Georgia Tech Trailblazers

03/22/2019

This Spring Break, we went to a South Carolina state park that had too much to offer. Absolutely beautiful weather all along, bacon in the sunshine and s’mores under moonlight, rainbow over waterfall and precious flora along the hike, a boundless lake that grew peace in your mind, and a breathtaking panorama a bit tricky to find... And the projects? Needless to say how much fun painting in nature and building furnitures were!
Thank everyone for your participation and hard work in this trip, which had been something I always would like to do since my first day as a Trailblazer. Special thank goes to Corey Burke who always takes fantastic pictures.

02/26/2019

Besides our local project on Mar.9 and alternative break trip Mar.16-Mar.21, here are some more exciting service and science opportunities to check out in March. Sign up today!

02/04/2019

/Local Project at Grove Park, Feb.2/
Only 3 miles west of Atlanta, Grove Park sits above the banks of Proctor Creek surrounded by patches old growth forest which predate the city. Our service project was part of an effort to restore this old growth forest and the rare fauna it houses by removing invasive species there. The project was organized by Mindi Sheer and Kathryn Kolb from EcoAddendum, an environmental consulting agency working to restore Atlanta’s urban forests. Both EcoAddendum representatives have an incredible depth of knowledge about the local ecology and described to us the environmental challenges facing Proctor Creek. We were also joined by local members of the community and a representative from the West Side Watershed Alliance. During our volunteer session, we uprooted English Ivy, taking care not to overly disturb the delicate soil, cut down a nonnative Mimosa tree, and removed trash from the property. Afterwards, Kathryn led us on a nature walk along Proctor Creek where we saw hundred-year-old trees, cascades over ancient volcanic rock, otter tracks as well as the ecological damage wrought by pollution, invasive species, and erosion along the creek’s banks. Urban forest restoration is vital to preserving the incredible old-growth forests still alive in Atlanta and our work made a small but important contribution to local restoration efforts. We all left this project with a newfound understanding of our local ecology and the satisfaction of helping to restore our city’s beautiful natural landscape. Thank our new local project coordinator Davis Schultz for leading such an awesome trip!

11/05/2018

Big thanks to our trip leader Eileen Zhu and her fantastic fellow trailblazers for another successful local project at Sweetwater Creek! We look forward to your continued support of our future local projects and alternative break trips.
Can’t wait to blaze some trails again? Check out the Red Top Mountain State Park with us on 11/10. People interested in an exec position are always welcome to meet us on Wednesdays at 7:15pm in Student Center Juniper Room.

10/17/2018

Now it’s the halfway point in the semester, here are some of the hiking + camping + environmental service trips Georgia Tech Trailblazers has brought to campus in Fall 2018:

👣Local project to Tallulah Gorge led by Liu and Zhu

👣Fall break trip to Pisgah National Forest led by Rapoport
The Georgia Tech Trailblazers had an absolute blast this Fall Break in Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina! We spent the afternoon lounging around the beautiful backdrop of Looking Glass Falls, followed by a dedicated full day to see the autumn leaves and Blue Ridge Mountains in full bloom at Black Balsam Ridge. Monday was a battle against the dirt, channelling our inner badgers to help the Pisgah Conservancy by expanding paths and taking erosion control measures to ensure their longevity. Interspersed were many high intensity campfire songs, higher tension games of Mafia, and more jumbo marshmallows than we were comfortable with. A delightfully daring dive into the beauty of the forest, with a dozen diligent, cheerful, and waterproof friends.

👣Alabama Climbing Trip led by Chasteen
During Fall Break of 2018, four intrepid Trailblazers enjoyed the premiere climbing destinations of Alabama. After performing volunteer services with the Southeastern Climber's Coalition in order to clear the path to the Jamestown Trail climbing area, the group began a weekend of staggering heights and physical challenge. Only after having claimed victory over some great climbing routes did the group take leisure underneath Noccalula Falls. But each evening's mellow fire-side conversation would soon be followed by a morning of activity and escapade!

