Lewis and Clark College Outdoors Breakaway Adventures

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: I am so excited for these trips! Can I register for them right now?

A: Due to the admissions process, we regret we cannot register any students prior to May 5th. Online packets will be posted on our website after the 5th of May or you may send in the registration form enclosed in your acceptance packet from Lewis & Clark College.

Q: Can College Outdoors store my college stuff while I am on my trip?

A: For trips beginning in August, we have a locked storage room on campus where you can store the personal items you’ll need for the school year, but won’t be bringing on your trip. Please mark all luggage you’ll be storing while out on your trip with your name and the name of your trip. Masking tape works great for this. Make sure you separate this luggage from the items that you’ll need for your trip so you won’t have to sort through it when you get to campus!

There is not a safe place to store cash on campus while you are on the trip, but it is okay to bring a small amount of cash on your trip. You will have opportunities to open bank accounts during New Student Orientation, when your trip returns. If you have to bring a large sum of cash with you to be left in our storage room, we suggest you get travelers’ checks. If you are meeting friends or family after your trip, please have them bring your money to you. It is also easy to do electronic transfers of money from bank to bank. Ask your current bank for information.

Q: Can College Outdoors pick me up at the airport, train station, or my hotel?

A: AIRPORT PICKUPS: Once you get your luggage, please wait at the information desk at the center of the baggage claim area in the Portland Airport. A College Outdoors staff member will be there with a sign. We will be picking people up in groups, so you may have to wait while the next couple of flights arrive. We try to organize the pickup schedule so you won’t have to wait more than half an hour. If you arrive before 9:00 am, you’ll have to wait for our first shuttle. Please be patient if we get held up by traffic or delays due to construction. People-watching opportunities are great at the Portland Airport!

ARRIVING BY BUS OR TRAIN: Please wait near the taxi stand outside the station for us to pick you up. These pickups are coordinated with the airport shuttles, so if we’re not waiting for you at the taxi stand when you arrive, you can call us at (503) 768-7116 to find out when we’ll be there to chauffeur you to Lewis & Clark. If your bus or train is seriously delayed or rerouted, please call as soon as you can, so we know when to pick you up.

ARRIVING BY CAR: When you arrive on campus, come to the College Outdoors equipment house, the Sequoia building (see the enclosed map and construction information). There may still be road construction going on, so make sure to give yourself extra time to arrive on campus. If you have problems locating the campus or equipment house, please call us at (503) 768-7116 or (503) 768-7124 (ext. 7116 or 7124 when on campus) and we’ll give you directions. Please plan on arriving between 9 am-11am on the day your trip departs.

STAYING IN A HOTEL: We can only pick you up at certain hotels near the airport, and one near campus. For a list, click here. We will leave a message for you at the front desk the afternoon or evening before your trip to tell you when we will pick you up in the morning. Please meet the College Outdoors shuttle outside the hotel lobby. If there is no message for you by late evening, call our office at (503) 768-7116, leave a message, and we will call you in the morning. Please make sure that you have notified us as to which hotel you will be staying in.

Q: I am arriving by plane, what if they lose my luggage with all my equipment?

A: Airlines sometimes lose baggage, so carry the most essential, expensive and hard-to-replace items on the plane with you, such as your proof of health insurance card, identification, money, medicine, contact lenses and/or glasses, sunglasses, camera, headlamp, and it’s a good idea to wear your hiking boots on the plane as well. Remember that pocket knives or other such sharp objects will be confiscated if they’re in your carry on luggage. Check with your airline to see how much they’ll let you carry on board and the size dimensions, then carry on as much of your personal gear as possible.

Q: I don't have medical insurance through Lewis & Clark College, does this matter?

A: As long as you are covered by health insurance while on the trip it doesn't have to be through the college's policy. We highly recommend you always travel with your proof of medical insurance card. Bring it with you on your trip. If you have insurance through LC, coverage will begin on the first day of your Breakaway Adventure, so there is no need to contact the insurance company and arrange for this detail. Also, if you have LC insurance, we will have insurance cards for you.

Q: May I smoke while on my New Student Trip?

A: SORRY, ALL BREAKAWAY ADVENTURES ARE SMOKE-FREE. As you might expect, many of the folks who sign up for these trips do so because they love the scenery, clean water and clean air. Most aren’t interested in breathing second-hand smoke. More importantly, fire danger is extremely high in the Pacific Northwest in August. The forests and riverbanks are a tinderbox of dry trees and grasses, so a dropped cigarette could quickly start a wildfire. Give your lungs a vacation on this trip. They'll love it! (Nicotene patches are okay if you need them.)

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If you have any further questions please feel free to give us an call, (503) 768-7116, or an email, "outdoors@lclark.edu" and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.