Tacoma will be offering as a separate lecture event , one overnight course on winter camping. We will cover pitching a tent on snow, and building snow structures such as igloos, snow caves and trenches. We will also cover equipment, clothing, food, winter first aid concerns and tips and tricks on how to make a winter overnight an enjoyable experience. Snowshoe trekkers, snowmobile enthusiasts, snowboarders, skiers and climbers are all welcome.

There are no prerequsites for this course although travel to and from the cars to the campsite over snow is necessary and snowshoes are necessary. This is a stand alone course to be used to extend the range of winter outdoor activities such as backpacking, cross-country skiing, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, climbing, scrambling, and wildlife observation. It allows participants to get the information to make harsh conditions fun and emergency situations survivable in snowy conditions. The required overnight campout allows a safe venue for equipment shakedown and use of new skills under the watchful eye of very experienced winter travelers in a variety of activities. A fun class without the stress of summit goals. Students will learn how to construct emergency snow shelters (snow caves, snow trenches, etc.) and will have an opportunity to spend the overnight in their shelter if they desire. The lecture will also discuss clothing and equipment, basic weather awareness, trip planning, food and nutrition, and safe snow travel basics. Purchasing equipment prior to the lecture is not necessary as the overnight is planned with plenty of time after the lecture to assemble gear.