True Adventures

Join True Adventures as we hop on Stand Up Paddle Boards and explore Lake Michigan from a different point of view. We'll be on the water for an hour, with a lesson for the first 30 minutes. No SUP experience required, though you must be able to swim. We'll grab brunch in the area after our arms can't paddle anymore. Bring stuff you'd bring for a beach day - swimsuit, sunglasses, sunscreen, sandals, etc.


Saturday July 23rd
Meet at 8:30am at Great Lakes Board Company on North Ave Beach (MAP)
On the water from 9-10am
Cost: $40 for Board Rental and Lesson
To sign up, email Stephen Maier

Escape to the South for Class IV & V Rafting and Backpacking

Join us for a real adventure. Our itinerary includes three days of action packed adventure. We'll be rafting down Section IV of the Chattooga River,  "One of the wildest and most beautiful whitewater rivers in the country."  Locals claim it to be the best river for true, undeveloped nature and wild rapids. You'll likely experience both class IV and V rapids. If you survive the river, then we'll head to the Art Loeb Trail. We'll hike a breezy ridge line in the Pisgah National Forest, savor unobstructed views, and bag a few 6,000' peaks (including Cold Mountain). If time allows, we may get a quick visit to downtown Asheville.  We'll be driving or camping each night - one night on the road, two nights in the back country.

Trip limited to 12 participants.  Late registrations subject to availability (check because we'd love to add you if we can).

Details

Leaving: 5:00pm Thursday, June 16th
Return: 10:00pm Sunday, June 19th
Cost: $270 (includes van rental and gas, guided rafting trip, and backcountry meals)
Rafting Info: http://www.wildwaterrafting.com/chasec4.php

Looking for some unforgettable adventure over Memorial Day?

Then join us as we hit the road down to Arkansas to Horseshoe Canyon Ranch for an extended weekend of rock climbing and camping. HCR is unlike any climbing destination; it’s also a dude ranch. This means we’ll be camping on a gorgeous open ranch (picture on the left). You can come down from a climb and pet a nearby horse trotting by. You will have the chance to learn how to sport lead climb and try out some bouldering! Space is limited so sign up to reserve your spot.

Details
Leaving: 8:00am Friday, May 27th
Return: 9:30pm Monday, May 30th
Cost: $130 (includes van rental and gas, meals, and gear)

We're taking the "Standard Course" in New Jersey at the venerable Tom Brown Tracker School, a world renowned school teaching wilderness survival skills including tracking, survival, shelter, water, wild vegetables, trapping, and tool making.  They claim at the end you will be able to walk into a forest and live very well without aid.  Contact Tom Trimmer at trimmertom (at) yahoo.com for more information or hit the contact us page.  Or even better, click here: http://www.trackerschool.com/course_template_new.asp?tid=6

We are doing the Standard Course on May 8th, join us if you'd like!  Sign up at the above link.  Contact us to let us know your flight  information so we can coordinate rides.  

Here's what will be covered over the six days during which you will live in a tent:

Nature Observation: Participants will be shown how to observe nature more deeply, and learn the basic philosophy that Tom considers the most important part of the school and the basis for all of his beliefs. Through skills including stalking (the ability to move silently and unseen through the forest) and camouflage (the means of concealment that allows one to become part of one's surroundings), students will learn how to immerse themselves in the natural world.

• Tracking: Participants will learn the basics of tracking, including track identification and analysis, pressure releases, sign tracking, scat identification, and how to follow a trail.
• Survival: The following survival skills will be covered:
• Shelter: techniques for constructing the debris hut, wicki-up, mud hut, cave dwelling, thatched shelter, and pit dwelling.
• Water: collecting water using a solar still, sink hole, plants, and other methods; purifying, transporting and storing water.
• Fire: making fire from friction using primitive methods, including the bow drill and hand drill, as well as how to build a proper fire.
• Food: finding food from plants and animals found in North America, ranging from desert to mountain terrain. Harvesting, preparation, and cooking of food will be covered, though in the interest of conservation only a sampling of such food will be prepared.
• Trapping: trapping animals using primitive snares and deadfalls. No animals will be trapped during the course, but participants will understand how to do this, if necessary.
• Tools: making stone tools, cordage and bow drills, as well as techniques for creating digging sticks, cooking utensils and bowls from a variety of natural materials.
• Tanning: primitive methods of brain tanning and making rawhide, as well as many useful items that can be made with the hide.
• Native American Lifestyle and Philosophy: the oneness with nature that is the underlying philosophy behind the skills learned, and how it is essential to survival.

