is June 22, and the deadline for registration is June 21.

If crawling inside — not simply tramping upon — the earth is of interest, check out the caving trip to Illinois Caverns State Park. Illinois Caverns features “an extensive array of spectacular cave formations,” according to the center.

“We discovered these caves by accident and they are a treasure,” McBride said. “One whole day barely seems enough to explore this cave system.”

The trip departs at 5 p.m. July 14 and is scheduled to return at 8 p.m., July 16. Those interested must attend a pre-trip meeting July 13, and register by July 12.

Participants must attend two pre-trip meetings on July 18 and August 3, and the registration deadline is July 17.

Lost Creek Wilderness, smack in the middle of Pike National Forest, will be the setting for another of the center’s backpacking treks. About 2 hours southwest of Denver, the Wilderness encompasses 106,000 pine-lined acres and features what the center calls “the most amazing rock formations in the entire Rocky Mountain region.”

“It’s a tough hike,” McBride said. “But camping at over 10,000 ft. makes it all worthwhile.”

The trip runs from August 11-19, and enrollment is limited to 11. The mandatory pre-trip meetings convene on July 25 and August 10, and the registration deadline is July 24.