Course & Event Descriptions
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Hiker Courses
Hiking Gear Essentials
4 Hour Course
If we said 8 lbs. of gear in your pack is everything you need to survive for days and help others would you believe us? Lightweight items with multi-purpose functionality allow us to accomplish this. Learn what those items are, and get the number one (and sometimes two) brand recommendations of the essentials.
Hiking Basics & Safety
4 Hour Course
Do you wonder what to do if you encounter bears or an aggressive dog on your hike? Ever get confused at trail intersections? Do you hike alone and need to head out better prepared, but you’re not sure how? We’ll go over all this and more plus we’ll put it into action with a 2.5-mile fun hike to a beautiful viewpoint.
Map & Compass Navigation
8 Hour Course
Ever gone off-trail to relieve yourself and wondered what you’d do if you got turned around? Maybe you need to get back to your vehicle before a thunderstorm rolls in but you don’t trust yourself to take an off-trail shortcut. This course teaches the off-trail map & compass skills needed for just such occasions.
Knots
4 Hour Course
Is learning how to tie knots easy but remembering how to tie them the next day impossible? Do you forget how to tie them the moment you need them? Practice is good, but more importantly, applying them to functional uses helps us remember them. Using them to accomplish something will cement it.
Digital App Hike Planning 1
3 Hour Virtual Course
Navigating digitally has become extremely popular in recent years. Desktop and smartphone apps have incredible features, allowing us to plan detailed hikes and travel safely in the backcountry, but it's essential to know each app's advantages and limitations, as well as when each is the right tool for the job.
Tarp Shelters
4 Hour Course
Want to know you're prepared to spend the night on a hike gone wrong without lugging around a tent everywhere you go? Thinking about a thru-hike or backpacking trip and you want to stay lightweight? A heavy tent you never carry won’t help, but a light tarp, always at the ready, and knowing how to use it will!
Fire
4 Hour Course
Do you struggle to start a fire or keep one going? Are you confident you can start a fire in an emergency - in a driving rain? In the snow? Fire keeps us warm, dries us out, and keeps us company. It can save your life. This class prescribes exactly what to carry and fine-tunes your technique for reliable results.
Drinking Water Treatment
2 Hour Course
What would happen if you ran out of water deep in the woods on your hike? Do you know where to find more? Do you know what’s safe to drink and what needs to be processed? Do you carry a heavy surplus of water afraid you might run out? This class teaches the skills for complete confidence.
CPR & AED for Adult, Child & Infant
2-4 Hour Course
What if you were on a hike, or even at the grocery store or mall, and suddenly the person walking towards you passes out, crashing to the ground. You check, no pulse. CPR. Would you go right into action? Would you be frozen, a deer in the headlights, wishing you could help? Don't put it off, learn CPR now.
WFA - Wilderness First Aid
16 Hour Course
We don’t have all the medical resources we have at home when we’re in the woods, so it’s vital to have the essential tools, the right skills, and the know-how to improvise when faced with a medical emergency in the backcountry.
Backpacker Trips/Courses
Backpacking Trip - Intro
2 Days / 1 Night
It's time to put it to the test. This is for those who have taken or are bypassing Backpacking Essentials and are confident in their gear and backpacking knowledge. We will do a review of your gear, iron out the kinks, and do a shakedown hike as a final test to be ready for your next backpacking trek.
Backpacking Trip - Easy
2 Days / 1 Night
Are you looking to jump from day hiker to overnight backpacker? This intro-level backpacking trip is a great first-ever trip or to take it easy, try out gear, and refresh on skills. We’ll be helping along the way to increase your self-sufficiency and confidence to spend nights out safely in the backcountry.
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Backpacking Trip - Moderate
3 Days / 2 Nights
Having a second night out allows us to safely test our comfort zone. We’re at a new level of trip planning with multiple campsites, more required water resources, more food, and with more importance placed on lightening our load. It also provides more opportunities to learn as we travel longer and farther.
Backpacking Trip - Challenging
3 Days / 2 Nights
The most advanced instructional trip in the series adds hiking into the backcountry at night and an overall more ambitious itinerary over the weekend. Students will do all trip planning under the watchful eye of the instructors and they can expect to leave as capable solo or group trip leaders.
Bushwhacker Courses
Bushwhacking 1 - Intro
9 Hour Course
You need to hike off the beaten path to find the hidden gems that only a few get to secretly enjoy. Think stunning views, waterfalls, hidden campsites, plane wrecks, and no crowds. If you’re confident with map & compass, we’ll provide an experience to prepare you to plan your own unique adventures.
Bushwhacking 2 - Distance
8 Hour Course
How do you know how far you’ve gone or when to turn when you’re in the middle of the woods? Now that you’re comfortable hiking off-trail with a map & compass, it’s time to learn and practice pace count distance estimating and orienteering skills during a fun day trip with some gorgeous views!
Bushwhacking 3 - Backpacking Trip
2 Days / 1 Night
We’ll combine our newly learned bushwhacking skills with our backpacking and trip-planning skills to design an adventurous route with lots to see and explore. We’ll plan our stops and remote campsite, but allow for learning, practicing, and improvisation as we explore what’s beyond the hiking crowds.
Bushwhacking 4 - Night Navigation
5 Hour Course
Navigating off-trail on a clear night with city skyline views under the stars is magical. Navigating at night in bad weather can also be a huge confidence builder. No matter what mother nature throws at us, night navigation presents additional challenges that add to our skill sets and hiking opportunities.
Winter Events
Backpacking Essentials
8 Hour Course
Try new backpacking gear, learn/review fundamentals, practice new skills, and set yourself up for success. We will thoroughly review every item on our recommended backpacking gear list in a hands-on environment. Open to all levels and we’ll provide suggestions & feedback on any gear you already own.