Wilderness Navigation

Los Alamos Mountaineers is offering a 1-day short-course on Wilderness Navigation to Club Members on Saturday, October 26, 2013.  The course will emphasize navigation with a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, but will also cover the use of USGS topographic maps and compass navigation.  The short-course will include classroom instruction by Ross Lemons and practical exercises in navigating with a GPS and with a map and compass.
 
If you would like to participate please contact Ross Lemons (email – lemonsra@gmail.com phone – 672-1586) by Saturday October 19, 2013.  The class is limited to 12 participants.  The class will be held at 143 Piedra Loop in White Rock with the practical exercises in the county land between La Senda and White Rock.  Participants should plan to bring a GPS and compass or team-up with someone to share these items.  Maps will be supplied.  Sturdy walking shoes/boots are recommended.  Please bring your own lunch.  Ross will provide ice tea, lemonade, coffee, and water to drink.
 
The agenda for the class is shown below.
 
8:30           Maps and How to Use Them
9:30           GPS and How to Use It
10:30         GPS Practical – starting at 143 Piedra Loop,
 
Each participant marks their starting waypoint and then uses GPS to find two randomly selected targets
·         Use GPS map presentation to find first target (NAD27 – UTM format)
·         Use GoTo-compass to find second target (WGS84 – dd mm.mmm format)
·         Use “bread crumb” track in map presentation to return to the first target
·         Use compass-Trackback or (if Trackback is not available on the GPS unit)    
          GoTo-compass to return to the start.
 
12:00         Lunch
1:30           Using a Compass with a USGS Topo Map
2:30           Map/Compass Practical – starting at 143 Piedra Loop
 
Group is divided into teams of three.  Each member of the team leads a leg of a hike to a designated target, with the assistance of the other team members.
·         Use compass to orient map
·         Determine bearing and distance to target
·         Select initial bearing marker
·         Go to target using intermediate bearing markers
 
4:00           End