Washington Outdoor WomenTeaching Women Outdoor Skills Since 1998
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"Unbelievable fun and incredible [instructors] in the outdoor sports. A four star adventure for every woman!"
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"Outstanding, Professional, Fun and Awesome! This was great! Redefined my love for the outdoors. A real confidence builder."
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"It really builds my confidence to hear another woman say 'I do this, and you can do it, too.'"
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WOW’s WEEKEND WORKSHOP The WOW program strives to teach, encourage and motivate women to connect with the outdoors through hands-on experiences. Its popular weekend workshop at Camp River Ranch in Carnation, Washington, usually offers between 18 and 20 outdoor skills. This location facilitates more on-site courses than past years. The Tolt River is adjacent to camp for the fly fishers. Freshwater anglers, canoeists and kayakers have Lake Langlois right on site. Archers will shoot targets on a redesigned range amidst old growth firs. All participants will be housed down below in the Meadow area and can opt for sleeping in outdoor cabins near the river or in tents in the Meadow. Since the camp is spread out, walking is required but we think the beautiful outdoor setting is worth it! Please be advised, parts of the camp are on hilly terrain and, for some, it may be a challenge to hike up and down the hills. Dining facilities are approximately ¼ mile uphill from the course locations. Consider if this terrain is right for you. Use of your car is not allowed in camp. This is an “on-foot” event! The program will build in time for walking between classes and the Dining Hall. The registration fee includes expert instruction, any equipment you may need, food, lodging, resources, educational materials, and WOW’s signature long sleeve t-shirt. See Registration for more details. Come and get lost finding yourself!!
WEEKEND
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS Please note that not all classes are offered every year. Refer to the current registration form for available classes this year. |
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Session IV Offerings for
Sunday afternoon, 1:30-3:00pm:
Babes in the Woods
A
special visit with author Jennifer Aist of Anchorage, Alaska
Families with small
children can go camping, too, and enjoy all the joys of the outdoors
that they did before the kids! It takes a little more planning, but
author Jennifer Aist will guide you through it with tips and
instructions from her new book
Babes in the Woods -
Hiking, Camping & Boating with Babies & Young Children.
First Aid for Dogs on the Trail
Our guest Veterinarian will offer practical solutions
to emergencies that dogs might encounter in the outdoors, especially far
afield, when quick and effective response could mean prevention of
serious consequences. Good first aid for canines need not be cost
prohibitive (many items can come from a drug store, rather than a
Veterinarian!) See what you’d put in a “First Aid Bucket” for your car
to travel with you. You’ll be surprised to find that many common aids
used by humans also work for dogs. Bandaging will be courtesy of a very
patient and cooperative four legged model so you can see how to properly
apply wraps. Techniques for shock and wound cleaning will be explained.
Questions are encouraged!
Raptor Rap
Jaye Moore, owner
and director of the
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You’ve finally got the big one in your kitchen, now what do you do? Learn to fillet salmon and other fish, shuck oysters, steam clams, and clean crab in this in-depth class. Discover some simple recipes that will win over the most skeptical eaters! This hands-on class is taught by Lori and Steve Patnode, experienced anglers, hunters and Northwest gatherers. Back to Top |
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Participants learn basic form, parts of a bow, how they work and how to shoot and score arrows. Learning correct posture, timing and concentration will draw you into this amazing skill. Learn how to make adjustments and corrections to your aiming technique. Your instructor Carolyn Elder is a certified trainer, state and national title holder, and brings a wealth of experience to this course. Personal equipment is welcomed in this class, but 15 lb. bows are provided. Back to Top |
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This course is 'packed' with fundamental instruction for using lightweight equipment, proper campsite preparation, "Leave No Trace" practices, trip planning, weather coping, clothing options, and preparing backcountry meals. Backpacking gear will be provided but you are welcome to bring your own to use.
