This is it - the biggest and best trip of the entire year. Theta Xi road trips from Boulder to Bullfrog Marina in southern Utah, and invades Lake Powell with a crew of thirty to forty guys and equal numbers of women. We rent a house boat and a half dozen speedboats, head out onto the lake, and find a private beach where we build our campground. Then it’s nonstop waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing, cliff jumping, canyoneering, climbing, and exploring the amazing natural wonders for the next two days. All the while, our cooks are back at camp preparing us hot breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. And when the sun sets each night, the bonfires are lit and the party really begins.
Ask any brother what the one trip is that you do not miss, and they will give a single word: Powell. With more coastline than the state of California and more sunshine than Miami, Lake Powell is the highlight of our amazing fall semester. But if you want to go, you’ll have to join - female guests are always welcome, but if you’re a guy, you must be a Theta Xi.
Mountain Biking is the main theme of our trip to this remote desert town, five hours by car from Boulder. We camp less than half a mile from the world-famous Slickrock Trail, where you can embark on a rollercoaster ride across miles upon miles of solid rock formations. Even beginners can navigate down the 45-degree+ slopes, as your tires stick like glue to the petrified sand dunes. For our more experienced riders, we also take longer trips to the Porcupine Rim trail, Poison Spider Mesa, and other popular local rides.
Don’t feel like pedaling your own vehicle? Some of our brothers will blast across the same terrain on rented dirt bikes, ATV’s, or Jeeps. Whatever your method of transportation, the thousand-foot cliffs and amazing views are like nothing you have ever seen. We top it all off with a cooling dip in the Colorado river, and no trip to Moab would be complete without heading into town to feast at Eddie McStiff’s Brewery.
What better way to bond with your fellow Brothers than to shoot at them? The onset of Fall weather along the Front Range and mid-terms at CU signals the perfect opportunity to relieve stress by pushing ourselves past the limit of endurance. Our yearly pilgrimage to DragonLand begins with a private tour of of one of the largest private military museums in the United States of America by none other than Dragon Man himself, who Theta Xi has developed a great relationship over the past 7 years. One of the highlights of this trip, this massive assembly of authentic vehicles, equipment, and gear from the U.S., Russia, Germany, and more is usually only shown to the public on Veterans Day. However, the respect that the Brothers of Theta Xi have shown for the US Armed Forces and to the Dragon Man’s facilities has earned us the right to private showings of his collection. Every single vehicle in the museum is in perfect running condition, and on occasion he will even drive one of his armored personnel carriers out on the paintball field to provide moving cover for one of the Theta Xi teams.
After a safety briefing and a lesson on tactics from the professionals, Dragon Man launches a concussion grenade over the battlefield and we let slip the dogs of war! Using our own personal gear or rented equipment, dozens of brothers square off in an all-day melee where the high altitude air is thick with paintballs and the victors are determined by communication and teamwork rather than firepower.
Take a break from the firefight by browsing Dragon Man’s Class III gun shop, where you can purchase anything from an AK-47 to a 40mm grenade launcher, but only if you can pass the background checks. He doesn’t allow test fires (and you wouldn’t dare ask him), but he does allow you to use your own firearms on his 200 yard rifle range. Join the ranks of Theta Xi’s competitive marksmen, all of whom are well-trained in safe firearm use, by trying your hand at .22 caliber pistols or .30-06 rifles and everything in between!
Towering 14,264 feet above the town of Idaho Springs, Mount Evans offers a spectacular view of the sunrise over Colorado’s Front Range. But first, you have to get to the summit. Sure, it does have the highest paved road in the United States leading to its top, but we leave that for the tourists. After camping the night before at Echo Lake, we rise early and make the short drive to the trailhead. Before most people back in Boulder are even awake, we’ll be scrambling several thousand feet straight up the boulder fields. It’s a tough hike, especially if you’re from sea level, but you’ll be well rewarded when you finally reach the top. On a clear day, you’ll enjoy an amazing view as you look down at a sea of white clouds, and the city of Denver far, far below.
If you would prefer to spend your time on wheels rather than feet, some of our brothers bring their road bikes, and ride to the top from the start of the Mount Evans Byway. Others hike up carrying their longboards, and enjoy a wild five mile high-speed run back down to the trailhead.
Whatver your favorite way is to get up and down, we can all agree that it’s time for some serious recharging after this adventure. We’ll meet up in Idaho Springs afterwards, and stuff ourselves with BeauJo’s gigantic mountain pizzas.
Homecoming weekend at Theta Xi includes a number of activities we partitipate in with our brothers, alumni, and other Fraternities and Sororities at the University of Colorado.
During the week before Homecoming, the Brothers of Theta Xi partner up with the girls of one of CU’s Sororities to create a parade float in the theme of that year’s Homecoming celebration. Nightly float building parties give everyone a chance to meet and hang out with the women from our partner sorority, as we create a giant rolling sculpture out of whatever materials our engineers come up with. At the end of the week, we join up with dozens of other groups and roll through the middle of the University Hill, passing hundreds of onlookers as we parade towards the CU Campus.
On Homecoming Day, many of our local alumni and recently graduated members return to the University of Colorado to mingle with current Brothers, enjoy a delicious brunch prepared by our resident Chef, and get ready for the big Homecoming game. This is also when we hold our annual Theta Xi football challenge, where the current Brothers challenge our active Alumni in a game of football on our backyard playing fields.
