With all the draws of Boston - Red Sox games at Fenway, concerts in Central Square, and dinners in the North End - on top of the abundance of campus events, it's easy to see how the natural beauty and excitement of the New England wilderness can get overlooked.
As many Tufts students hail from some of the largest cities in the country and the world, many have never even seen a mountain over 5,000 feet, much less climbed one.
But this weekend, they will have the chance to do just that, as the Tufts Mountain Club (TMC) invites Tufts undergraduates, and especially freshmen and first-timers, up to the University's Loj for Newcomers' Weekend.
"We're mostly geared towards freshmen, but also anyone who's never been," said Hannah Shaw, a sophomore and TMC member. "We try to raise a lot of awareness about the Loj."
Located about two hours north of Medford in Woodstock, NH, the Loj is owned and operated by the University, and while it is open to all Tufts students, it often hosts special groups around campus for retreats.
"It's a place to get away from all the academics," Loj Director junior Dan Hechavarria said. "You can immerse yourself in the company of lots of cool people."
The weekend's agenda will feature a broad array of events that range from apple-picking and pumpkin-carving for less outdoorsy Jumbos to mountain climbing and canoeing on the Pemigewasset River.
"We are right in the middle of the Presidential Mountains, so there will be a lot of day hikes up Lafayette, Lincoln, Haystack, Flume, that whole ridge line," junior TMC vice-president Jen Crawford said. "It's gorgeous up there."
If the weather holds, one of the weekend's marquee events will be a hike to the top of Mt. Adams, which stands as the second-tallest peak in New Hampshire at 5,774 feet.
However, because TMC members recognize that rock climbing does not represent the ideal Saturday afternoon for all Tufts students, they try to offer different activities both in the Boston area and up at the Loj.
"Our goal is just to get people outside, so we offer all sorts of things for all different levels of experience and interest," Shaw said. "We provide a forum for people who haven't had much outdoor experience to do all sorts of activities in the area, from short hikes to rock climbing to huge games of Capture the Flag."
Trying to juggle class schedules, extracurricular activities, campus events, and trips into Boston, many Tufts students are either unaware of the Loj or haven't been able to take advantage of the opportunities it offers.
"I've met so many people who are juniors or seniors who still haven't been to the Loj, so we try to crush that right at the beginning," Crawford said. "If you go once, you've got to go again."
As freshmen are bombarded with opportunities to get involved with on-campus and off-campus groups, TMC is hoping to offer something with a slightly different appeal.
"A lot of the draw of the Loj is to get to know people that you don't come across in other parts of your life," Shaw said. "You get to know people from all different walks of life and all four classes. It's just good clean fun - apple-picking, rock-climbing, and our newest thing is Mattress Kickball."
"We're really just trying to get the information out there," Crawford added. "This is what Loj has to offer, so come up and check it out.
