Headwaters

The purpose of Headwaters is to provide an opportunity for new students, both traditional first years and transfer students, to connect with other new students, explore the beautiful natural environment in and around Bend, start to build a supportive community, and ease the transition into college life before classes begin.

These trips are based on outdoor recreational activities that will also require sleeping and camping in outdoor settings. Cooking and using the restroom will also be based in the outdoor environment. Living in an outdoor setting can provide challenges to people since it is not like many people’s daily routines and comforts. Showers and running water will not be available during the trips themselves. Lastly, everyone is expected to help contribute to the trip, both with helping and in attitude. Participants will be asked to help cook, clean, prepare equipment, set up/break down camps, etc. Headwaters is meant to be an immersive experience with your fellow students.

Registration occurs on our student life platform, Bend Beavs Central. To help ensure your registration process goes smoothly, please log in to Bend Beavs Central before the registration date to make sure you can access the platform.

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Headwaters Registration

Cascades Adventures, the program running Headwaters, will provide all the group equipment (e.g., cooking system, shelter system, sleep system, technical gear, etc.).

We cannot provide clothing and footwear for trips. Participants will need to provide their own.

Please refer to the equipment list of your trip for specifics about what clothing, footwear, and equipment you’ll need to pack prior. Additionally, you will find additional information about equipment requirements if you would like to bring your own (e.g., personal flotation devices, rock climbing equipment, helmets, etc.). Please visit the Headwaters Trip Welcome Materials & Resources 2024 folder to find the equipment lists and the Headwaters Equipment Request Form 2024.

Cascades Adventures does not provide the clothing needed for trips. Participants will need to provide their own clothing appropriate to the trip they are attending. You can find the list of clothing on the trip equipment lists for each trip. Please visit the Headwaters Trip Welcome Materials & Resources 2024 folder to find the equipment lists and the Headwaters Equipment Request Form 2024.

If you do not have some of the clothing stated on the equipment list there are many reputable online retailers. A few of the top online retailers are REI, Backcountry, EVO, and Moosejaw.

If you need to pick up some last-minute pieces of clothing there are a few local retailers in Bend, Oregon. These retailers include Mountain Supply, Gear Fix, REI of Bend, and Patagonia of Bend.

Depending on which trip you attend, the restroom methods might look a little different. The backpacking trips will be digging small holes to defecate in, while packing out toilet paper and other hygiene products. The rock climbing and rafting trips will have access to “Vault Toilets” which is a simple/private toilet structure found at many recreation areas.

Yes. Central Oregon during the end of September is still prone to wildfires and smoke. Additionally, weather typically begins changing around this time. With the safety of participants and staff in mind, we reserve the right to change the location, activity, and timing of the Headwaters trips up to the beginning and during the trips to respond to changing conditions.

We monitor different state and federal agency resources as well as satellite imagery to inform our trips itinerary and practices. However, given that we will be outside and aren’t

always able to best predict where smoke will ultimately be, there will be a chance that we will conduct the trip in smoke for the Headwaters trips. Please be ready to take additional precautions if you are sensitive to wildfire smoke and/or have respiratory issues that might be exacerbated by wildfire smoke. Such precautions might include, inhalers for those who use them, wearing tight-fitting masks to help filter the air (e.g. KN95, N95, etc.), as well as communicating this with Cascades Adventures staff well prior to see if we might be able to support you with alternative methods.

Lastly, if smoke is at hazardous levels in the areas of the trip, we will move the trips to a different location or if that is not feasible, might need to change the trip to indoor experiences in and around Bend such as climbing at the local rock climbing gym, visiting the High Desert Museum, etc. This will be the last resort option, but know that is part of our contingency plan. If you are staying in the residence hall, you will be allowed to stay the nights that the trip was intending on being out if we exercise this option due to hazardous conditions.

