‘WilSkills’
Exploring the Outdoors in Nashville
Jan. 12, 2020—What if I told you that Vanderbilt is actually a great school for people who love the outdoors? When I told my roommate that, he shot back, “The only outdoorsmen here are the people who live in Blakemore and schedule their first class on Commons just so they can have a daily morning hike.” It’s...
What is a Wilskill?
Dec. 4, 2015—What does somebody mean on campus when they say they are in Wilskills? Hint: it means they love to play outside...
Stone Arches and Dripping Icicles: Backpacking Adventures
Feb. 12, 2015—This past weekend, I channeled my inner nature-child, joining WilSkills for a backpacking trip. We went to the Big South Fork Recreation Area in Oneida, Tennessee, where we hiked past waterfalls, precariously melting icicles, rock shelters, and stone arches sculpted by thousands of years of erosion.
After Midterms, A Relaxing Break
Oct. 19, 2014—Fall break couldn’t have come any sooner. After about ten days of study study test study cram test paper study test (a.k.a. midterm week), I packed a few clothes in a duffel and drove three hours east to Ocoee, TN with friends. We spent Wednesday night in a pastoral setting, and then found a camping...
After WilSkills
Aug. 27, 2014—The outdoor recreation experience at Vanderbilt goes beyond WilSkills. Read more for a list of all the cheap/free ways to get involved and get outside!
The Finals Week Experience (and What Happens After)
May. 2, 2014—A review of my finals week and the "vacation" I've enjoyed in Nashville since they ended!
Final WilSkills Trip of the Semester
Apr. 21, 2014—With finals week coming up, there was nothing to do but go paddling. This was my second paddling trip and my fifth trip this semester! On Friday we drove directly east for two and a half hours until we reached the area near Clear Creek. Around midnight we set up a tarp and two tents...
Weekend Paddling Trip with WilSkills
Apr. 8, 2014—Oh, WilSkills, it’s been too long. My last trip with this fantastic student organization was before spring break––rock climbing. This past weekend, a group of students drove three and a half hours to Ellijay, Georgia for the “Cartecay River Experience.” At midnight we spread our sleeping bags on the group and fell asleep gazing at...
Rock-Climbing with WilSkills
Feb. 23, 2014—My first two WilSkills trips (Backpacking III and IV) involved a 40-pound pack and lots of walking, but my third trip involved ropes and scaling rock faces! This past weekend, I joined the great WilSkills for an excursion to Red River Gorge in Kentucky. I had never climbed before, not even in an indoor gym,...
A WilSkills-Wonderful Weekend
Feb. 10, 2014—This weekend, I had yet another WilSkills adventure. In a group of eleven, I backpacked the Spence-Russell Loop and part of the AT to Mollie's Field Shelter, a fifteen-mile round-trip. We hiked through rushing mountain streams, through frozen snow and through low clouds. We gave each other nicknames and threw snowballs.