Join the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Skills Academy on a three-day hike for intermediate-level backpackers. This class will build on your existing backpacking knowledge and skill set while you experience the rugged landscape of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.
The Porcupine Mountains are a true wilderness, with more unforgiving terrain than most Michiganders are used to handling. Challenge yourself with a hike along the park’s escarpment, past Government Peak and Lake of the Clouds overlook, for a total of 19.6 trail miles through elevation changes rarely experienced in the Midwest.
Instructors will help you hone your gear list, improve your food planning and handling, reinforce the practice of conserving resources, introduce backcountry navigation skills, practice gear management, take a deeper dive into “Leave No Trace” principles and improve your basic wilderness first-aid skills.
There will be a mandatory Zoom meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 29, to go over logistics, expectations and paperwork for this trip.
The class is for hikers age 16 and older. Cost is $105 per person. Participation is limited to 16 people.
To register, go to Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses and click on the “Purchase a license” button. Sign in (using either a username and password or your ID and birthdate), and find the class under the Outdoor Skills Academy tab.
For registration help, contact park interpreters Katie McGlashen at 734-475-3170 or Katie Urban at 906-885-5206.
