Alumni snow-camp trips

Trips for "graduates" of the Snowcamping Training Series

Now that you've completed the Snowcamping Training Series, are you looking for new opportunities to use your skills and meet others who share your love of winter camping? If your answer is, "yes," then Alumni Trips may be for you.

The Snowcamping Section is offering a series of themed trips of varying difficulty for "graduates". This winter's trips are still being finalized, but here's a sampling of what will be available:

Gin Flat (Yosemite) - winter, the best time to visit Yosemite, when the crowds are scarce. An easy-to-moderate early-season trip. Jan. 27 - 29.

Igloo 101 - an opportunity to extend your skills and learn how to build shelters using blocks of snow. Intermediate difficulty. Feb. 17 - 19.

Dewey Point (Yosemite) - some of the most spectacular scenery in the Sierra. Moderate difficulty. March 10 - 11.

Try it on Skis - an opportunity to practice skiing with a full backpack in the Duck Lake area. Strenuous. March 17 - 19 (dates to be confirmed).

Yuba Pass - a visit to the Tahoe National Forest on easy trip in the northern Lake Tahoe area. March 17 - 18.

Bradley Hut (Lake Tahoe/Donner Pass area) - practicing your navigation skills in the daytime, while enjoying the warmth of the hut in the evenings. Moderate difficulty. March 30 - April 1.

For trip applications and more information on these trips, as well as others, see the Snowcamping Section and click on "Alumni Trips", or call Jodi Bailey at (510) 848-7576. On the site, you can also sign up for e-mail notifications. Trips cost in the range of $20 - $45 (hut trips are the most expensive). You are encouraged to sign up by Sun., Dec. 31 because trips fill up, and some have pre-trip meetings.