Summary

Spend the weekend with Cascade Mountain Adventures learning key wilderness adventure skills and take your first steps toward wilderness backpacking. Spend two nights under the stars, learn new skills, and go further with your wilderness experiences. Leave as a safe and confident multi-day wilderness backpacker.

Why Join Us

This experience is designed for adventurous women ready to dive right into multi-day wilderness backpacking. You’re ready to learn how to setup your own backcountry site, pack your own backpack, safely manage your own backcountry kitchen, and plan effective (and fun!) multi-day backcountry trips. We’re ready make sure you learn the skills you need to make it happen.

Multi-day overnight backpacking is an incredible opportunity to experience wilderness environments in an entirely new way. Learn and practice the skills to plan and safely enjoy your own multi-day overnight backpacking adventures. Our objectives include learning about important wilderness safety considerations, selecting overnight destinations, predicting and planning for current conditions, establishing a backcountry campsite, effective layer management, self-care skills, and Leave No Trace considerations. We will also teach you all of the ins-and-outs of selecting your own backpacking gear.

The Cascade Mountain Adventures team has years of experience leading safe and successful backcountry overnight trips. Our three-day introduction to backpacking skills class will teach you how to become a multi-day wilderness backpacker in a safe and supportive environment. You will be in great hands with an experienced team with years of backcountry camping experience.

Overnight gear - backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and camp chairs - will be provided for this event. (but you are welcome to bring your own gear if you have it!) This is a supportive first-time backcountry camping experience led at an easy recreational pace. Backcountry meals - breakfast & dinner - are also provided and dietary restrictions can be accommodated with advance notice.

This event is held in a ‘near wilderness’ location, in a dedicated and private wooded environment, near enough to civilization to be a perfect practice location. The access is easy but the wildlife and environmental considerations are real.

Itinerary

• Day One - Walk-In Campsite

  Your group will meet and finish preparing for your outdoor skills weekend. Your leader will host an area orientation before heading to your first night campsite. Your tent and other CMA-provided overnight gear will be ready and waiting for you a short walk from our meeting location. Once at camp, your group will review wilderness campsite setup essentials, self-care considerations, risk assessment, and wildlife safety. Your leader will also lead an in-depth session on backpacking tents and sleeping systems options. We will have easy access to our vehicles this first night.

Your first evening will end with dinner followed by a group campfire and s’mores. (burn ban conditions permitting) Your leader will review the essential skills for staying warm and comfortable in your tent overnight. A clear night will also allow for stargazing before tucking into your warm sleeping bag. 

• Day Two - Wilderness Campsite

Your second day will begin bright and early. Your leader will assist in the preparation of a backcountry breakfast and host an in-depth gear overview on backcountry stoves, water filtration, and backcountry food storage options. They will then assist your group in breaking down your campsite. It’s time to go backpacking!

Your guide will lead a group session in packing your overnight backpack and assist you in packing your own. You will carry your own tent, personal gear, and personal food. You will then set off on an approximately 2-mile hike to our wilderness campsite. Your guide will share additional details about the area, tips for efficient travel, and on-trail self-care information along the way. Once at our wilderness camp, you will select a camping location and set up your own tent. We’re with you every step of the way.

Camp setup will be followed by a skills session on wildlife safety and wilderness food storage. You will then leave camp for a short hike and another opportunity to stretch your legs. The hike will take your group to another outdoor site for an introduction to wilderness navigation and outdoor trip planning session. The group will enjoy some downtime after our afternoon hike - great for reading or simply enjoying time in the woods - before dinner.

• Day Three - Heading Home

Your third day will begin with hot coffee to greet the day. You will then prepare breakfast - you’re working those stoves! - and enjoy one more morning in the woods. Our final morning together will focus on next-level outdoor trip planning and group leadership essentials. Your guide will support you in breaking down camp and hold a final at-camp skills session on leaving a clean wilderness campsite. You will then hike back down to the parking lot and a final class debrief. It will then be time to head home with a brand new set of incredible wilderness skills. Expect to be back at the trailhead by 12:00 pm - 1:00pm.

COVID-19 Updates - 2021 Season

The world has been forced to make unforeseen adjustments and we are too. We continue to make the safety, comfort, and well-being of our clients and team our top priority. With this is mind, we are making the following changes this winter season.

• Shared Tents with Household Members Only - Individuals in Single Tents

• No Shared Gear - Participants Assigned Individual Group Gear

• No Food Provided - Participants Supply Personal Freeze-Dried / Instant Meals

• Face Masks Required When Social Distancing Not Supportable

We will also require confirmation that you do not currently have, been recently diagnosed with, or have been in close proximity with those diagnosed with COVID-19. This form will be shared with you at sign-up and required prior to event participation.

We are also strongly encouraging clients to consider the purchase of travel insurance for all Cascade Mountain Adventures programs. Our Cancellation Policy remains unchanged. Travel insurance may reimburse eligible program fees in the event of a health-based cancellation. We recommend Trip Assure with the inclusion of ‘Cancel For Any Reason’ coverage.

Registration Fee

$359 /per Participant

Questions?

See our Frequently Asked Questions or Contact Us. Please also review our Cancellation Policy before registering for an event.

We also encourage clients to consider the purchase of travel insurance for all Cascade Mountain Adventures programs. Travel insurance may reimburse eligible program fees in the event of a health-based cancellation. We recommend Trip Assure with the inclusion of ‘Cancel For Any Reason’ coverage.

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