Backcountry Basics: Intro To Backpacking For Teens

LandPaths, in partnership with Sonoma Land Trust and the Wildlands Conservancy, is proud to offer Backcountry Basics: Intro to Backpacking, where your young outdoor enthusiasts will have a chance to dive deep into learning all the skills necessary to be self-sufficient on the trail. We will build camaraderie among our team while we learn about backcountry trip planning and safety measures, basic backpacking skills and gear (leave no trace, water filtration, sanitation and good hygiene practices, how to choose a campsite, pack a backpack, prepare food, basic health and safety concerns, intro to orienteering-compass and map reading skills). We will also deepen our understanding of the natural history and ecology of northwestern Sonoma County.  

Camp Details:

• Cost:  $400 
• Ages: 13-17
• Dates: June 24-27, 2019
• Days: Monday through Thursday
• Time: Monday 9am-3pm, Tuesday 9am - Thursday 4pm

Basic Itinerary:  

Day One 6/24: 9am-3pm, LandPaths' Bohemia Ecological Preserve in Occidental, return home at day's end

Day Two 6/25: 9am meet at the Monte Rio Recreation and Park District public parking lot off of Bohemian Hwy and directly across from the Rio Theatre in Monte Rio. From there, we will carpool to Sonoma Land Trust's Little Black Mountain Preserve. Backpack,  spend night on trail

Day Three 6/26: Backpack , spend night on trail

Day Four 6/27: Backpack out, meet for Pick-up at 4pm at the Wildlands Conservancy, Jenner Headlands Preserve or pick-up at the designated carpool location, details dependent on group.

More Detailed Itinerary: 

Day one will take place from 9am- 3pm at LandPaths' Bohemia Ecological Preserve in Occidental. This 1st day will be a chance to get acquainted with our gear and pack our bags for a quick start on the trail on Tuesday morning. We will meet our team and learn all about the basics of trip planning, including packing our food for the next few days.

Days 2 through 4 will be spent at the beautiful and wild Sonoma County backcountry hiking from Sonoma Land Trust's  Little Black Mountain Preserve out to the Pacific Ocean, via Pole Mountain and the Wildlands Conservancy's amazing Jenner Headlands Preserve passing through more than 6,300 acres of connected habitat. Each day will include up to 5 miles of hiking, with great emphasis spent on learning all the skills necessary to be self-sufficient in the wilderness. We will also take time to learn about the plant and animal communities that thrive at this place.

Backcountry Basics Staff 

LandPaths boasts a team of skilled environmental educators who are eager to share their love of hiking, learning, sleeping, and playing outdoors. We will have two experienced, backpacking-loving, lead LandPaths staff present with the youth at all times, for a ratio of 1 staff to 7 campers (plus 1-3 adult volunteers). All of our field staff is Wilderness First Aid and CPR certified. We also have all staff and volunteers fingerprinted prior to working with our youth programs. 

Questions? Please direct your inquiries to Jessica Holloway, Camps Lead at jessica@landpaths.org or (707) 544-7284 ext. 104.
 

Registration and Payment Information:

• Full payment is due at the time of registration. There will be no deposits or partial payments (aside from scholarship recipients).
• Upon registration, you will be required to fill in the electronic camp forms for that youth.
• Please complete your registration online whenever possible. There may be situations when online registration is not possible or is too cumbersome. In this case, please call directly to register over the phone: Luis@landpaths.org, 707-544-7284 ext. 118. We can process credit card payments over the phone, and we do take checks and cash.
• Partial Scholarships and/or transportation scholarships may be available. If you are in need of tuition and/or transportation assistance, please fill out a Scholarship Application and return it to Luis Orozco: luis@landpaths.org, 618 4th St., Suite #217, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 no later than May 10th. Scholarships are available based on need and funding availability. Each scholarship recipient is asked to pay a $50 minimum. LandPaths covers the remaining tuition and van service for those most in need. 
• Filling out the scholarship application does not guarantee a scholarship. 
• Thank you and we look forward to seeing you on the river!

 Cancellation Policy:  Full payment is due on registration. $50 of your payment is considered "non-refundable." You can receive a full refund, minus a $50 processing fee, until two weeks prior to the first day of camp.  Cancellations made after less than two weeks before the first day of camp will not receive a refund.

Register Now!

Scholarships

LandPaths is actively committed to making camp accessible for all youth, regardless of socioeconomic hurdles. We offer generous scholarships to a third of our campers, with the goal of a camper-body that is a true reflection of all of us who live here in Sonoma County.  In 2012, we began offering a van service from Roseland, to and from our camps, as we realized that transportation was the main obstacle for many families. 

Click here to access a Camp Scholarship Application (English)

Click here to access a Camp Scholarship Application (Spanish)