Given the purpose of Headwaters, we do not allow cell phones to be taken out on the trip. We will have a secure and locked location for phones on campus if needed. This is to allow everyone to connect with others in the group without distraction. If you are concerned about taking pictures, please note that disposable and digital cameras are allowed. In case of any incidents that happen during the trip, staff have multiple communication devices with them that they can use to contact necessary resources.

For those of you who are going to be staying in the Residence Hall for the fall term, early move-in will take place before your trip’s pre-trip meeting. You will have an three hours to check-in, get assigned your room key card, and move possessions into your room. Please refer to the main Headwaters webpage for exact dates and times for early move-in as they are different with each trip and change year to year.

Submit your picture for your University ID card! If you have not done so yet, please upload a photo for your OSU-Cascades Student ID. Visit mycard.oregonstate.edu and click the photo upload link on the bottom left of the page. Once you are logged into MyCard, you can select and upload a photo from the menu on the left and follow the instructions. Your student ID serves as your pass to campus and room key. If you neglect to upload a photo, you will receive a temporary ID upon move-in. We strongly recommend you complete this process as soon as possible as it will make move-in easier and will be lees work for you in the long run.

Pre-pack your Headwaters clothing and equipment separately from the rest of your belongings to help ease the transition from moving in and arriving at the pre-trip meeting packed and ready!

Dinner will be provided at the Welcome Dinner.

Breakfast will not be provided the morning of your pre-trip/departure date. Please come fed prior to the pre-trip meeting on campus if you normally eat breakfast. There will not be any on-campus dining options during that time.

Starting the first day of your trip lunch and all meals subsequent to that will be provided through lunch of the last day of the trip.

Please note that we will do our best to provide high-quality food through the Headwaters trips. Due to the nature of living outside for multiple days without power, food will be composed primarily of dried items with fewer fresh ingredients and more limited options than you might be used to. If you have questions and/or concerns, please reach out to ellsworth.faris@osucascdes.edu.

Yes. This is a university trip and we require that behavior and conduct align with Oregon State University policies as well as internal policies to Cascades Adventures. Any violation of these policies can result in immediate expulsion from the Headwaters trip, early removal from the trip, and potential university disciplinary action.

The following highlights key points that are not allowed on Headwaters trips (this is not a comprehensive list):

• Inappropriate behavior (including harassment, bullying, discrimination, etc.)
• No alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or any illicit drugs
• No weapons, firearms, large knives (blades over 3 inches)
• Illegal activity of any kind

Additionally, there are policies in place that help promote inclusivity on trips.

To see a comprehensive list of prohibited conduct, please reference the Code of Student Conduct webpage.

Family and friends are not allowed to attend the Welcome Dinner and pre-trip meeting for Headwaters. Please say your goodbyes right before the meeting starts. Once the pre-trip meeting starts, we ask that family and friends not be in attendance as the pre-trip meeting will need to cover a lot of material as well as allow the process of developing your community for the trip.

Payment for your Headwaters trips will be handled after returning from your trip. We understand that plans change and that the registration list might still be in flux close to the beginning of these trips. This can be a busy time with many logistical steps to accomplish and we are trying to ease the transition to your start here at OSU-Cascades.

Please complete payment no later than October, 4th, 2024 by the end of the business day. If your payment is late, we will charge your student account the amount of the trip fee and include an additional $30 administrative fee. Please contact Ellsworth Faris at ellsowrth.faris@osucascades.edu or call 541-322-3116 to complete payment.

We do not charge payment at the time of registration. However, when registration closes on August 28th we will charge payment to the finalized registrant list. If you find out that you

are unable to attend a Headwaters Trip after you have registered, please unregister through Bend Beavs Central if it is prior to August 28th. This will allow others to register who can go on Headwaters. After August 28th, please contact ellsworth.faris@osucascades.edu to notify us of the change.

Once a participant has participated in any Headwaters programming, including Early Move-In and the Welcome Dinner, no refunds will be issued except for extenuating circumstances (e.g., family emergency, injury or illness that is not the fault of the participant, etc.)