We are heading up to the Peshtigo River in Northern Wisconsin for some Whitewater Rafting with the Wildman Ranch Company. 

April and May run-off of snow and deep frost results in periods of unusually high and exciting whitewater. These challenging conditions reach a level of CLASS IV!  Spring trips are usually run in larger six to eight man rafts with an experienced guide steering our boat. Deep holes, reversals and standing waves are common for these 5 miles of non-stop action. The water is swift so the miles go by fast.  We will attempt to run the river at least twice on Saturday. Wetsuits will be needed and included.

Optional high ropes course is on the docket for Sunday.

Details:
Leaving: 5:00pm Friday, April 29th
Return: 9:00pm Sunday, May 1st
Cost: $145

Join True Adventures as we watch the Banff Mountain Film Festival at the Field Museum.  Meet us at the Field Museum auditorium and watch a bunch of amazing outdoor short films.  All sorts of different adventures like unicycle mountain biking, base jumping, rock climbing, mountaineering, extreme skiing, and any other cool outdoor activity you can think of may be played this year.  Afterwards we'll walk a few blocks to a bar for some grub and drinks for those interested.  We usually sit in the back row of the first section so you can find us there.

Get lost with True Adventures as we head out to the suburbs for a day of orienteering!  Orienteering is a sport that involves map and compass skills, racing, and strategy.  No experience necessary.

Details
We'll be participating in the Chicago Orienteering Club's event at Deer Grove Forest Preserve in Deer Park, IL.

We'll carpool to the suburbs early Sunday morning to take the "Beginner's Clinic" at 9:30am.  The clinic will teach the basics of map and compass usage and the best strategies for staying on course.

Race times are staggered a few minutes apart starting at 10am.  We'll divide up into teams of about two people and each team can do the course that best matches their skill level (usually 5 different courses of varying difficulty are available).  After everyone has finished racing, we'll go for a group brunch/lunch nearby before heading back to the city.  

We should be back in the city by early afternoon, depending on group size.  Those who want to attend Park church services can do so the night before or on Sunday evening.

Cost of $20 includes race entry fee, map, compass, and snacks.

Winter in Chicago means digging out parking spots, avoiding potholes, and freezing your rear off at the bus stop. Winter in Wisconsin means snow covered hills, exploring the wilderness, campfires, and fun with new friends. If the latter sounds good to you, join us for a weekend of backpacking on the Ice Age Trail in Kettle Moraine State Forest - Northern Unit.

Itinerary:

Friday: Head up to Kettle Moraine in the afternoon or after work. We'll all camp in tents in a drive-in family campground at Mauthe Lake. We'll have smores and hot chocolate, a fire, and get ready to hit the trail in the morning.

Saturday: After shuttling cars, we'll hit the Ice Age trail bright and early. We'll enjoy hiking about 10 miles to a wilderness shelter, where we'll all stay for the night in tents. Lunch on the trail, dinner at the shelter.

Sunday: Breakfast at the shelter, then we'll hike about 5 miles back to the cars. We'll stop to enjoy a meal on the way back to Chicago.

Cost: $35 includes campsites, 3 meals Saturday, and breakfast Sunday; Does not include gas, any equipment you might have to rent, parking costs

Check out the trip report from last year: http://itsaboutadventure.wordpress.com/2009/03/30/winter-backpacking-trip-to-kettle-moraine-near-chicago/

Join us for a weekend of dog sledding in Michigan's Upper Peninsula!  No experience necessary.

You will be taught to drive your own team (2 people per sled) including commands, braking, and steering of the sled.

Agenda
Friday: We'll plan to carpool up to the UP in the afternoon or after work and stay at a budget hotel in Houghton for the night.

Saturday: Instruction on how to drive your own Dog Sled Team starting at 9:30am, including a five hour trip down the non-motorized trail.  Accommodations will be back in Houghton.

Sunday: Cross Country Skiing or Snow Shoeing in the area and carpool back to Chicago.

Cost of $200 includes one day of dog sledding (two people per sled), accommodations for Friday/Saturday nights, and show shoe/cross country ski rental.

Dare to do the EXTREME!
Join us for a weekend of ice climbing! No experience necessary. We are headed to an ice fest at the ICE PIT in Greenbay, WI.

