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Introduction to Backpacking

July 24 - 25, 2010


A fun backcountry camping trip for families and individuals. 


Learn the skills that prepare you for a lifetime of backcountry camping with friends and family.  These are the experiences that stay with us our whole lives, strengthening our connection to nature and with each other.


Hope Mountain Centre will show you the right gear to buy or rent, including portable camp stoves, sleeping bags, and tents.  Food planning is a key skill too; coming up with meals that are nutritious, tasty, and easy to prepare on the trail.  This is also a great chance to pick up knowledge of backcountry safety and ethics; how to avoid bears, prepare for an emergency, and protect against environmental damage during your trip.


Hiking Destination:


The hike is very moderate in terms of physical demand.  Participants will hike just 5 kilometres on the gentle terrain of the Heather Trail in Manning Provincial Park and stay overnight at Buckhorn Camp.  The campsite offers attractive tenting areas and a stream for drinking water.  From Buckhorn Camp, we can easily access sprawling wildflower meadows in full bloom and hike to the top of a nearby peak if we wish.


This trip would be suitable for people of average physical fitness and no previous experience backpacking.  Individuals are welcome, as are families with children as young as 6 yrs.


Trip Leaders:

  Connie Davis
Connie is an avid backpacker and outdoor enthusiast.  She has been backpacking for 16 years and has enjoyed leading groups of youth and adults since 2000.  In 2005 she completed a five and a half month backpacking trip on the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada.  Connie is a volunteer master educator for Leave No Trace, an organization that promotes low impact camping skills.  She is certified in mountain-oriented first aid and is a nurse practitioner in her professional life.


  Scott Denkers
Scott has many years experience hiking and backpacking the Cascade and Olympic Mountains of British Columbia and Washington State.  A devoted birder and naturalist, Scott has an academic background in physical geography and biology.  He is certified in mountain-oriented first aid from the Red Cross and has fulfilled instructor requirements for Leave No Trace backcountry ethics.


  Kelly Pearce
Kelly is a former Manning Park naturalist and Program Director for the Hope Mountain Centre, with a background in the natural and human history of the North Cascades.  Kelly has been backpacking since he was 12.


Schedule and Locations:


Friday, July 23rd
Participants meet in Hope, Friday evening, for a final review of gear, food and overall preparedness.


Saturday, July 24th
The group will gather in Hope after breakfast and drive up to Manning Park together (a one-hour drive to the trailhead from Hope).  We’ll park our cars at the top of the Blackwall Road in Manning (accessible to any two-wheel-drive vehicle) and begin hiking on the Heather Trail.  After a 5-km hike on gentle terrain, we’ll pitch tents in Buckhorn Camp and make lunch.  Participants can relax for the afternoon or explore a nearby wildflower meadow before dinner.  Evenings will offer star gazing, outdoor stories and learning experiences, hot beverages, and a good night’s sleep.


Sunday, July 25th
We’ll pack up camp in the morning, but before returning to our vehicles, we have the option to explore more meadows and perhaps climb “First Brother” – a peak nearby that offers beautiful views of the North Cascades.  Participants will return to Hope in the late afternoon on Sunday.


Cost:
$100 per adult and $20 per child 6 - 18 yrs (minimum age for this program is 6 yrs).  Price covers instruction from three experienced leaders with in-depth knowledge of backcountry camping and coaching time during the trip planning phase.  The leaders are also certified in wilderness first aid.


You can pay by credit card via this web site (click the “Register Now” button on top right side of the page) or by mailing us a cheque.  Either way, please pre-register with us online.  Contact us at 604-869-1274 or by email at info@hopemountain.org if you need more information.


What To Bring:
Leaders of the Hope Mountain Centre will provide advice and assistance in preparing for the trip, but participants are asked to look after their own shopping and packing as a way of learning self-sufficiency. 
* Food: participants will be responsible for purchasing and packing their own food.
* Equipment: participants will need to purchase, rent, or borrow gear as recommended by Hope Mountain Centre (backpack, stove, cookware, tent, sleeping bag, foam pad).  A complete list will be provided.
* Clothing: weather-proof clothing for changing mountain conditions.


Transportation:
Participants must provide their own transportation to Hope and Manning Park, and carpooling is encouraged.


Cancellations:

If a registration is cancelled 14 days or more before a program starts, we will refund the tuition minus a registration fee of $20.  Cancellations received less than 14 days before the start of a program will not receive a refund.  If we are forced to cancel a program, participants will receive a full refund.


A note about liability:

Hope Mountain Centre carries liability insurance and maintains an excellent safety record.  Due to the nature of our outdoor programs, these trips do involve some personal risk.  Hope Mountain Centre assumes no responsibility for personal injury or damage to personal property.  We will require each participant to sign a liability release and assumption of risk form. While we love dogs, we ask that you please leave yours at home. 


Reserve a spot now by clicking the Register Now button and following the simple steps!

Sep 06, 2010