Adventure awaits at JBER ORC

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Javier Alvarez
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Summer is coming.

As the seasons change, the staff at the Outdoor Recreation Centers on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson follow suit and change over their inventory to fulfill the recreating needs of the JBER community.

The JBER-Richardson ORC is currently accepting rental reservations, and is scheduled to open April 25, said Tyler Glenn, director of outdoor recreation programs on JBER. Large summer items like boats, recreational vehicles and travel trailers are available for rent.

The JBER-Elmendorf ORC is open year-round, and carries a summer and winter catalog to satisfy most recreating needs, he said. Anything and everything from bikes and boats to tables and chairs are available.

Gear necessary to recreate comfortably and safely can be expensive, Glenn said.

"Especially if you're trying to do something new," he said. "Why go out and buy an $8,000 ATV when you can spend a fraction of that?"

The JBER-E ORC is currently the central hub for the Outdoor Adventure Program, Glenn said. It's programs like the OAP which allow patrons the opportunity to realize their adventuring goals.

"[The programs we offer] get people out of the dorms and barracks, and we do that at extremely affordable rates," Glenn said. "Sometimes all you need is $5 to go and enjoy something that would cost $500 [elsewhere.]"

This year, patrons will see new additions to inventory items and the inception of an outdoor program designed for women.

Women in the Wilderness, aims to help get women more involved in the outdoors.

"We've done some surveys and found that some women feel intimidated when going [on the trips we offer]" Glenn said. "They're sometimes thrown in [with] a group of guys and maybe they don't feel as comfortable. This is a program run by and for women."

Further additions coming to the ORC include two new smaller motor homes, as well as new fishing equipment, travel trailers, and bikes, he said.

For more information or to inquire about product availability call 552-2023.

"Alaska has so much to offer," said Bill Benedict, ORC-E manager. "Some people come here and just sit around, complaining there is nothing to do. There are plenty of things to do; you just have to want to get out and do something."

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime PCS location," he said. "Some people spend their whole careers trying to get here."

The ORC staff has made it their mission to provide the opportunities to complete any activity people want to do, Benedict said.

"We are very fortunate on JBER to have such an expansive program," Glenn said. "We would like to show people they can do more than just rent a tent. You can go climbing on a glacier. Kayak or [ride an] ATV to a glacier - all within an hour's drive. It's impressive to be part of Alaska in that aspect."