Walk past the lake on the gravel road. Take a left at the tree with the three swings and choose. Stay here or follow the trail farther into the woods. If you continue down the trail you’ll find a rope, suspended from a tree over a small hill. The hole in the rope is for your foot. Slip it through and swing out into the breeze. Watch the trees, the sky, the ground, and the birds. Watch everything and relax. Soak in the beauty.
But there is more. Keep going, explore. Follow the path further, as it winds deeper and deeper into the Guilford woods.
There is more to free time at Guilford than lying out by the lake or running the trails.
“The rope swings on the large beech tree beside the road that passed the lake were put up last year on March 20 [for] a communal work project; [the project] was open to volunteers.” said Andrew Breunig, President of the Outdoors Club.
Breunig also mentioned that the out doors club is not affiliated with rope swings at all.
“Usually, the club hosts an annual tour of the Guilford woods to give curious students an idea of what is in our backyard. We will be putting that on later this year,” said Breunig.
But since then, have the swings been forgotten? How many students on a daily basis go out there to enjoy their glory?
“It’s a nice place to go and relax, and it is easy to find,” said junior Mike Muir. “It’s good for a study break or if you need to get away. The only bad thing is that people go out there and leave bottles and you’ll find broken glass; it’s stuff that you wouldn’t want to walk barefoot on.”
When asked what she liked best about the swings in the woods, sophomore Susannah Goodman replied, “It’s great to wander through the woods and just find them.”
Some of her friends agreed that the swings out in the woods supply an excellent experience. They all seemed to agree that the swings, although they are not well known, definitely do not go unused.
According to the Vice President of Enrollment and Campus Life, Randy Doss, the rope swings have been out of commission officially for at least ten years. “Liability is also a major issue I am sure,” said Doss.
There is also a zip line that expands across a small valley behind the old apartments.
“The zip line was put up a few years ago by some local high school students. It wasn’t put up securely, nor is it in good working order,” said Bruenig.
“It also violates some school safety policies, and I have heard that Public Safety has plans to remove it,” said Bruenig.
Although the swings are out there, one should be advised to use them carefully.
“The rope swings are a great escape from the various stresses of college life. It is a shame that not everyone cares enough to have them kept up. It would be a great community project,” said junior Wilt Johnston. “The woods are a part of the school’s assets and people should spend more time keeping them up.