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Mapping adventure Workshops hone navigation skills
during the winter lull. January 26, 2003 Getting lost in the woods can
be scary. Just as bad, according to Jeff
Coates, is being afraid to venture out into the woods for fear of getting
lost. Learning navigational skills
can help overcome that fear and open up the outdoors, he said. "You can really enjoy
nature by venturing into it without fear of getting lost." People interested in learning
map-and-compass skills can find their way to Coates' Adventure Navigation
Clinic on Feb. 15. It'll be easy to find -- just drive to Eagle Creek Park,
enter at 71st Street and follow the signs to the Nature Center. Coates is founder and
"chief adventurer" for TrueNorth and Associates, which teaches
navigation and runs team-building courses. The navigation clinic is open
to anyone, Coates said. "Kids can learn it, and
seniors can learn it and everybody in between," he said. Students will start out inside
the Nature Center, learning basic map-and-compass skills. Then the group will head over
to the rugged west side of the park. Coates will have preset checkpoints
hidden in the woods in three different loops. "I'll lead the group
through the first loop, pointing out different (topographical) features as
they relate to the map. That will be a good learning experience, a real slow
walk-through. "Then they can break into
twos and threes to split up and venture off on their own to find the next
round of checkpoints. We'll reconvene to talk about what they saw, what they
did." A third, more challenging loop
will await the students next. Coates said winter is a good
time to learn navigational skills because the trees are bare. "It creates a real good
opportunity to see through the trees and see the terrain, and match the
terrain to the features on the map," he said. That's what Karen Bell, 33, is
hoping for. She's signed up for the class. Bell, a project manager for a
local engineering company, describes herself as a casual hiker who would like
to get outside more. "I'm looking for something
new to do, and orienteering looked like a fun way to start out. This looked
like a good way to get my feet wet," Bell said. Orienteering is an organized
sport in which hikers or runners find their way to checkpoints in the woods
or open areas. Events are held, among other places, at Eagle Creek Park. The
west side of the park was recently mapped to allow orienteers to test their
skills there. Bell said she has had some
training in navigation before, but only in a classroom-type setting. "It looks like he's going
to hold our hand through it while we're outside. That's so much better than
just being thrown out there and not really knowing what you're doing or not
feeling comfortable with what you're doing," she said. She knows Coates will turn the
students loose at some point to find their own way. "That's fine as long as we
have that little bit of guidance first. I don't want to get lost." George McLaren covers outdoor recreation and nature. He can be
reached at 1-317-444-6232. |
