Author: By Idaho State University

19SEP

ISU Outdoor Adventure Center yurt rentals to open for season Nov. 1

POCATELLO — The Idaho State University Outdoor Adventure Center yurt rentals will be open for the season starting Nov. 1, and reservations can be made starting Oct. 1.

The Portneuf Yurt System features four yurts: Skyline, Catamount, Inman and Jackson. All yurts are located in the Portneuf Range just outside of Pocatello and offer a variety of terrain. Yurt travel ranges from beginner-friendly, to intermediate and advanced.

The yurts are beautiful wood-and-canvas, Mongolian-style, dome-shaped structures. At the top of the dome is a skylight for watching the stars at night. Inside the yurts are bunk beds, a wood stove, cooking stove and a lantern. Two of the yurts — Skyline and Catamount — are at lower, relatively easy spots to access. Inman is at a higher elevation and is moderately difficulty to get to. Jackson is located at the highest elevation and is the most difficult and strenuous to reach.

The yurt system is a great way to escape for an adventurous weekend and celebrate the winter season. The Portneuf Yurt System rental rates for 2018-19 are as follows.

  • For the 20-foot in diameter Skyline yurt, prices Sunday through Thursday nights are $40 for ISU students, faculty and staff and $50 per night for community members. Rental prices for Friday and Saturday nights are $70 for ISU students, faculty and staff and $80 for community members.
  • For the 16-foot in diameter Jackson, Inman and Catamount yurts, prices Sunday through Thursday nights are $30 per night for ISU students, faculty and staff and $40 per night for community members. Rental prices for Friday and Saturday nights are $60 for ISU students, faculty and staff and $70 for community members.

The OAC also has a variety of winter equipment available for rent. Rental equipment includes snow shoes, cross-country skis, touring skis and avalanche safety equipment. Visit www.isu.edu/outdoor for a complete listing of rental prices and yurt information.

The OAC is open Mondays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesdays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and closed weekends.

The OAC is looking for volunteers to help set up the yurts. Visit the OAC and sign up. Volunteers will meet at 8 a.m. Oct. 20 at the OAC. Bring work gloves, water and snacks. Transportation to the yurt sites will be provided.

For more information, call the OAC at 208-282-3912.

19SEP

$20 million Idaho research award focuses on genetics of rainbow trout, sagebrush

The University of Idaho will share a $20 million award from the National Science Foundation with Idaho State University and Boise State University to support research aimed at uncovering and predicting how rainbow trout and sagebrush adjust to changing environments.

The award, received through the NSF’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) program, is shared with Idaho EPSCoR partners at BSU and ISU and may help inform natural resource policies and management decisions throughout the American West.

U of I and the EPSCoR partners are receiving the money with $4 million in matching funds from Idaho’s Higher Education Research Council. The award will support research, education and workforce development at Idaho’s public research universities and participating undergraduate institutions for the next five years.

The project will look into the genetic, environmental and social systems connected to rainbow trout and sagebrush populations, while helping researchers better understand a broad range of organisms in the Gem State.

“Rainbow trout and sagebrush were strategically chosen for this study because they are keystone organisms in the American West and beyond,” said Janet E. Nelson, interim Idaho EPSCoR project director and U of I’s vice president for Research and Economic Development.

U of I will leverage the expertise and facilities through its Aquaculture Research Institute, Center for Modeling Complex Interactions, Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies and Center for Resilient Communities.

This is the eighth such EPSCoR RII award Idaho has received.

“Idaho has been remarkably successful in winning large EPSCoR awards since 1989, and this new project is another great example of what Idaho’s universities can achieve by working together,” said Laird Noh, chairman of the Idaho EPSCoR Committee “It will continue to strengthen Idaho’s scientific research excellence in areas of national importance and which are critical to achieving the goals of Idaho’s science and technology strategic plan.”

To expand the state’s capability to conduct this large, complex study, BSU and ISU will hire a total of six new faculty with relevant expertise. The new faculty will join a team of more than 30 university scientists and educators across Idaho who will work on the research. In addition, the project builds on partnerships with research-oriented state and federal agencies, private and nonprofit collaborators.

The award will also provide workshops and training at Idaho’s three research universities as well as Lewis-Clark State College and Idaho’s community colleges aimed at increasing diversity among Idaho’s next generation of scientists and engineers.

The scientific leadership team includes Ron Hardy, director of U of I’s Aquaculture Research Institute; Colden Baxter, director of the Center for Ecological Research and Education at ISU; and Jennifer Sorensen Forbey, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at BSU.

“We are excited to coordinate Idaho’s research efforts at such a high level,” Nelson said. “Our team will truly be working at the frontiers of discovery to help advance the prosperity and well-being of our state and nation.”

More information on the project and Idaho EPSCoR is available at www.idahogem3.org.

08DEC

Pocatello Adaptive Ski School seeks students and instructors

POCATELLO — Idaho State University’s Cooperative Wilderness Handicapped Outdoor Group (CW HOG) has teamed up with Pebble Creek Ski Area for the 2017 Pocatello Adaptive Ski School starting Jan. 12. Instructor training begins Jan. 6.

The Pocatello Adaptive Ski School (PASS) makes skiing possible for individuals of all abilities. The school is currently seeking individuals with disabilities for skiing and skiers and boarders who are interesting in being adaptive instructors.

Instructor training begins with a session on Jan. 6 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Outdoor Adventure Center on the lower level of the Pond Student Union. Instructor training finishes on Jan. 7 at Pebble Creek Ski Area from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This clinic will give a rundown of the various disciplines within the adaptive realm.

“Adaptive skiing is a positive outlet for realizing the endless possibilities and opportunities in life, whether you are striving for the paralympics or just want to be out in the clean mountain air,” said Robert Ellis, outdoor recreation coordinator for CW HOG.

People interested in being a student or volunteering as an adaptive instructor can contact Ellis at ellirobe@isu.edu or at the CW HOG office at 208-282-3912.