General Links

Banff Mountain Festivals & Culture
Promoting understanding and appreciation of the world’s mountain places by creating opportunities for people to share and find inspiration in mountain experiences, ideas and challenges.

GORP: Great Outdoor Recreation Pages
Pro: A well established adventure and outdoor related site. Lots of in-depth features and globe-trekking travel ideas. Con: excessive advertising.

National Geographic Society
Their mission: to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge while promoting the conservation of the world’s cultural, historical, and natural resources.

Nature of the Northwest
An information center for nature and recreation in Oregon and Washington.

Outdoor Careers

OutdoorEd.com
A site geared toward the professional outdoors person. A wealth of information along with current outdoor job listings.

Princeton University OA Guide to Outdoor Careers
Princeton’s well respected outdoor program. Have a love for the outdoors? Here are some ways to make a career of it.

The Student Conservation Association
SCA members help to protect vital habitats, threatened wildlife, and other at-risk resources in our nation’s parks, forests and urban green spaces.

UO Outdoor Pursuits Program
This UO program offers a comprehensive selection of courses for academic credit, and has a highly respected Outdoor Leadership Training Program.

Peace Corps
Serving in the PC will earn you federal job points, giving you a leg up when applying for a federal job

Federal Jobs
Apply for BLM, NPS, USFWS, USFS, USGS, EPA, etc...

 

Hiking

William Sullivan's Oregon Hiking
My favorite author of hiking guides to Oregon. Books classified into regional divisions...

Climbing

ABC of Rockclimbing
Simply everything related to Rock Climbing and other essentials of the sport such as styles and techniques. Tons of features and articles.

Indoor Climbing – Oregon
List of indoor climbing venues around the state.

Smith Rock
A complete Smith Rock climbing and hiking resource guide with detailed climbing routes, weather, photos, videos, state park and camping info, online store, and chat area for rock climbers.

Biking

International Mountain Bicycling Association
A non-profit educational association whose mission is to create, enhance and preserve trail opportunities for mountain bikers worldwide. Lots of trail links, trip ideas and volunteer programs.

Mountain Bike Reviews
Huge selection of reviews on everything and anything pertaining to mountain bikes.

Mountain Bike Ride Guide
The UO Outdoor Program’s online mountain biking guide for Lane County.

Oregon Bicycle Racing Association
Includes upcoming events for both racing and mountain bikers as well as results from past competitions.


Paddling

Salmon-Challis National Forest
Information on applying for and obtaining permits for the Main Salmon, Middle Fork of the Salmon, Selway, and Snake-Hells Canyon rivers through the USDA lottery system as well as statistics.

Oregon Kayaking
Popular kayaking site aimed at paddling and preserving Oregon rivers with regularly updated information and trip report videos.

USGS Stream Flow Conditions
Real-time national water information system brought to you by the USGS.

Western River Information
River agency contact information along with helpful comments.

Wild Rogue Permits
Offers a variety of support services for private boaters including shuttles, a full service rental program for boats, needed equipment to completely outfit your private river trip while on the Rogue River and permit information.

World Kayak
World Kayak is working to provide kayaking resources and information across the globe.

Snowboarding & Skiing

Avalanche First Response Training
A course developed by the Canadian Avalanche Association in cooperation with several organizations and under the sponsorship of the National Search and Rescue Secretariat Canada.

Forest Service NW Weather & Avalanche Center
Promoting safety by helping reduce the impacts of avalanches and adverse mountain weather on recreation, industry and transportation in Washington, Oregon and southern British Columbia through data collection, mountain weather and avalanche forecasting an

Hoodoo
Mt. Ashland
Mt. Bachelor
Mt. Hood
Timberline
Willamette Pass

Spelunking & Caving
Oregon Caves
Oregon's own caving hot spot.

Carlsbad Caverns
New Mexico

Mammoth Cave
Kentucky

National Caves Association

Mountaineering
Mazamas
Portland's legendary organization founded on the summit of Mt. Hood.

Sailing
Willamette Sailing Club
Portland Sailing Center

Open Water Swimming
US OW Swimming
Ugliest website, most spectacular way to immerse yourself in the outdoors...

Surfing
Oregon Surf Spots
Some of Oregon's most well-known breaks. Many are located at state or city parks with a range of facilities. K

Triathlon (training & competition)
Triathlon Events in Oregon
A calendar.

