Annual Winter Hiking and Backpacking Program

[kamoore63]

Greetings, folks! Along with another victim...er...volunteer, I'm trying to fill Mohamed's big shoes and run the AMC Boston Chapter's Hiking and Backpacking Committee's winter program. This is a program we run every year that's designed for three-season hikers who want to expand into the winter months.

It's volunteer-led (by folks with a ton of winter experience in New England and around the world) so it's a bargoon: $45 AMC members/$50 non-members in adv. or $50 members/$55 non-members at the door. This includes a detailed manual and five evening sessions at the Cabot Auditorium, 5 Joy St. (Beacon Hill), Boston. We also put together a full slate of day hikes and weekend trips to give people the chance to practice the skills they've learned. Most of these trips are free but some of the weekend trips have a separate charge.

The dates are Tuesdays from Nov. 13 to Dec. 11 from 7:00-9:30 p.m. We strongly encourage registering in advance as line-ups can be long on the first night. (If you do plan to register at the door, please show up between 6:15 and 6:45.) You can register (and get more info) here: http://www.hbbostonamc.org/winter/index.html

 

[dvbl]

Has AMC ever considered video-taping these 5 classes and selling it on DVD? This would be great for people like me who can't make it into Boston at those assigned times.

 

[kamoore63]

Hmmm, interesting thought. I don't know if we've ever discussed that. I'll bring it up with our committee, although I suspect it'll be tough to find the resources to make this happen.

K

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

The logistics of videotaping, making DVDs, and above all distributing them, seem to me to be an insurmountable problem for a volunteer-run course. But I see two possible solutions for you:

1. The course has three components: an excellent manual, the lectures and the trips. It should be easy to sell you a manual, and it might be possible to make arrangements for you to join some of the course trips. Two out of three ain't bad.

2. The AMC New Hampshire Chapter - 8th Annual Winter Hiking Series, though it may be too late to apply, and I have no experience with its new format (the classic program was a weekend at Cardigan, which seems to have disappeared). Kevin (who originated it with Bob Humphrey) can fill you in on the details.

 

[dvbl]

...The course has three components: an excellent manual, the lectures and the trips. It should be easy to sell you a manual...

Thanks. Sounds like a good idea. Could you provide some details about the manual. I'm just wondering if the manual would be any different than other winter camping/hiking books on the market. Just looking to compare/contrast before I buy it. Thanks again for the feedback.