BEMIDJI, Minn. — Bemidji State University’s Outdoor Programming Center will sponsor two trips in early February: an overnight trek into the winter wilderness of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area from Feb. 8-10; and a Feb. 9 one-day ice-climbing trip to Gooseberry Falls on Lake Superior.

• Winter Overnight
The OPC’s weekend-long winter camping outing to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area will be held Feb. 8-10. Campers will sleep in snow caves, tarps or tents, depending on the snow conditions. The OPC will provide all equipment, including sleeping bags, food, snowshoes, ice fishing gear and skis. The cost is $55 for students and $60 for all others.

Prior to the trip, the OPC will provide campers with a list of clothing to bring. The group will leave on the afternoon of Friday, Feb. 8 and return on the evening of Sunday, Feb. 10.

• Gooseberry Falls ice climbing
The OPC’s one-day ice climbing trip to Gooseberry Falls will be held on Saturday, Feb. 9.  Ice climbing novices are welcome, but some indoor climbing knowledge is helpful. The class costs $15 and is open to the public. A van will leave BSU at about 7 a.m. and return sometime around 6 p.m.

Gooseberry Falls, on Lake Superior, is known for its spectacular waterfalls as the Gooseberry River plummets through a rocky gorge. Instructors will focus on a 35-foot-tall section, about the height of the indoor climbing wall in the Gillett Recreation and Fitness Center on the BSU campus, but will likely also explore shorter and taller ice falls.

Participants should sign up in advance for the class and bring their own lunch and money for dinner on the return trip. The OPC will provide winter climbing boots, crampons and all other climbing gear.

For more information about the OPC, call (218) 755-2999 or visit its web site at http://www.bemidjistate.edu/students/opc.