Ropes Course
Tree to Tree Adventure Park

Hunting & Fishing
ODFWS
Stop here for licenses, permits, and regulations.

Oregon Hunter Safety
Information on Bowhunting and Firearms.

Animals in the Outdoors
Equestrian
Dogs
Trekking with Llamas & Alpacas
Catlin Gabel's Llama Adventure
Goats

Survival, Safety, and Schools

Weather
Check the weather before you go!

Oregon Climate Service
Located on the Oregon State University campus the OCS is the state repository for weather and climate information.

NWS Lightning Safety
Very extensive article on how to best protect yourself during a lightning storm.

CDC Outdoor Safety
Center for Disease Control and prevention tackles various issues, ranging from mosquitoes and ticks to skin cancer.

USDA Forest Service – Outdoor Safety Tips
Whether you’re roughing it in a tent or planning a family outing to a national forest, there are many ways to make sure your experience is fun and safe. A great site to check out with lots of helpful tips.

CPR Basics
HowStuffWorks.com’s online guide to practicing CPR.

National Outdoor Leadership School
The premier teacher of outdoor skills and leadership, offers courses 10 days to full semesters in the world’s most spectacular wilderness classrooms.

Outward Bound
Something for everyone, it's not just about "at-risk-youth."

Wilderness First Aid

Jeffrey, I. (1998). The Outward Bound wilderness first-aid handbook. New York: The Lyons Press.

Schimelpfenig, T. (2006). NOLS wilderness medicine. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books.

Tilton, B. (2010). Wilderness first responder: how to recognize, treat, and prevent emergencies in the backcountry. Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot Press.

Tilton, B. and F. Hubbell. (1999). Medicine for the backcountry: a practical guide to wilderness first aid, 3rd. ed. Guilford, CT: The Globe Pequot Press.

Gear Retailers & Repairs

Backcountry.com (Discount Gear!)
Wide selection of gear at great prices.

Campmor (Discount Gear!)

Eastern Mountain Sports
Designs and offers a wide variety of gear and clothing for outdoor enthusiasts–from backpacks and insulated parkas to cycling gear and summer shorts.

GearX (Discount Gear!)
The Outdoor Gear Exchange works to help customers get the right gear at great prices.

Lowe Alpine
A group of rock climbers, alpinists, mountain bikers, skiers, trail runners and canoeists working hard to create innovative products.

Marmot
Designed and produced to create equipment that is simpler, easier-to-use, more comfortable, more durable, lighter weight, and, at the same time, of the highest quality and a better value.

Metolius
Professional rock climbing gear and accessories.

Mountain Hardware
Devoted to continually invent (and re-invent) the most functional and innovative gear available.

Mountain Safety Research
A diverse, global company dedicated to developing reliable outdoor products for committed backcountry users.

North Face
A range of gear: tents, jackets, packs and more.

Outdoor Retailer
Outdoor Retailer has proven to be the leading growth vehicle for brands that are interested in progressing and advancing into multiple channels of the outdoor marketplace. From small shops and regional chains, to the largest national and international ret

Patagonia
Assorted travel gear and environmental activism. Also known as Pata-Gucci…elegant, expensive.

Rainy Pass
Gear repair, embroidery, sealing and modifications located in Seattle.

REI
Well known retailer with equipment in almost all outdoor categories.

REI Outlet
Deals & bargains on outdoor equipment and clothing.



 

Coalition Against Envrironmental Racism
Defenders of Wildlife
Earthshare
Ecological Design Center
Environmental Defense
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Fee Demo Opposition
Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethic
Forest Voice
Institute for a Sustainable Environment
Leave No Trace
National Parks Conservation Association
National Park Service
Natural Resources Defense Council
Oregon Natural Resource Council
OSPIRG
Sierra Club
SOLV
U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
United Nations Environment Programme
United States Forest Service
United States Geological Survey
UO Public Interest Environmental Law Conference

The Mission of the Valley Catholic High School Outdoor Club is to promote stewardship of lands, provide a network of peer support through shared experience, and instill the survival skills vital to the navigation and enjoyment of outdoor places.

Key Outdoor Club Principles:
1. Stewardship: service projects, Leave No Trace & wilderness ethics,
                     environmental education
2. Support: non-competitive, encouragement of life-long physical fitness, 
                     shared knowledge & shared experience, outdoor leadership
3. Survival: preparation & planning, orienteering, backcountry cooking,
                     safety & wilderness first aid