Beginning Backpacking

April 14 - May 3, 2009. Cost $35.

If you're interested in backpacking but don't know how to get started, the Backpack Section's Beginning Backpacking course is for you. The course includes three 2-hour Tuesday evening sessions in Los Altos plus a weekend backpack trip to a local park. Volunteer instructors will help you get set up with the right equipment and cover basic skills such as keeping warm and dry, "staying found", and cooking in the backcountry. Trip dates: May 2-3.

Class members on a trip to Craig Lake
Desolation Wilderness, Eldorado National Forest

Intermediate Backpacking

May 5 - June 2, 2009. Cost $50.

For those of you who have done a little backpacking and want to refine your skills, or beginners who want more after the beginning class, the Backpack Section offers the Intermediate Backpacking Course. This course includes five Tuesday evening sessions and two trips: a weekender in a local park and a 3-day trip in the Sierra Nevada. Trip dates for the intermediate class will be May 16-17 and May 29-Jun 1. Volunteer instructors will cover a host of skills including map & compass, backcountry hazards and emergencies, minimum impact, and techniques to minimize your pack weight.

Courses are limited to 40 people on a first-come basis. Anyone under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. Trips are limited to class members only.

Course fees include text book and class materials but do not include trip costs (parking and permits). Proceeds from both courses, after expenses, are donated to conservation and trail maintenance groups. Instructors are volunteers from the Backpack Section and receive no compensation.

Registration

To sign up for a course, send your name, address, home and work telephone numbers, email address or a stamped self-addressed legal-size (long) envelope, and a check made out to "Backpack Section" to Backpacking Course, PO Box 404, Belmont, CA 94002-0404. Please indicate which course(s) you are signing up for.

For more information contact Steve Stearns at stearns @ ieee . org.