Navigation Activity #4 of 4 - Field Trip - Discovery Park

Field trip: Wilderness Navigation Course - Winter

Navigation Activity #4 of 4 - Field Trip - Discovery Park

Wilderness Navigation Field Trip Discovery Park - Prerequisite for Climbing, Scrambling, and Snowshoeing

  • Easy

Arrive: 6:45-7:15am, Instructor Brief: 7:00-7:15am, Start Hike: 7:15am-7:30. Each group will vary slightly, but most finish between 12-1pm.

Location: Discovery Park, South Parking Lot, Entrance to parking lot at West Emerson St. + 43rd Ave West.

Coordinates: UTM WGS84, Zone 10T 544294E  5278093N, or 47.65472, -122.41014

Before you can sign up for this Field Trip as a student, you need to first sign up and pay for the Basic Navigation Course and schedule the prerequisite components -- the Online Map and Compass course, the Online Introduction to Digital Navigation course, and the In-Person Workshop.  All three of those components must be finished before the field trip. Instructors do not need to pay the fee for the course.  

Field Trip Details:
This event is held on a Saturday or Sunday at Discovery Park, Seattle, WA. Carpooling is strongly encouraged so please specify your carpool preferences in your personal profile. The Mountaineers does not assist with carpools. Try using a resource such as groupcarpool.com. Public transit is also available at kingcounty.gov.

Checklist...

  1. Bring the Required Equipment. Come prepared as you would for a scramble or hike in varied weather, but please leave the technical gear (helmet, ice axe, etc) at home. Bring trail shoes or boots, a waterproof outer layer, warm clothes in layers, trail food, etc.
  2. Review the Field Trip packet. This is in the Course Materials tab of the Course listing. We will have copies at the trailhead.
  3. Bring your compass. Unfortunately you can't share a compass with someone during the Field Trip.  
  4. Bring a GPS (Smartphone with Gaia), Altimeter (or a barometric altimeter app for phone).
  5. Maps will be issued to you at the trailhead. You do not need to bring any maps.
  6. Bring a sharp pencil.
  7. Complete the pre-trip planning document from the eLearning Workshop and leave a copy at home.

As students leave the workshops, you should be prepared for the field trip with the following:

  • Know where and when to be at the field trip, and what to bring.
  • Current declination set on the compass and confirmed.
  • Altimeter use & limitations are understood. Ready to calibrate at trailhead.
  • Smartphone loaded with Gaia GPS, and loaded with Route/Track, Waypoints, Map.
  • Emergency communications procedures and devices are understood.
  • GPS device checked and ready (batteries, charge, screen display, weather proofing).
  • Emergency communications on hand (minimum whistle).

Instructors:
Come prepared to instruct students who likely have a wide range of experience:

  1. Instructor Field Trip packets with scenario notes and all necessary maps will be issued to you at the trailhead.  
  2. Bring your compass, GPS, Altimeter, and PLB if you have one (PLBs are for demonstration purposes).

Badges

Route/Place
Roster
Required Equipment

Required Equipment

See the Required Equipment tab on the Course Page, along with checklists included within the eLearning Workshop and in the Field Trip Student Packet.

Trip Reports