We will have two full days of ice climbing.
Cost: $60 including gear rental, hotel stay and snacks

We're rock climbing at Lakeshore Athletic Club in an attempt to conquer the one hundred foot behemoth that is the LSAC wall.  Join us anywhere from 4 to 6 or so, we'll be heading out at around 6:30 to get some grub together at Noodles and Company, a short block away from the club on Michigan Avenue.

Price is only $15, this includes entry to the entire club which is normally $20, plus climbing shoes, harness, and instruction, which is normally $40.  You're free to go anywhere in the club you like.  Pay at the front desk when you get there, let them know you are with True Adventures.  Then head to the locker room to change or just come down to the bottom floor where we'll get you set up to climb.

LSAC is at 211 N. Stetson, right next to the Aon building, come by if you can make it.

Join True Adventures as we head to Red River Gorge in Kentucky for a weekend of rock climbing and camping. Red River Gorge will surprise you if you have never been. Over 2000 routes and 140 crags exist to challenge and test your limits. We will be sport lead climbing on the gritty sandstone that is immensely varied in texture and type! 

When: Friday, October 22, 5:30pm - Sunday, October 24
Where: Red River Gorge - Slade, KY 
Cost: $30

Join us for an awesome night kayaking the Chicago River and Lake Michigan!  $40 covers all gear and your kayak.  7-10pm.

Get ready for some fat tire FURY as ParkTrue heads to Southern Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine State Forest.  Kettle is one of the Midwest's premier mountain bike locations with more than 60 miles of singletrack through some of the most beautiful forest Johnny Appleseed ever walked.  We will send groups out for all levels of riding so come one, come all!

When: Saturday, August 21st, 8a - 5p
Where: Kettle Moraine State Forest, Wisconsin 
Who: Friend, Family, Neighbors, and Coworkers with Mountain Bikes, and helmets!
Destination Info: http://southernkettles.org/wordpress/

Ever wanted to try stand up paddle boarding?  Ever heard of stand up paddle boarding?  Try out this emerging sport from Hawaii in our own Lake Michigan.  Cost is $35 per person which includes a 30 minute lesson from an experienced instructor and all the gear.  $5 refund if we can get more than 10 people!  We'll be meeting at 9:30am at North Avenue Beach and finishing around noon so we eat lunch together too.

Join True Adventures for a scuba diving trip on Saturday June 5th.  We will be taking a charter out of Burnham Harbor in Chicago and will be completing two single tank dives.  The plan is to dive the “Straits of Mackinac” shipwreck.  This is a 200 foot steam powered passenger/car ferry resting at a depth of 73 feet.  Penetration is possible for experienced divers though there is still much to see at the shallower top deck level for less experienced divers.  The charter is limited to 12 people.

A minimum of Basic Open Water scuba certification is required and will be verified upon boarding the charter. Certification can be attained prior to the trip and referrals are available.  $105 covers your spot on the charter if you are bringing all of your own equipment. If you need to rent it then the total is $160. Those renting equipment will need to schedule a fitting at the harbor a few days prior to the trip.  Led by Dan Johnson. Wreck Info

Come rock climbing at the Red!  Friday April 30th through Sunday May 2nd.  We'll be camping out at Lago Linda campground and doing a bunch of climbing.  Drive is about seven hours, leaving Friday after work, climbing Saturday and Sunday, heading back Sunday afternoon, arriving back to Chicago late Sunday night.  We'll be limiting the trip to ten so sign up quickly.

Join True Adventures as we watch the Banff Mountain Film Festival April 21st at the Field Museum and then get some dinner together at Jason's Deli at 1258 South Canal Street afterwards.

We're heading to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a weekend of dog sledding March 20-21.  No experience necessary.

Where: Seney National Wildlife Refuge (Map Below)

You will be taught to drive your own team (2 people per sled). You will learn all aspects of mushing, including commands, braking, steering the sled, and dog care.

Agenda
Friday: We'll plan to carpool up to the UP after work and stay in basic heated accommodations

Saturday: Instruction on how to drive your own Dog Sled Team starting at 9:30am, including a five hour trip down the non-motorized trail.  Accommodations will be back at base camp (basic heated accommodations)

Sunday: Full day of Dog Sledding and carpool back to Chicago

Ever wanted to try ice climbing? After our plans to ice climb last month were foiled by warm weather, we're heading to a place in Michigan where the ice is a bit more predictable.