Your instructor, Stacy Czebotar, is a park ranger, avid backpacker, and
accomplished northwest climber. She is up to date on the latest and best outdoor equipment and
its uses! |
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Do you enjoy day hikes, but would like to take them to the next level? Join backpacking specialist Tami Asars as she takes you overnight to simulate a true backcountry experience. Learn how to plan your trip, choose equipment, the 10+ essentials, backcountry cleanliness, clothing and footwear and tips for backcountry cooking. You’ll also learn the simple but overlooked things, like tent set up, tent tear down, how to stay dry and warm, and how to avoid things that go bump in the night. You will pack up your gear in the Saturday afternoon class and head out to set up camp away from WOW’s other activities.. The majority of the class will be taught out on the trail (and in your camp site). You will join the rest of WOW for Saturday night dinner and evening activities, after which you’ll hike back to your camp setting, stay the night and cook an outdoor breakfast before returning for your Sunday morning class. REI will supply gear and tents but if you have personal equipment, you are encouraged to bring your own to familiarize yourself with the new backpacking and camping tips you’ll learn. Class size is limited to 10 to leave a minimal footprint in the woods. Those who are registered for Backpacking 102 will receive a specific packing list with your confirmation letter. Back to Top |
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This
course explores the philosophy behind hunting - particularly elk, deer
and wild turkey - and the ethics of the hunt. It covers the
basics: safety, preparation, planning, responsible decision-making,
equipment, optics, and special clothing. Lead instructor Bruce McGlenn
is a certified NRA Shotgun instructors for WOW. Firearm techniques as
well as bow hunting will be addressed. There will be an opportunity to
shoot bows and handle firearms offsite. Animal calls, packing lists and
items and State hunting regulations are also covered. Laura Grayum will discuss bow
hunting. Kristie Miller will share her success from the WOW class
to the field. This is a hands-on class.
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Amateur birders in this class take an early morning walk to identify local forest birds using the tools of the trade - binoculars and field guides. Afterward, they build their own birdhouse or feeder and take home plans to create a Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary. The class is taught by Audubon Society members. Birdhouse construction is supervised by Andrew McGlenn, a local engineer and outdoor enthusiast. The American Birding Association is a generous contributor. Back to Top |
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This class is a must for those planning to camp in a park or campground
setting, especially with your family! Explore the overall
experience of setting up camp, from the right sleeping pads to the
safest cook stove. Your instructor will have a variety of equipment for
you to try: tent types, sleeping bags and pads, versatile stoves and
lanterns, and cooking set-ups. Learn how tarps, fresh batteries and duct
tape can become your best friends! Try cooking freeze dried meals and
sharing camping recipes. Learn why the practice of Leave No Trace
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This four hour course will provide a complete tool box of strokes for proper maneuvering a canoe on flat water. Learn canoe mechanics and an understanding of the roles of both paddlers in tandem canoeing. All paddlers should learn both the bow position and the stern position. This course will empower you to put your canoe just where you want it, while enjoying Lake Langlois (on site). Learn to canoe in a non-competitive, relaxed atmosphere. - backed up with lots of paddling. Your certified instructors make your 'on the water' experience a lot of fun! Back to Top |
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Wild plants can be nutritious and delicious and can add to your meals along the trail! In this fascinating course you may prepare Stinging Nettle Soup, Dandelion Pesto, Elderberry Jelly or Burdock Root. These, and other tasty surprises, will make up your wild foods meal to taste and enjoy. Karen Sherwood, who runs the Earthwalk Northwest program always brings a wealth of experience and useful information to her classes. She has taught for WOW since 1998 and has been a contributing botanist to the Tom Brown Tracking School since its inception. She is an authority in her field. Back to Top |
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Creating Backyard
Wildlife Habitat This is a class you can literally “dig into”. Put on your gloves and grab your trowel because you will be designing and planting a wildlife garden on site! Working as a team and with the guidance of your instructors, Cathy Curley and Courtney Sullivan of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), you will choose the right plants, shrubs and edibles for birds, butterflies and humans. Take home valuable resources for your own backyard planning and planting. Cathy Curley is Senior Operations Manager for the Northwest Field office of the NWF and has taught Camping Fundamentals for WOW. Courtney Sullivan is NWF’s Senior Education Manager. Back to Top
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Come hungry to this class! Nothing tastes better or is more surprising than food prepared in a Dutch Oven or over an open fire. Instructors share secrets of cast iron cooking success and campfire recipies. Participants help cut, chop and cook cobblers, rolls, one-pot dinners, desserts and wild game in a camp setting. Your experienced instructors, Patty Johnston and her crew have been cooking this way for years and team up to teach this class. Take home some wonderful recipes to try on your own. Back to Top |