Thank all of our participants for support and the trip leaders for your hard work so far. Please check our Facebook/OrgSync/website/email often for more fun to come🏕🚣‍♀️🏊🏽‍♂️🧗🏻‍♂️🚵🏿‍♀️

Lastly, potential executive members who are interested in a more constructive engagement are encouraged to contact us and/or attend our meetings on Wednesday at 7:15pm in Student Center Juniper Room.

04/05/2018

Hey Trailblazers!

We are recruiting for our Executive Committee for the next year! If you are interested in being a part of our team and help make our trips possible, please apply for our available positions. Leadership roles are integral to our club and are also great resume builders.

Please sign up using this link:

https://goo.gl/forms/g2udrntSxci3kT4u1

We look forward to hearing from you!

The purpose of Trailblazers is to increase student and faculty appreciation for the outdoors through outdoor adventure and environmental service. The Trailblazers Executive Board coordinates trips combining environmental service projects with outdoor recreation to allow participants to build new fri...

03/26/2018

The eight days in Zion still felt like a dream for our twelve yellow jackets who spent their Spring Break with Trailblazers. 13-miles backpacking through desert, forest and snow; working on awesome and meaningful projects with archaeologists and biologists; conquering the Angel's Landing and some other challenging trails...Looking back, they realized the fascinating landscapes were just part of the reward; but more importantly, they accomplished things thought to be difficult or even impossible, and thus in the future, they would never stop in the face of obstacles.

Thanks to Graham McAllister and Ajay Saini for being outstanding leaders and the rest of the team for their participation and support!

Photo credits to Ajay Saini and Camilla Liu.

03/16/2018

Enjoy the Spring vibes with Trailblazers while volunteering on Park Day 2018 at Allatoona Pass Battlefield and hiking at Red Top Mountain State Park!

On Apr.7th from 10 am to 12 pm, we will be volunteering at Allatoona Pass Battlefield and after that, we will proceed to some scenic hiking trails at the nearby Red Top Mountain State Park.

We will meet at the parking lot besides Instructional Center at 8:30 am and return to Tech around 4 pm. Please bring your own lunch and dress accordingly. Fruits and snacks will be provided. Cost is $5 and drivers get reimbursed for gas.

Sign up here:

Enjoy the Spring vibes with Trailblazers while volunteering on Park Day 2018 at Allatoona Pass Battlefield and hiking at Red Top Mountain State Park!

01/27/2018

Join Trailblazers on our first Local Project of this Spring to Fort Yargo State Park!

On February 10th, we are planning to go to Fort Yargo State Park to help clean up their park. We will be meeting at the bottom of CULC at 7:45am and leaving at 8am to drive up together. If you have a car, please let me know, drivers get reimbursed for gas. Please bring your own lunch and dress accordingly. After lunch, we will be enjoying the great park of Fort Yargo and hike around the lake (the hike will be flat). Cost is $5.

Sign up now! http://georgiatechtrailblazers.com/2018/01/26/local-project-fort-yargo-state-park-cleanup/ -1863

Email [email protected] with any questions.

01/21/2018

01/21/2018

Our overnight Local Project to DeSoto State Park was a great success, as we rebuilt bridges, and improved the water flow through some of their biking trails. We had a great time and helped the park out immensely!

11/09/2017

Hello everyone, don't have a plan for Spring break 2018 yet? Well, what better way to spend it in the Zion national park! Our pre signups for the alternate spring break trip are up. They are slightly different than the norm this time. Go check the website and contact us if you have any questions.

Hello adventurers, the Trailblazers invite you to a trip to the incredible Zion National Park, Utah during the Spring break in 2018. The trip will be between March 17 to March 24, 2018. Zion national park is renowned for its beautiful sedimentary formations, Zion canyon, glorious mountains, and spar...