We'll be carpooling from the Crosby Campus parking lot at 7am Saturday morning and returning late that evening.  $20 covers entrance and gear.  No experience necessary.

For more information on the ice climbing club, checkout their Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/PeabodyIceClimbingClub.  There's also a video here.

Do you like to ride bikes?  Is Lance Armstrong your idol?  Do you dream of the day you meet George Hincapie?  Do you like DIRT?  If your answer to these questions is YES, NO, NO, YES then you're perfect for Park True Adventures next MOUNTAIN BIKE local trip!  (even if you answered all YES you're still welcome).

All levels welcome at Park True Adventures Mountain Bike Event, bring your bike, bring your helmet, bring your friend and we'll hit the local trails at Palos for a couple hours.  Palos is the top riding destination in the Chicagoland area.  We will send groups out for all levels of riding!

Join us in watching the "Reel Rock Tour" as it comes through Chicago on October 17th at Martyr's at 3855 North Lincoln.  Hard core rock climbing film clips, check it out.

We'll be heading off on our first western trip this fall to Colorado to ascend three fourteen thousand foot mountains over a long weekend.  Plan is to fly in Thursday night October 8th, drive to Leadville and stay in a cheap hotel, then Friday go to the trailhead, hike to basecamp three or so hours, drop our gear, and climb Mount Missouri, then back to basecamp.  Saturday we'll attempt to climb Mounts Oxford and Belford.  Climbing is hiking with no rock climbing experience needed.  Potentially some or a lot of snow as it is late season.  Whatever flight you would like to book is fine arriving Thursday evening, Tom Trimmer is on Southwest flight 201 departing Chicago at 4:50pm on October 8th, returning Sunday October 11th on flight 3073 at 8pm.  Cost of $110 covers rental car, hotel, and food.  We have gear you can borrow for the trip if need be.  If you don't make it all the way up the mountains, hiking in the valley is still beautiful.   For more information on this trip and other upcoming adventures check us on Facebook too.

Utilize the skills you learned this summer in the True Adventures kayaking course and join us again for kayaking and camping Sept 10-13th.  We'll island hop in kayaks and enjoy sea caves and wildlife in Northern Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands.  All gear will be carried in our kayaks, and we’ll camp along Lake Superior’s lakeshore on some of the 21 uninhabited islands.  National Geographic Travel named the Apostle Islands as one of the top ten National Parks in the U.S. and named it the most “pristine” of all the National Parks.  A great opportunity to invite your friends! 

We plan to leave Thursday evening around 6pm and camp on our way there.  Friday and Saturday we’ll be kayaking around the islands and camping on the beaches.  Sunday morning we will kayak back to the mainland from the islands, and enjoy a wonderful lunch together in Bayfield before heading home around noon.  Cost of the trip includes all gear, safety course tailored to Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands, shuttling of kayaks, campsites, and camp meals Friday morning through Saturday night. All-inclusive cost is $215.  If you have taken the kayak safety course offered through True Adventures this year AND plan to shuttle your own kayak from Chicago to Bayfield the cost is only $30 for food and campsites.

Deadline to sign up is September 1st. Space is limited to 20 people.  Check out the maps below for a plan of where we'll be kayaking and camping!

Kick-off September with True Adventures!  On September 1st, join us for an afternoon of in-door rock climbing on Tuesday September first from 3:30-5:30 at Lakeshore Athletic Club Illinois Center (211 N Stetson Ave.); and then we'll head over to Monroe Harbor for an evening sail where we'll anchor off-shore of Northerly Island and enjoy listening to Allman Brothers & Widespread Panic from the lake.  Cost is $20 and includes climbing, sailing, and potbellys!  All experience levels welcome.  Space is limited to 20 people!  Invite your friends, bring your swimsuit, and sign up soon!  Cost of $20 includes climbing fees, boat, and food.

A 24 mile canoe trip down the Hennepin Canal in northwestern Illinois.

Basic and intermediate kayak lessons on Lake Michigan at 63rd Street Beach.

Rock Climbing at Jackson Falls in Southern Illinois.

Whitewater Rafting in the Peshtigo River, Wisconsin

Winter Backpacking in Kettle Moraine State Forest, Wisconsin

Ice Climbing at Starved Rock State Park, Illinois

Caving near Bloomington, Indiana