Portland State Magazine Spring 2016

SPRING 2016 pORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 29 P S U A L U M N I A S S O C I A T I O N THE OUTDOOR PROGRAM is celebrating 50 years of student-led adventure, and though it’s grown with time, the PSU program’s basic format and offerings have remained since its founding in 1966 under the late Sam McKinney. The heart of the program was participant-driven outdoor trips and affordable equipment rentals. PSU is often credited with developing the first outdoor program following this model, which now exists at universities across the country. The program has always been robust and drawn student interest. In its first season, McKinney led groups of up to 200 students on 25 hiking, biking and climbing trips, logging 3,000 miles. And in 1969, the program hired Yvon Chouinard (pictured above)—the rock climber, environmentalist and founder of Patagonia—to lead a workshop at Smith Rock with 212 students. The program, now housed under Campus Recreation, still offers equipment rental and outdoor trips including rafting, climbing, backpacking, and more activities based in the wild arena of Oregon.  50 years in the great outdoors spring Looking Back