Basic Snowshoeing Course

The Basic Snowshoeing Course offers an introduction to safe and enjoyable winter travel for the beginner. It is designed for people who want to get a taste of snowshoeing and pick up solid foundational skills. Topics of instruction will include selection and use of proper equipment, conditioning, where to go, what to rent, winter travel, avalanche awareness,safety, and choosing an outing. Students will be eligible to participate in Easy and Easy+ rated snowshoe tours with the confidence of having a foundation in winter travel.

Sign Up Procedure

Important note: To fully register and graduate from this course, you need to sign up for these 3 separate components, and complete one other:

1. Register for this Basic Snowshoe Course and pay the course fee.
2. Sign up for an available Lecture. This is a 2.5 hour Lecture on a weekday evening at the Seattle Program Center. Also note that attendance at the lecture is mandatory in order for you to take the Field Trip. There are NO exceptions.
3. Sign up for an available Field Trip (need to attend after the Lecture). This is a full day Field Trip on a Saturday or Sunday at the Grace Lakes area at Stevens Pass.  
4. If you do not already have an Avalanche Awareness Badge, sign up for one of the Avalanche Awareness Seminars, a 1.5 hour class that is an introduction to understanding and avoiding avalanches. The Avalanche Awareness requirement can be completed before or after the Field Trip, but must be completed in order to graduate. The Mountaineers is hosting NWAC for several lectures.   The seminar dates listed below are tentative pending final scheduling by NWAC.  Dates will be finalized in the Fall.

Space at the lectures and on the field trips is limited, so please sign up early to ensure you get the dates that work for you.

Link to Mountaineers Financial Assistance Program

Things to consider before signing up:

1) While this is a foundational course, a moderate physical conditioning level is necessary. The field trip involves approximately 3-4 miles of travel round-trip and up to 600 feet total elevation gain on snowshoes. This is the equivalent of approximately 6-8 miles and up to 1,200 feet elevation gain if wearing hiking boots on trail.

2) If you are new to the outdoors and the Ten Essentials , expect a moderate level of investment in equipment and clothing ($200-600 for new or mostly new items). Used but quality gear and clothing is a good way to begin building your inventory. It is also always wise to rent or borrow snowshoes before investing in them. Check the Required Equipment list in advance to begin preparing for the items you will need for this course and for snowshoeing in general. (We will also cover clothing and gear in detail during the lecture.) 

Graduates of this course are eligible to join Easy and Easy+ snowshoe trips. Those desiring to join Moderate and/or Strenuous snowshoe trips, which require additional skills and backcountry knowledge, must take the Backcountry Snowshoe Skills course offered in February in addition to this course.