After the Catch

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

Backpacking 101

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, Tami Asars, is an experienced backpacker, hiker and climber. She is an Outreach Coordinator for REI and has a valuable collection of backpacking tips accumulated from her years of teaching all ages. She is up to date on the latest and best outdoor equipment and its uses!

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Backpacking 102

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

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.  Back to Top

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

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, Sharron Gregg and Meliss Maxfield, make your 'on the water' experience a lot of fun!   Back to Top

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

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, Janet Boneham and Patty Johnston, who have been cooking this way for years, team up annually to teach this class.  Take home some wonderful recipes to try on your own.  Back to Top

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

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, a biologist 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

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

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

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

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

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

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.  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

Deborah Coffee has been teaching Wilderness First Aid for several years and has the matching practical experience to know what works!  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 has been an EMT and is certified in First Aid response. Plan to be outdoors and do some role playing in this class!  Back to Top

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.  Back to Top

Wildlife Awareness 

There have been numerous sightings of bear and cougar in what we think of as populated areas in Washington state. According to Brian Kertson, your instructor, these areas may be bone fide territories for cougar and bear who are going about their natural habits and routines. How we respond to these encounters makes all the difference – for you and for the animals! Sharpen your observation skills; know what to look for; learn the proper responses, and think co-existence! Brian is a PhD candidate in the University of Washington’s  Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. As a wildlife specialist with the Wildlife Science Group, he has tracked and studied cougar, especially, and Bear and other large mammals. He comes with extensive knowledge of local wildlife.  Back to Top

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