Backpackers show some preseason class

Get off on the right foot for the upcoming backpacking season with classes and clinics offered by two Spokane outdoor clubs with years of experience in backcountry instruction.

The advantages of taking a class from the Spokane Mountaineers or The Backpacking Club don’t end with the graduation hike. Both organizations schedule group trips throughout the season to great hiking destinations.

Also, the Spokane Parks and Recreation Department leads group hikes for adults and families starting in June. A premier “lodge hiking” destination this year is based out of the comfortable Cathedral Lake Lodge in British Columbia’s Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park.

But the two-month-long backpacking schools, which have limited space and often fill in advance, are grounded in backpacking knowledge a hiker can put to use from the easiest local trails to the unpredictable wilderness.

Backpacking School, by the Spokane Mountaineers, features classroom and field instruction covering essential gear, wellness and safety, first aid, map and compass, meal planning, outdoor etiquette, low-impact backpacking and trail craft.

Registration deadline: March 17. Classes start March 31 and run Friday evenings 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Cost: $30 plus membership. Juniors (15-17) must be accompanied by parent. One Saturday outdoor session is scheduled plus a three-day Memorial Day weekend graduation hike.

Advanced Backpacking Leadership Course, by The Backpacking Club, is for more experienced hikers with the goal of preparing them to lead others into the wilderness. Prospective students must go on two evaluation hikes before March 19. Advanced technique instruction includes a two-day map and compass session.

Preregister as soon as possible. Classroom sessions start in April and conclude with a three-day Memorial Day weekend graduation trip. Cost: $20 plus club membership and $20 textbook.