Stories of ill-prepared hikers lost in the Northwest backwoods bother Sean Morgan.
The fortunate ones are rescued, the others die. Many inevitably use good instincts to skirt peril, but few understand and follow adequate means to survive the woods.
“It’s almost an epidemic,” said Morgan, a wilderness survival training instructor in the natural resources program at Green River Community College. “People don’t realize the seriousness of just taking a day hike.
“If they don’t prepare, they can run into trouble,” Morgan said. “I’ve never had trouble, but I’ve had friends (who have). … I’ve done hundreds of miles of backcountry (hiking), and I don’t take anything for granted. I follow the basic rules. I plan.”
To help others prepare for backpacking adventures, Morgan has put his considerable skills and knowledge to work. Through the college’s Continuing Education Department, Morgan is heading a wilderness training class – an eight-hour, hands-on session that helps adventurists better tackle the challenging outdoors.
The class, offered on two summer Saturdays (July 18 or Aug. 8), is open to the community.
“It especially is appropriate for teens, scout troops, hunters, hikers and backpackers,” said Sherrie Earl, program development manger for continuing education at GRCC. “It’s open to the public, men and women. We also hope to see as many young people as we can.”
Topics and demonstrations include shelter options, fire preparation and lighting techniques, how to signal for a rescue, being prepared for survival situations and having the ideal survival kit.
As Morgan explains, those who test the great outdoors often go unprepared. Notably, they fail to pack enough clothing, water and other necessities. Furthermore, many lack navigational skills, such as interpreting a map, mastering a compass or looking for natural directional signs, from identifying branch growth on trees to following the sun’s path.
“Many of us have lost our connection with nature,” Morgan said. “We are in a computer-driven world today.”
But Morgan, who grew up in a family that enjoyed the outdoors, has passionately devoted his life to safely exploring and enjoying the wilderness. Now, he is teaching others to respect the outdoors by taking some precautions.
As a student in the college’s natural resources program, Morgan understands the priorities. Shelter and water are primary, food secondary.
“The focus is to plan for the worst possible situations,” he said.
Students walk away from the class surprised and enlightened, Morgan said.
“They don’t realize how long it takes to build a shelter or build a fire,” he said. “They don’t realize what actually went into it. They are amazed.”
Students are taught how to construct various shelters, using what’s available to them – trees, branches and brush. They are taught how to build a fire with a striker and signal for a rescue, either with a whistle, mirror or smoke.
An advanced class will be offered in the fall that will explore camp cooking, knife selection and sharpening and crafts, such as making tent stakes, pot holders, traps and snares.
Morgan says such training is a necessity. It is time and money well spent.
“(Training) is such an integral part of the outdoors. And the availability is there. It’s a very good price,” Morgan said of the class. “It is a vital thing for hikers, backpackers.
“You get so tired of hearing about stories (of lost hikers, etc.). If they had just planned a little bit, the outcome would have been different,” he said.
“And I don’t want you or my students to become a statistic.”
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TRAINING AT A GLANCE
• Class:
• Dates: 7 a.m.-4 p.m., choose either July 18 or Aug. 8.
• Instructors: Sean Morgan, of the natural resources program and wilderness survival trainer; Shaunna Harris, EMT. Both are students in the natural resources program at GRCC.
• Information: To register, call 253-833-9111, ext. 2535, or pay online at www.greenriver.edu/ce. The summer class fee is $89. Class size maximum is 12, but instructors can accommodate groups, such as Boy Scout troops, at selected times.
