WINTER Mountain Hiking 101, The Series - Hike #1: Training Day

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Event Rating: Level 4+, STRENUOUS; heavy pack; high mileage; large elevation gain; rough terrain; prolonged above treeline exposure; harsh Winter conditions with extreme cold, snow, and ice. Recommended for conditioned Level 3 and 4 hikers.

Distance: btwn 5 and 10 miles, will vary with each trip of the series

Time Duration: btwn 5 and 10 hours, will vary with each trip of the series. Last few hikes will require overnighters.

Blaze Orange: Not required, but recommended

Fee: Norman Bird Sanctuary charges $6 to enter. :( Let us know if this is a problem.

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If you have ever wanted to be part of the breathtaking, exhilarating experience pictured above, but just haven't known where to begin, then THIS is the series for you. Join us on our new step-by-step series of 6-8 hikes, each one at progressively higher levels of difficulty and elevation.

This series is designed for conditioned Level 3 and 4 hikers who have little or no winter mountain hiking experience. Beginners will learn the skills and techniques needed to safely and comfortably enjoy the unique thrill of climbing the gorgeous snow-covered New England peaks in the winter. It is a perfect follow-up for those members that took the Summer Mountain Hiking 101 Series with us last year. All the hikes will be held under the watchful guidance and instruction of a team of our winter-experienced mountaineering leaders.

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First and foremost is your safety! This is true on all our club events, but particularly so in this remote and harsh environment that we will be playing in. Everyone returning home safely is our #1 priority. And if all goes according to plan, we will also enjoy the wonderfully satisfying accomplishment of summiting a few 4K footers in all their winter glory - and have one heck of a lot of fun doing it! But no matter what happens, it is always going to be safety first!

And with that in mind, we expect that you will agree to and abide by all the decisions and directions of the leaders. On each hike there will be a minimum of two leaders who are certified in both Wilderness First Aid and CPR. All participants must be at least a Level 3 hiker and be conditioned for and prepared to complete each day's hike. We start as a group, and we finish as a group. No separating and no individual bail-outs. If someone must turn back, we will all turn back.

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Here's how the series works: You sign up just one time for all of the hikes - right here on this page for Hike #1. By signing up here for this one, you are signing up for all of the hikes in the series. (Occasionally, if we have room, on any given hike of the series we may also allow qualified, experienced winter hikers on the trip with us.)

The first hike of the series is Saturday, January 18th, and they run every other Saturday after that. That makes the dates January 18, February 1 & 15, March 1, 15, & 29, and April 12. We will add a date if we do a 8th hike. This is a commitment to the entire series - you must attend each hike to advance to the next one. Some exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.

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The first 2 or 3 hikes will be local day hikes with the intention of getting a handle on the condition of the group and its members, and also to get you trained in dressing for harsh weather as well as getting used to carrying a heavy pack for long periods. Then, it's up to the mountains we go! Smaller ones at first, working our way up to finishing the series with a couple of weekend trips into the 4Ks. First hike is Norman Bird Sanctuary (the wind off the ocean will be a good test of your winter clothes layering!), then maybe Long Pond/Ell Pond, and/or Wolf Hill, and/or Bigelow Hollow. Potential mountain choices include Wachusett, Monadnock, Cardigan, Starr King, Waumbeck, and Zealand (maybe even stay at the AMC hut). And just for the fun of it, we are going to try cooking a hot group meal on the trail on one of the trips! (Yup, more gear to carry.)

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And speaking of carrying gear, you have to be aware right from the start that this is a very gear-intensive series. There won't be any 20 pound packs on these hikes. Packs will be big, bulky, and heavy - 30-40 pounds! Hopefully you will never have to use any of that heavy survival gear that you will be cursing all the way up, but if for some reason you get stuck up on the mountain and have to spend the night there, you will be very glad you have it. And you will have it. There is a mandatory gear list and we will be checking on your compliance. The only thing between you and freezing to death up there is what you bring with you. Remember - safety first!

There will also be some group gear that we will divide up among the members to carry.

Here is the personal gear list link: Winter Mountain Hiking Gear List (https://www.meetup.com/RhodeIslandhikingclub/pages/Winter_Hiking_Gear_list_%28_Mountains_%29)

Please note these modifications to the list: We are requiring both the Microspikes and the crampons, along with the snowshoes. You will need all three. If it is not clear in the list, you must have a complete change of clothes. You will need trekking poles with snow baskets. Gaiters are optional. A stove is not necessary - we will have one in the group gear.

If you attended the Winter Hiking Gear Workshop at REI last week, you are ahead of the game, but you also know that this gear is a substantial investment. Good quality gear - the kind you can bet your life on - is very expensive. We understand that buying a lot of it all at once can be prohibitive. So if you truly want to do this, but just can't afford it, then there are good options other than purchasing all new stuff. Excellent equipment is available for short term rental at many local vendors like EMS, REI, and URE Outfitters. Very good used equipment can be found at places like 2nd Time Around Sports, and on websites like Craigslist. You can also borrow many items you are short on from other members. Don't be shy - just post a request in the comments. This club is all about helping one another.

So round up that gear, work on your strength, bring your humor and good will, and please join us for an adventure you will never forget.

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"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover."
-- Mark Twain