Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute are stationed alongside OLLI Director Josh Raney at Kings River Overlook.
Ask members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Alberta about Josh Raney's hikes and they will tell you his hikes are the best. This April, Raney steps up his game and offers an unforgettable hike. Raney, OLLI director and volunteer hiking guide, will lead 20 OLLI members in “A Total Eclipse of a Hike” today, April 8, during the 2024 total solar eclipse. Hikers will participate a short hike along the Buffalo River Trail in the path of totality and will end at Steel Creek Campground, where the group will enjoy lunch and views of the eclipse from the large fields below from Roark Bluff. Solar eclipse glasses will be provided.
“I’ve been thinking about leading this hike ever since I heard about the eclipse,” Raney explained. “Our members love getting outside and discovering new things. What's better than a total eclipse?”
Of the 20 people registered to participate in the hike, longtime OLLI member and hiking enthusiast Judy Unrath was one of the first to sign up. “I wasn't going to miss this trip and the bragging rights to say, 'There I was, in the middle of the path of the Great North American Eclipse.' This won't happen again in my lifetime, and I'm grateful to OLLI for bringing me this epic adventure.”
This spring, the institute offered hikes to Kings River Falls, Hawksbill Crag and, later this month, wildflower and bird watching hikes in partnership with the Ozark Natural Science Center. OLLI hikes vary in difficulty levels and are often led by naturalist guides.
OLLI is based in the College of Education and Health Professions and provides over 500 adults with the opportunity to share intellectual interests, meet new people and explore cultural topics with their peers. To learn more, visit olli.uark.edu.
