Courtesy photo Over 50 students participated in the skiing event, planned by the Outdoor Experience Club.

GLADSTONE – A local group is working to get students outside to experience new activities.

Gladstone High School recently announced its new Outdoor Experience Club, led by teachers Erica Fix and Tyler Swanson.

“We had the idea about two months ago to start a club that would help get kids outside and involved in some sports and activities that maybe they haven’t tried before,” Fix explained.

The newly formed group aims to provide four trips a year for its members and other Gladstone students. Fix said she wants to take students to different areas in the U.P. that they may not have seen and participate in activities they have never participated in before.

Possible activities include mountain biking, cross-country skiing, ice climbing, hiking, snowshoeing, shooting sports and more.

Swanson and Fix crafted a letter to the school board explaining why a club like the Outdoor Experience benefits students.

“We have seen rising rates of anxiety and depression in teens as well as an increase in daily digital screen time. Students are less comfortable in social situations, are less involved in student activities, and spend less time outside in general. Our geographic location is perfect for this type of club as most activities would be within a one to two-hour bus ride,” the letter read.

They added their intention was to provide an opportunity for students to experience outdoor recreational activities in a positive social setting.

The club currently has 12 members, and Fix encourages those interested to join. Any student in grades nine through 12 can participate in club activities, even if they are not club members.

“I liked the idea from the start. I’m a senior, and this is the first year we’ve done anything like this, so I knew that I wanted to be involved or at least participate in some of the activities,” said Riley Rebholz, a senior at Gladstone High School.

Another member said she joined because she thought she could contribute activity ideas.

“I love the outdoors, and I backpack a lot, and I hike a lot. I do a lot of things outside because my family is really into that, and I thought I could be a contributor to ideas and things we can do for the club,” said Lucy DeGroot, a senior at Gladstone High School.

The club held its first activity at the beginning of March: a ski trip to Ski Brule in Iron River.

54 students attended, and Fix said that roughly a third of them had never put on a pair of skis before.

“So they did get a lesson at Ski Brule, and all of them were skiing the mountain by the end of the day,” Fix said.

Fix and club members said the first outing was a success.

“It was so much fun. It was great to be with everybody, and we got a ton of participation,” Rebholz said.

The club is eyeing a disc golf outing in the Spring, working with Beaten Path to provide equipment and instructions.

Fix said she and Swanson started the club because they wanted the students to try something new.

“There are so many kids at the school who have never really done a lot of the outdoor things that we have such easy access to in the U.P.,” she said.

She added she hopes the students find an interest or a hobby to take with them into adulthood.