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This fascinating course teaches the basics of cutting and wrapping your own game. Your instructor, Sharon Rose, shares important tips for handling meat correctly and efficiently. She is a food advisor for the Washington Extension Service and self-reliant in all aspects of food procurement, processing and preparation. Sharon is also certified as a Master Hunter so she has lots of first hand 'field knowledge' of what can go wrong if meat isn't handled right! Back to Top |
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An indispensable course for beginning anglers! Cover the basics of rod & reel handling, knot tying, using bait and lures, and then fish by boat for trout on Lake Langlois! Taught by Tammy Conklin and Stacie Kelsey, from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. After some individual instruction and dry land casting practice, participants will fish on the lake to try their luck so a current fishing license is required. Back to Top |
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Students of this elegant sport learn basic casting, knots, and get an understanding of equipment and gear along with fly fishing etiquette and “catch-and-release” philosophy. They also see how bugs and habitat combine for successful fishing. Lead instructor Faith Roland been fishing for over 25 years. Katie Surbeck, assisting, is a northwest native and longtime flyfisher. Gear is provided, but class members are invited to bring their own if they had it. You will fish on either the Tolt River or Lake Langlois so a current fishing license is required! Back to Top |
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In just a few hours, participants in this class learn to grab line, scissors, thread bobbin, and whip finisher to turn fur and feathers into fishing flies. Equipment and materials are provided by the Federation of Flyfishers. Your instructor, Donn Mills, will guide you in your creation of a Woolly Bugger and three to four other popular patterns for your personal collection. This is a fun and informative course. Back to Top |
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This popular course answers a request from women to learn more about practical solutions to emergencies that dogs might encounter in the outdoors, especially far afield, when quick and effective response can mean prevention of worse consequences. See what to include in your dog's first aid kit. Local Veterinarian, Jayne Jensen, DVD, gives valuable tips for first aid and use of practical remedies. The black Labs she brings with her cooperate for bandaging sessions to make this a definite hands-on session!. Participants will get the opportunity to bandage the dogs. This is also a great opportunity for questions on trail etiquette. Back to Top |
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Always one of the most popular courses and first to fill, this one takes students on an interpretive walk to identify common Northwest herbal remedies. River Ranch has a wonderful Nature Trail for this experience! Karen Sherwood, founder of Earthwalk Northwest, introduces participants to the fascinating world of herbal medicine. Participants make their own herbal lip balm and healing salve from plantain, calendula and comfrey. Back to Top |
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Kayaking Experience the deepest small lake in King County during this 4 hour introduction to kayaking. Learn to paddle a recreational (single) kayak with the basic strokes in variable conditions. See a demonstration of kayak self rescue techniques (and try it yourself if you want !) and learn more about other modes of kayak sports including sea kayaking and river paddling. These introductory skills will provide a strong basis for taking the next step in a more difficult environment. Your certified instructors plan a positive experience for you. You must know how to swim. Back to Top |
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Can you read a US Geological topographic map or take a bearing with a compass to avoid getting lost? Do you know the difference between true and magnetic north? You learn all of this and more. Two hours of serious classroom instruction progress to testing your skills in the field. Taught by Cheryl Drevecky, of King County Search and Rescue, and Laura Till from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Maps and compasses are provided. Back to Top |
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Expand on the skills learned in Basic Map and Compass I. Plan and complete an orientiering course using map and compass. Find yourself using triangulation. Learn houw to avoid getting lost and what to do when you get lost. Taught by Map and Compass I instructors Cheryl Drevecky and Laura Till. Bring your own GPS and manual if you have one (optional). Back to Top
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Medical Plants for
Wilderness Emergencies Do you know which plants make
a great antiseptic skin wash? Which ones can be used for
amebic dysentery? Come and learn how to identify and use
some of our most effective medicinal plants useful for common
trail emergencies. Field identification, coupled with
workshop on herbal preparation help participants learn to use
our top ten medicinal plants here in the Northwest.
Students will take home the beginnings of an herbal first aid
kit with healing salves, an herbal tincture and medicinal teas
which they make in class. Enjoy this session with Karen
Sherwood of Earthwalk Northwest.