After our own Theta Xi game, we travel to Folsom Field to watch the CU Buffs destroy whatever unlucky team has traveled to Boulder this weekend. Seeing the stands packed with tens of thousands of screaming, chanting, golden-clad CU fans is always an amazing experience. The action is always intense, and after the game, everyone returns to the Theta Xi house to celebrate our victory.
Once the weather in Rocky Mountains begins to get colder, outdoor rock climbing becomes nearly impossible. But, that same cold weather brings to life a whole other sport in the mountains of Colorado: Ice Climbing. Lace up your boots, strap on your crampons, and grab the ice axes, because this event is one of our Brothers’ favorite winter trips. Whatever your skill level, you’ll have a great time as you cling to the side of a frozen waterfall, high above the ground. Experienced brothers inspect the gear, give safety lessons, and belay each other Brother as they sink their axes deep into the sturdy blue ice, and slowly pull themselves up the walls. This is one adventure that is not to be missed!
Conveniently located in Boulder Canyon, just ten miles from the Theta Xi house is, a popular and exciting local ice climbing spot. Since most Brothers don’t own this specialized equipment, the Chapter rents all the necessary ice axes, boots, and crampons. Regardless of whether this is your first time ice climbing, or you have done it many times before, this activity is a favorite among all of the brothers!
Boasting a summit elevation of 13,050 feet, combined with convenient slope-side parking, the Arapahoe Basin ski resort is the ideal spot for a springtime ski day and barbeque. We arrive in the early morning and stake out prime real estate, a patch of parking spots only fifty feet from the world-famous Pallavicini chair lift. With the grills set up here on "The Beach", you can alternate all day between runs in the powder and burgers on the grill, or just grab lunch and be back on the slopes in less than 5 minutes. So when you feel like taking a break from carving some turns or tearing up the terrain park, the your fellow Brothers will be grillin’ up food and chillin’ in the lounge chairs, with the music cranked up on the beach all day long.
Want to learn new tricks in the park? You can go hit the jumps and rails with one of the many Brothers who make a point of hitting up terrain parks every weekend. They can talk you through the basics or give you pointers to improve your style. As an added bonus, your tricks may just appear in next year’s rush video! And if you’re new to skiing, or just want to improve your technique, we’ve got you covered. Whether it’s tearing up the moguls or rocketing down the groomers, you’ll always find brothers who are pros or even former ski racers, willing to help you take it to the next level.
So come out an join us at A-Basin this spring, and discover that you don’t have to wait until Spring Break to spend a day partying at the beach with dozens of your friends!
At the edge of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains in southern Colorado, the Great Sand Dunes National Monument offers one of the most unique experiences in the United States. Nestled in the San Luis Valley, between the San Juan Mountains to the west and the lower Sangre de Cristo range to the east, sits a 35-square-mile playground of towering sand dunes. Every spring, the Brothers of Theta Xi travel to this amazing country for a weekend of hiking and exploring the dunes. We hike in from the road, camp in a valley between the towering ridges of sane, and set out to explore this amazing terrain. Got an old snowboard or pair of skis? After carrying them to the summit of the highest dune, 750 feet above the valley floor, you can launch yourself off the edge and enjoy one of the world’s most unique sports as you carve your way down through the soft sands. Or forget the equipment and just jump - the landing is soft wherever you fall.
The sunrises and sunsets over the dunes are so spectacular that photos do not do them justice. And at night, hundreds of miles from the nearest large city, you’ll enjoy a view of the stars that many people never see. Join us now, and make sure that don’t miss this trip.
Theta Xi has the biggest house of any fraternity on the CU Campus - so why not show it off? Every year, we play host to some of the best parties around. These include our famous Grafitti Party, Pajama Jam, Jungle Party, Hawaiian Luau, and many other themed-events.
Not only are these events enjoyable - they are also very safe. Theta Xi won the Risk Management award from the CU Inter-Fraternity Council in recognition of the way we run our social events. Of course we follow all of the rules set forward by our national organization, but we also go far beyond that. At every event, we have over a dozen brothers serving as uniformed security guards, a strict guest list, ID checks and wristbands at the door to identify those over 21, and even paramedics from Student Emergency Medical Services on-site to monitor all guests. No bar, dorm, or house party takes the kind of precautions that we do to ensure the safety of our members and invited guests.
So when the music is pounding and the party is in full swing, you can kick back and enjoy a great time, because you’ll know your fellow brothers are watching out for everyone’s well being.
What do you get when you take fifty guys and fifty girls, put them in a beautiful eight thousand square-foot mansion high in the Colorado mountains, add a five course dinner, a roaring fireplace, and an outdoor hot tub? You get Theta Xi’s famous formals, held every Fall and Spring in different Rocky Mountain locations. In suits and tuxedoes, the brothers of Theta Xi help prepare and serve each other and their female guests a fantastic multi-course formal dinner, in the great rooms of some of Colorado’s finest mountain properties. And after dessert is served, the ties come off and the music starts, as we party into the early hours of the morning.
Head up early in the winter and enjoy a day of skiing at Breckenridge or Winter Park. Or, stay late in the spring and enjoy a weekend of hiking or biking the mountain trails. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you don’t miss formal. For all the guys, and all of the girls, this one of the top events of each semester.
