Susan Conbere
Is there a nagging little voice in the back of your head saying that you really should learn how to read a map and use a compass on your next hike or backpack trip, but you haven't quite gotten around to it? Are you a bit intimidated by it all but haven't wanted to admit it? Or are you ready to take the next step in your personal preparedness to plan and carry out a safe on-trail adventure?
Join us this March for our Staying Found course! Now in its sixth year, this course has helped many on-trail adventurers gain confidence in planning a safe and successful trip, read topographic maps against the features of the surrounding terrain, and get important information from a compass, altimeter, and smartphone. This course also teaches you to maintain a steady awareness of where you are, as well as how to find yourself if you get temporarily misplaced.
On March 3 we will be offering an interactive evening seminar, followed by a small-group, socially-distanced field practice day at Tiger Mountain State Forest, for which there are multiple date options available.
The field practice day includes a 45-minute map and compass exercise, a trip planning exercise, and a 3-to-5-mile low-pressure hike with an experienced navigator to apply the skills you learned. According to our past students, this course has been just what they needed for the "light bulb to go off" in their comprehension of how to use essential navigation tools and skills on their on-trail adventures. We hope you'll join us!
While Staying Found covers many of the tools and skills included in the Wilderness Navigation course, and it can be a great entry point for someone who wants to get a start building their navigation confidence before taking Wilderness Navigation, it is not a substitute for those who want to navigate off-trail or on snow-covered terrain. It does not give you the Wilderness Navigation badge required for climbing, scrambling, and other courses focused on off-trail travel.