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Great photographs evoke a “WOW!” response. Learn what all those buttons and dials do on your camera. You’ll use the immediacy of digital technology to review your images. All skill levels welcome. Your instructor Amy Gulick is a professional photographer widely published in many outdoor magazines. Amy's award-winning book on the Tongass National Forest, "Salmon in the Trees," was recently published. Bring your fully charged camera, instruction manual, fresh batteries/charger, memory card and USB cord for transferring files to a computer. This course is for digital cameras only. Back to Top |
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Instructor Carol Ptak, owner of the Gryphon Ranch in
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This hands-on class is an investment in good
decision making. You will learn to start a fire without matches,
tie ‘need-to-know’ knots, use tarps to their best advantages, create
shelters, and talk about coping with the weather and mental stress
in a survival situation. Go over the 10 Essentials you need to have
with you at all times when on the trail. Your instructor, Jill
Eelkema, is a certified Wilderness First Responder. She is a
Northwest native who fishes, hikes, backpacks and has certifications
in climbing. She is a member and instructor for the Skagit Alpine
Club and has also taught Backpacking Classes for WOW. This class
will improve your confidence in the outdoors by giving you the tools
to be organized and resourceful. |
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Situational Survival Skills II You fallen in the water, backpack and all... You're lost... A hiking partner has broken her leg... Using the basics of Survival I and backwoods problem solving, instructor Neal Houser will guide you through smart solutions to these situations. Your instructor has years of practicing what he teaches in the field and in the city as a firefighter and EMT. Your classroom for this valuable course is the outdoors. This is a level II course - survival basics should already be known. Back to Top |
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This hands-on class will provide you working information for outdoor first aid on the trail – when getting to a medical facility is not an immediate option. Learn to manage wounds and attend to wilderness accidents with what you have on your person, in your pack or from the woods. You must bring a daypack to class, packed with your usual items for a day of hiking. Your instructor, Neal Houser, is an EMT and certified in First Aid response. Plan to be outdoors and do some role playing in this class! Back to Top |
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Wild Game Cooking and
Sausage-making
Don’t be intimidated by
wild game! Find out the ways to assure success in its preparation and
cooking. Lori and Steve Patnode have taught After the Catch
(seafood) classes for WOW for several years. This year they are
switching to wild game! Wonderful recipes and tips for presentation will
accompany their hands-on teaching style. You will taste what you prepare
so come with an appetite! You will be preparing elk, venison, duck and
quail in some form. Steve is one of the best sausage-maker we know!
He’ll walk you through the grinding, seasoning, and stuffing of making
sausage from a combination of these meats. Lori and Steve are
experienced Northwest anglers, hunters and gatherers. |
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Wild Plants for Emergency Foods Bears or Chipmunks rob your food bag while out on the trail? Looking for some fresh variety to supplement your backcountry food? Join us to learn some of our favorite wild edible plants and how to safely identify, harvest and prepare them. An emphasis will be placed on how to extend our wilderness food rations while adding great new flavors and amazing nutrition to our meals. In class we will be preparing recipes like cattail shoot salad with salal berry dressing, pollen pancakes and stinging nettle pilaf. Come Hungry! Your Instructor is Karen Sherwood of Earthwalk Northwest. Class size: 12 |
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There have been numerous
sightings of bear and cougar in what we think of as populated areas in |
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This class provides an opportunity to meet various mammals and birds of the Pacific Northwest through glimpses, tracks and sounds. It also deals with behavior basics for bear and cougar encounters. Shelly Ament, a biologist with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, has been teaching this excellent, informative course for WOW for several years. Shelly was nominated for Washington's Jefferson Award for her successful work with Elk near Sequim, WA. She has an impressive knowledge of wildlife and her enthusiasm will invite you to hone your observation skills in the outdoors! Back to Top |
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Families can go too! Jennifer Aist, author of Babes in the
Woods, will do two sessions: one for babes, toddlers and
youngsters up to five years of age and one for ages five to ten years.
She’s here to show you how to start your children out in family outings
that promise to become happy outdoor traditions. In each of the classes
Jennifer will share valuable tips for keeping children warm, happily
fed, and content on the trail or in camp! Learn about functional
solutions for gear, fun nature games and tips you’ll find make all the
difference in your sanity and your youngsters’ attitude! |