Past Adventures

True Adventures is going caving!  We'll be crawling deep underground to explore Buckner's Cave in central Indiana.  No experience necessary.

Understand that this will definitely be an adventure. This is not a cave with electric lights and stairs.  There will be lots of cool stuff to see, but we will spend much of our time crawling on our bellies in some tight spaces and covered in mud.  It won't be easy, but it will be a great time!

We'll likely drive out early Saturday morning, explore the cave Saturday afternoon, stay in a budget hotel nearby, and return to Chicago on Sunday afternoon.  

$50 covers hotel, caving, and snacks.

Get lost with True Adventures in this friendly wilderness navigation competition.  Orienteering is a sport that combines map and compass skills, racing, and strategy. No experience necessary.

We'll be participating in the Chicago Area Orienteering Club's event at Willow Springs Woods Forest Preserve.

We'll carpool to the suburbs around 9am Sunday morning.  A beginners clinic will provide the basics of map and compass usage and the best strategies for staying on course.

Race times are staggered a few minutes apart starting around 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.

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

Join True Adventures this Friday for a sunset paddle down the Chicago River and learn about the unique history of our city from an experienced guide! The tour will last around 2 hours and then we'll head out to grab dinner together afterward. No experience necessary and all levels are welcome

We got a great deal of $32/person. This is more than half off of what it normally costs.

Please note, that everyone will need to arrive at Urban Kayaks (400 East South Water Street) by 5:45pm on Friday night to get set up with your equipment.

Reserving your spot requires completion of the registration form and payment of $32/kayaker.  Space is limited.  First come, first serve. You can chose between a single or double-person kayak on the registration form.

See you on the river!

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

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 for more information or hit the contact us page.  Or even better, click here: http://www.trackerschool.com/course_template_new.asp?tid=6

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.

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.

Buy your ticket here! (Click on April 18th on the calendar.)

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

Join us for a weekend of ice climbing! No experience necessary. We are headed to an ice fest at The Ice Pit near Greenbay, WI. We will have two full days of ice climbing. Cost: $60 including gear rental, hotel stay and snacks Invite your non-park friends.

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

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/

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

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.

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.

Join us in watching the "Reel Rock Tour" as it comes through Chicago on October 17th at Martyr's at 3855 North Lincoln.

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.

Ready to enjoy a summer weekend on the water? Join True Adventures for an overnight canoe trip on the Hennepin Canal. http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/r1/hennpin.htm We will canoe 24 miles over the two days (all gear and food with us in the canoes), and will camp Saturday night along the canal. If you like to fish, bring your gear for the Walleye and Bass. Cost is $65 per person, which includes canoe rental (and life preservers), camping fees and Sat. dinner and Sun. breakfast. Limit of 24 people

Join True Adventures for a climbing and camping trip. We'll be rock climbing at Jackson Falls in southern Illinois and camping within easy walking distance of the crags. Climbing will be all sport climbing, with opportunity to learn to sport lead climb if you never have or do more lead climbing if you already have experience. The rock and climbing style is significantly different from Devil’s Lake. We’ll leave after work Friday and return Sunday late afternoon, climbing all day Saturday and also Sunday morning. Dinner Saturday night is provided. For more information email Chris Weseloh. Register before May 13th and only pay $25! Standard registration thereafter will be $30 per person.

Experience the adrenaline rush and adventure of free falling, alpine climbing and skiing, and mountain biking – all captured on the big screen – as The Field Museum presents The Banff Mountain Film Festival. These internationally acclaimed films celebrate mountain culture and wildlife, build awareness of environmental issues and create opportunities for people to share and find inspiration in mountain experiences, ideas and challenges.

Ready for 100 fear-inducing vertical feet on one of the tallest indoor climbing walls on the planet?!  Come climbing with True Adventures on Tuesday February 17th from 3:00-5:30 at Lakeshore Athletic Club at Illinois Center.  Normally $28, we got a deal for $15 if you sign up before February 11th, $25 after.  Not a shred of experience nor gear necessary - we'll have climbing shoes and harnesses and everything you'll need there for you.  Wear regular gym clothes.

Caving near Bloomington, Indiana

Don't miss out on your chance for a great weekend away with Park's True Adventures Ministry as they go white water rafting May 9-11 in Wisconsin!

 They will raft on Saturday morning, eat and then shoot the rapids again! Want some more time in the great outdoors? A group will be staying overnight to hike the nearby countryside. Cost is $125/person which includes 2 night stay in a cabin, 2 rafting trips (including wetsuit and booties) and meals.