Women's Introduction to Backpacking
When: 3 sessions:
Pack & Plan Zoom: Wednesday, June 11, 2025, 7 - 9pm
Test Run Day Hike: Saturday, July 5, 2025, 9am - 1pm
Backpacking: Fri July 18, 10am - Sun July 20, 2025, 4pm
Where:
Pack & Plan: Zoom (online)
Test Run Day Hike: Hope, Thacker Mountain Loop Trail
Backpacking: Jacobson Lake to Conglomerate Flats (HBC Heritage Trail)
Cost: $429/person
(Youth under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian)
For more information or questions, please contact Tunde
This summer, let’s make the Hudson’s Bay Company (1849) Heritage Trail a part of your personal herstory!
Are you an experienced hiker looking to get into backpacking, but lack the confidence or skills to do so? Then this program is for you!
Come and join us in this female* only introduction to backpacking. Our group size is purposely kept small for a safe and inclusive environment, with a maximum of 15 participants, plus a minimum of 3 trip leaders.
This year’s trip will take us to one of the most popular sections of the HBC Trail: the Conglomerate Flats Campground + Palmer's Pond.
We will learn the foundational skills of backpacking, all while exploring the historical women and their contributions to the trail and local area.
Come hike through meadows, observe wildlife, and build your outdoor skills with a like-minded group.
Learn about Adventure Smart’s 3Ts: Trip Planning, Training and The Essentials, how to select and use the right gear, options for backcountry food, Leave No Trace principles, and more!
*We welcome cisgender females, transgender, agender, two-spirit, nonbinary, and genderqueer individuals. HMCOL is proud to be an inclusive, safe space.
Itinerary:
All 3 sessions are crucial to the group's success and enjoyment so all three are MANDATORY for all participants to attend.
1. Wednesday, June 11, 2025
7-9pm “Pack and Plan”: A Gear and trip planning online zoom meeting:
We will get to know each other, discuss the plan for the backpacking trip, discuss the gear you have and suggest gear you may need to change or acquire. We will also talk about meal planning and other logistics.
2. Saturday, July 5, 2025
9am-1pm A half-day test run hike in Hope
Before we head hours into the backcountry, we will practice together carrying our heavy overnight packs on the Thacker Mountain Loop trail in Hope. Please practice packing your gear as you would for our trip, test the weight distribution, make necessary adjustments and get a real feel of what to expect with your weighted overnight backpack before we enter the backcountry. Please ensure you wear the same footwear and backpack with ALL the gear you plan to use for the trip.
3. Friday, July 18, 2025
10:00AM Backpacking Trip
Gather in Hope at the Rec Centre (1005 6 Ave, Hope) check-in, sign waivers.
Participants must arrange their own transportation to Hope. If you're interested in carpooling please discuss and arrange during the Zoom or test run hike.
10:30AM – convoy together to the trailhead.
Drive 50 kms on the Coquihalla Highway 5 and take exit #228 Coquihalla Lakes. The Jacobson Lake Campground where we will park is at the 45.8 Km marker on the Tulameen River Forest Service Road. See MAP
12:30PM Lunch and hike in
After arriving at the Jacobsen Lake, we will have lunch, pack up, and hike in to our campsite at Conglomerate Flats and set up camp.
Saturday, July 19, 2025
After breakfast, we’ll hike for the day up to the famous Palmer’s Pond. This ecologically sensitive area is home to vulnerable alpine meadow plants - an example of the importance of practicing the Leave No Trace principles we will be learning about.
Sunday, July 20, 2025
After breakfast, we will take down camp and hike back to the trailhead
Be aware that times are approximate! Start and end times may vary slightly depending on speed of the group, weather and road conditions, etc.
What to bring:
Whenever you are out in nature, you should always carry The Essentials
Participants will need the following items below:
CLOTHING:
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Sturdy waterproof hiking boots or hiking shoes. Must be broken in so they don’t give you blisters. If you plan on buying new footwear for this trip, it is HIGHLY recommended you purchase them and hike in them at least 8 times prior to this trip.
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Socks — Non-cotton socks. Bring at least 1 extra pair of back-up socks
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Long pants and shorts (or zip-off pants). No jeans nor cotton.
