Wilderness Navigation Course - Winter

NOTE: This course is full, and I recommend you search for courses from other branches, such as Everett, Tacoma, Kitsap, or Olympia.  In Seattle, we are working on modernizing our curriculum, and we aren't yet sure how many students we'll be able to fit into our Fall sessions shown below.  There is a chance that we'll open up some spots from the waitlist.  If we do, we will very likely prioritize those who need Navigation as a component of their Basic Alpine Climbing, Alpine Scrambling, Snowshoe, or other course.   In November, we'll be posting our 2019 course, but we appreciate your patience as we work to modernize and try out some new curriculum this fall on a smaller than typical group of participants.

==== Click MORE to see further details about this course ========

Would you like to learn how to avoid getting lost? Are you going off trail where good navigation is needed? If so then this in-depth course is for you. It's offered multiple times a year, and it's available to Mountaineers members and non-members.

This course is a graduation requirement for Basic Alpine Climbing, Alpine Scrambling, Backcountry Snowshoeing, and other courses. People who complete this course will receive a Navigation badge valid for 3 years.

NOTE: This is not a beginners course.  For those less interested in the rigors of back country and off trail navigation, two other courses may better suit you, the "Introduction to Map and Compass" offered by the Seattle Branch, and "Staying Found", offered by the Foothills Branch. However, those other two courses don't meet the navigation requirements for Climbing, Scrambling, Snowshoeing, etc. This one does.

This course includes a multi-hour workshop (available in-person or online) and an all-day field trip, on and off-trail, with about 6.4 miles of hiking and 1,800' of elevation gain. 

Sign Up Procedure:
Important note: To fully register and graduate from this course you need to sign up for these 3 separate components...
1) Register for this Basic Navigation Course and pay the course fee.
2) Sign up for an available Workshop. There are two types -- In-Person or Online. <A Workshop must be completed before attending a field trip>

• The In-Person Workshop is a 2.5 hour Workshop on a weekday evening at the Seattle Mountaineers Program Center. You'll be sitting at a table using your compass and maps to solve a complex series of navigation story problems. 
• The Online "ELearning" workshop is provided for those who do not live nearby, prefer an online course, or just can't fit into an in-person workshop schedule.  It covers the same material as the in-person workshop, and is typically available for a 3 or 4-week period.

3) Sign up for an available Field Trip (need to attend after the Workshop). This is a full day Field Trip on a Saturday or Sunday in the mountains near Index, WA. You'll be off trail in the woods using your compass to take bearings and follow bearings. Carpooling is strongly encouraged because we'll be parking on private land with very limited space, so please specify your carpool preferences in your personal profile. You can view other students' carpool preferences by viewing the roster on the field trip activity page. (The activity page can be found after sign-up under "My Activities" when you click your name on the Mountaineers website).

Required Equipment: See the Required Equipment tab and Course Materials tab below for more information on the Compass Features and Maps. 

Compass:
You'll need a Mountaineers approved compass which you need to purchase before attending the Workshop. Unfortunately you can't share a map or compass with a friend of family member during the course. Some local stores might run out of the model you want so it's recommended you buy a compass well in advance. Only specific compasses will be accepted, so before purchasing a compass make sure to read our compass requirements in the Course Materials.  

Maps:

You'll need two USGS Maps, as described on the Course Materials tab below. 

Reading Assignment (before attending the Workshop):

1. Prior to attending the Workshop (in-person or online) you need to read chapters 1-5 of the Burns & Burns book "Wilderness Navigation". Mountaineers members get an additional 20% discount when ordering it online from Mountaineers Books as well as purchasing it in person at the Mountaineers Bookstore located in the Seattle Mountaineers Program Center. Please support the Mountaineers by purchasing it directly from the Mountaineers. 
2. Complete a homework assignment before the workshop using the required book, required compass, and required maps.  This better prepares you for the evening workshop.  Bring a hard copy of this worksheet to the workshop and turn it in to the instructor at your table. 

If you still want more to read after reading "Wilderness Navigation", see chapter 5 on Navigation in "Freedom of the Hills."

Website:
For more info about this course and the type of compass you need to purchase, please see...
https://www.mountaineers.org/about/branches-committees/seattle-branch/committees/seattle-navigation-committee