The class teaches the necessary skills involved in hiking. These skills include pre-trip planning, orienteering, traveling as a group, wilderness ethics, and safety. Course topics will also include plant, animal, and animal track identification. We will focus on learning about and exploring the diverse flora and fauna while enjoying the beauty that the Oregon National Recreation Area has to offer in wilderness areas and coastal environments. We will be camping in state or local campgrounds and hiking each day from that base camp. You are expected to learn and share in all aspects of hiking together, including plant and animal identification, map and compass lessons, and Geocaching GPS activities. We will cover basic preventative first aid, particularly hydration and foot care. We will approach challenges as a group, and involvement is critical to a safe and successful backcountry excursion.

This course may be taken 1 time for credit.