During Labor Day weekend before the start of the semester, Colby College runs the Colby Outdoor Orientation Trip (COOT) program to give incoming students the chance to explore the Maine wilderness and build connections.
These trips fall into three general categories: outdoor exploration, community exploration, and outdoor immersion. With trips for every skill and comfort level, COOT is designed to be a fun experience for all, and these trips are often a great opportunity to meet new people as they enter college and to explore the state they will be living in during their time at the College.
As these trips range across different categories and skill levels, they also explore different parts of Maine. From mountains to camps and even Colby’s Island Campus on Allen Island, COOTs explore the Maine wilderness at various locations and are involved in a range of activities.
Rose Paxton `30 went on the Surfing A COOT, which stays at Hermit Island Campground in Phippsburg, ME. This trip was particularly unique for Paxton, as she had never gone surfing before.
Despite trying something new, Paxton said she enjoyed her experience. “It was a really nice trip because we had around an hour of surfing,” she said. “And then the rest was more choose-your-own-adventure team building, cards, and activities.”
Paxton commented on how she enjoyed the balanced pace of this trip in contrast to trips where you “hike, hike, hike until you fall asleep.”
Halsey Wade `30 went on the Grafton Loop backpacking trip, and like Paxton, Wade also had a lot of fun. Wade said her group “summited Old Speck and Whitecap, and it was really pretty.”
Wade said the trip was uniquely enjoyable for her because she was just entering college. She said her COOT was “a really nice way to start college by being in nature,” and that, “it was a really good way to get close with the people on my trip.”
Not only were these trips a great way to meet new people when starting college, but Wade also shared how her COOT confirmed her interests. Wade said, “[My COOT] reinforced that I like backpacking and being outside in Maine.”
In addition to offering the chance to meet new people and explore her interests, Wade’s COOT further solidified her choice to go to school in Maine. She said, “It’s just so beautiful, so I’m glad I’m going to school here.”
While Wade left her COOT with a generally positive attitude and impression of Maine’s outdoors, Paxton left her COOT with firsthand experience of how cold Maine can be, even in the summer. However, Paxton still found a positive outlook regarding her first experience with the Maine cold: “The water was freezing, but in wetsuits we were fine, so it made me think we can deal with the weather.”
Overall, COOT trips offer students a great way to make connections before their first year of college, try new activities for the first time, and learn about what the state has to offer. With COOTs that range from surfing to backpacking and much more, COOT is often a fun time that helps set students up for a great college experience in the state of Maine.
~ Haley Hegarty `28
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