Join a group of motivated girls and start exploring the wilderness. On this all girls' course, you’ll dive into learning leadership and outdoor skills as you backpack through the hills and lakes of the Adirondack Forest Preserve, one of the oldest protected lands in the country. Even if you’ve never been camping before, this course is a great way to learn more about the outdoors and yourself.
This course will take you through the Adirondack Forest Preserve, one of the oldest protected lands in the country. You’ll climb high rocky peaks, ford chilly creeks, and camp in ancient hardwood forests. You'll work hard hiking over terrain that can be steep or muddy with all your gear on your back—often following a trail, sometimes forging your own.
Your course will begin with basic camping and travel techniques: cooking, camping, stove use, map reading, Leave No Trace techniques, and practices for hiking and camping in bear habitat. Later, you'll move into more advanced topics, including compass use, advanced baking, group dynamics, and developing your own leadership style. Because of this area’s unique natural and human history, you will also have lots of opportunities to check out local history, wildlife, ecology, and learn about the area’s public policy.
Whether this is your first backcountry camping trip or your tenth, this course is designed to maximize hands-on learning and doing in the backcountry. For some, this course will be a prelude to a 30-day NOLS expedition; for others, it will provide a springboard to pursuing their own outdoor adventures.
Features
*Duration: 14 days
*Route length: 45-60 miles
*Average group size: 6-8 students / 2 instructors
*For 14- and 15-year-old girls only
*Average pack weight: 35-45 pounds
*Elevation range: 1,200-5,000 feet
*Travel through forests and mountains, black bear habitat, and on and off-trail in the Adirondack Forest Preserve
*Potential opportunities for: peak ascents, baking, and human history exploration
