Putting an end to summer boredom on Malmstrom Published June 13, 2013 By Senior Airman Cortney Paxton 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- It's those three months - give or take with weather - where Airmen are getting outside enjoying the sun and warm temperatures Montana has to offer. While it's easy to say Montana has the views to leave anyone breathless in the summer, some people may not know exactly what this state has to offer or the activities Malmstrom Air Force Base provides to help Airmen enjoy Big Sky Country. Below outlines a few of the many outdoor summer activities Malmstrom has to offer to Airmen and their families. Outdoor swimming pool The base has an outdoor swimming pool, which recently opened, that features two diving boards and a 90-foot water slide. Airmen and their families are welcome to enjoy open swim from 1 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and noon to 7 p.m. on the weekends and holidays. During the week, the facility also offers a lap swim from noon to 12:45 p.m., activity swim from 7 to 11 p.m. and swimming lessons for children ages 4 and up. Pool party rentals are also available after hours with reservations. Swimming lessons are taught by certified instructors and are available in four sessions held throughout the summer. Each session consists of eight, 45-minute lessons - Tuesday through Friday for two consecutive weeks - for $25 each. Students will be tested on the first day of class and put into the appropriate level as determined by the instructors. The pool also offers adult and private lessons upon request. For pool fees, lesson schedules and rules, visit http://341fss.com/pool. Outdoor Recreation activities and rentals Malmstrom's Outdoor Recreation holds summer trips to various places throughout Montana for little to no cost. Most trips include equipment, transportation and sometimes lodging. A few upcoming events include a family Missouri River float for all ages on June 30 from 1 to 7 p.m., a Fourth of July Clark Fork Whitewater Rafting Trip from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and an Airman Glacier Adventure scheduled to leave base on July 5 at 2 p.m. and return July 7 at 9 p.m. ODR also offers a plethora of outdoor equipment rentals for summer activities. Equipment available for rent at the facility include the following: · Lawn and garden equipment - post hole diggers, hand grass clippers, wheelbarrows, etc. · Power lawn equipment - fertilizer spreaders, lawn vacuums, lawn mowers, etc. · Watercraft and accessories - kayaks, fishing boats, canoes, etc. · Fishing equipment - nets, pontoon float tubes, waders, etc. · Camping equipment - tents, air mattresses, sleeping pads, etc. · Hunting equipment - game carts, goose decoys, spotting scopes, etc. · Recreational equipment - Mountain bikes, horseshoe sets, volleyball set, etc. · Campers/trailers - 18-foot travel camper, A-line campers, utility trailers, hitch and balls, etc. · Pontoon boats More information on the trips offered at ODR can be found at http://341fss.com/odrtrips, and all items available for rent and their daily rental rates can be found at http://341fss.com/docs/summer-rentals13.pdf. Gateway FamCamp and Annex Malmstrom AFB has two Family Camping sites available - the Gateway FamCamp located just off base, and the Gateway Annex on base. The FamCamp is open to active-duty and retired members; Department of Defense, ARC and non-appropriated fund civilians; and their guests. Both the Gateway FamCamp and Gateway Annex opened April 15 and remain open until October 15. The Gateway FamCamp includes 25 full hook-up sites, 50 amp service; flush toilet restrooms, shower and laundry facilities on site; litter disposal (dumpsters and garbage cans), a pay phone, picnic tables, chargrills, local TV channels and WiFi internet. The Gateway Annex includes 30 full hook-up sites; five designated overflow sites with water and electricity, 30 amp service, flush toilet restrooms on site, a dump station, a dumpster, picnic tables, chargrills, local TV stations, and a pay phone. More information on the camping sites can be found at http://www.341fss.com/docs/famcamp-brochure-0412.pdf. Grizzly Bend classes The Grizzly Bend on base offers classes for members of Team Malmstrom. These classes include dance classes for children ages 3 to 13, four-week cake decorating classes and basic sewing classes. Visit http://341fss.com/grizzly for more information. While getting outside and finding new things to do and explore can be a fun way to spend the summer, there are a few things Airmen are encouraged to stay away from. The following are activities Airmen should avoid while enjoying the summer weather. Mudding While no law prohibits anyone from driving all-terrain or sport-utility vehicles in muddy areas, intentionally racing through wet fields, streams, lakeshores, lakebeds or other muddy areas can bring about negative consequences to the driver, which includes potential legal consequences. According to the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service website at www.fs.usda.gov, mudding rips up native plants, compacts soil, smothers fish, can harm wildlife and is unsightly, which ruins recreation sites. Mudding can also cause expensive repair work for sites costing thousands of dollars for the land owner. Also, according to the website, anyone caught mudding is violating 36 Code of Federal Regulations 261.13, section h, which states, "It is prohibited to operate any vehicle off Forest Development, State or County roads... in a manner which damages or unreasonably disturbs the land, wildlife or vegetative resources." Anyone who violates this code may be fined up to $5,000 and could face a civil suit against the U.S. Forest Service to help pay for restoration. Solo traveling Airmen planning to travel this summer are encouraged to do it with other people to make for safer trips. Not only does traveling in groups provide a good sense of camaraderie amongst each other, it also allows everyone involved to watch out for each other. Those who travel alone run the risk of something bad happening without anyone else knowing, which could be potentially life-threatening. Airmen who have people they know and trust around them can almost guarantee a safe trip to and from their destination. While the summer has finally made its way to Montana, Airmen should take advantage of the many different activities Malmstrom has to offer. Keep boredom at bay this summer by visiting the base's pool, Outdoor Recreation, family camping sites or Grizzly Bend.