Cooler weather hit Carbondale in time for Labor Day weekend, and in a burst of enthusiasm Monday, students explored the outdoor opportunities of Giant City Park without the muggy heat to drain their energy.

Mindy Barclay, a sophomore from Princeville, said she noticed a change in the weather this weekend and decided to go hiking.

You don’t just step outside and drip with sweat because it’s so hot, Barclay said.

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Twin brothers, Joseph and Jeremy Parks, spent their day pedaling up Giant City Road’s hills on bikes.

It’s a lot nicer now, not being so hot, Jeremy Parks, a freshman from Eldorado, said. You don’t have to take quite as many breaks or bring as much water with you.

We’re on the cross country and track team so we ran a lot this summer and you always had to bring water or you’d die of heat, Joseph Parks, a freshman from Eldorado, said.

Paul Suchecki, a graduate student in plant biology, said he does more outdoor activities when the weather is cooler.

Bike riding, hiking, rock climbing, and rappelling are the main things people do here (Giant City Park), Paul Suchecki, a graduate student in plant biology, said. There’s not a lot of swimming in Southern Illinois which is one drawback.

Jaymie Smith, a senior in psychology and pre-med from Jacksonville, enjoyed hanging out with her friends hiking and climbing Monday.

We play do things we really can’t do but think we can like climbing impossible rock faces without ropes, Smith said.

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Some students were not so lucky and had to study on the holiday. Troy Butler, a junior in primary care and medicine from Vernon Hills, said he likes studying outdoors.

On a day like today it’s too nice a day to be a hermit, Butler said. When the weather was hot it was unbearable and when it gets that hot everyone just goes indoors. But now with the weather the way it is, it’s very enjoyable.

Butler said he was worried the break in the weather may mean an early winter.

Kyle Crossman and Matt Grosskopf spent Monday rock climbing.

This is the best kind of weather to rock climb, Crossman, a senior in aviation flight from Edwardsville, said. I’d like to see a real quick frost to kill off the bugs.

Grosskopf, a senior in physiology, said the cooler weather is better for his black labrador, B.J.

I had to keep (B.J.) inside all summer because it was so hot, Grosskopf said.

Butler said he doesn’t know how long this break in weather will last but cooler weather usually comes in late September or early October.

It only lasts about two weeks but that’s when it is really nice (outside), Butler said.