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Waterproof rain pants
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2 tank tops or T-shirts (merino wool or polyester – NOT COTTON)
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1 long sleeve shirt (merino wool or polyester – NOT COTTON)
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1 mid layer (fleece, wool, or puffy jacket)
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Waterproof jacket
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1 pair of gloves
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1 toque
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Non-cotton undergarments
FOOD:
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Water reservoir or bottle(s) with minimum 2 litres of water
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Energy snack food (ie power bars/balls, trailmix, dried fruit, cookies)
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3 pre-made lunches to have on the trail
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2 dinners to make in camp
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2 breakfasts to make in camp
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Any drinks you wish to have (electrolytes highly recommended)
EQUIPMENT:
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Sleeping bag — rated to -10 celsius minimum
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Sleeping pad/mat — thick and/or reflective is imperative to stay warm and comfortable (R value of 3 or more is necessary)
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Waterproof tent
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Stove, fuel, pots
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Device to purify drinking water (ie filter)
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Cup, plate, cutlery
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Bear spray
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Headlamp and extra batteries and/or powerbank + cord
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Multitool
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First aid kit
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Sunglasses
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Sunscreen
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Chapstick
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Bug repellent/mosquito face net/tick spray
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Toilet paper, bags to place used TP in to pack-out with you, and hand sanitizer
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Hiking poles (highly recommended)
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Day pack for day hiking (you can also just use your overnight pack if you prefer)
Gear is available for rent at Mt. Waddington’s Outdoors in Chilliwack (604-846-1984) and Valhalla Pure in Abbotsford (604-850-5523) if you need it. Book ASAP if you need to rent gear.
Price includes:
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First aid-certified trail guides
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Training regarding gear and backcountry camping technique
Physical demand:
THIS PROGRAM IS NOT SUITABLE FOR BEGINNER HIKERS!
Nor should this be your first challenging hike of the year.
Backpacking is MUCH more physically exerting than day hiking. While no backpacking/camping experience is necessary to participate in this program, all participants MUST HAVE experience hiking. All participants must be able to carry a large backpack containing all their own gear described in the trip checklist up 200 metres of elevation and 6km each day.
Pack weight will likely be around 25-40 lbs (11-18Kg) including food and water.
Please contact us to discuss your hiking experience and physical ability if you are unsure if this trip is suitable for you.
Participants are required to provide all their own gear and food.
Meet Your Guides
Meg Turner
Program Director
Kristine Perez de Leon
Executive Director
Meg considers our wild spaces her second home. Raised in the Girl Guiding
community and an active outdoor family, she feels comfortable leading others and sharing her passion for the outdoors. With multiple first-aid certifications, including Remote First Aid, participants can feel safe exploring the trails with her. Having recently completed her BC Adventure Smart training, Meg will surely prepare everyone well for safe outdoor programs. She is stoked to head out into the wilderness with you hiking, snowshoeing, paddling, camping - whatever fun activity we have planned, she’s in her element and excited to create a memorable place-based learning experience with you.
Kristine’s number one passion in life is mountain adventure. She would spend every waking moment outdoors if she could. Hiking, backpacking, trail running, mountaineering, rock climbing, paddle boarding, backcountry skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking - if it’s an outdoor mountain sport, you can bet she’s done it and loves it. In the past few years, Kristine completed a 55km ultra trail marathon, a 9-day backpacking thru-hike, summited hundreds of BC’s most
magnificent peaks, completing many of these adventures solo. Kristine has previously worked as a snowboard instructor in Whistler, as a primate and forest conservation manager in Nigeria, a PNW wildlife education director and hiking community platform founder in Vancouver, and as HMCOL’s Executive Director since 2021. She is certified with Remote First Aid and has her AST1. Kristine is thrilled to share her knowledge, experience, and passion for mountain exploration with program participants.
Coming soon...
Volunteer
Cancellation:
Sorry no refunds! You can pass on your spot to someone else who meets the physical demand of the program, just please let us know, as we need registration information from everyone.
A program may be cancelled at the discretion of HMCOL. If a program is cancelled by HMCOL, participants will receive a full refund. Please be aware that our programs run regardless of weather conditions, unless HMCOL determines that it will affect the safety of participants.
Hope Mountain Centre reserves the right to change the location of a program for everyone's safety. As much notice as possible will be given. No refund will be provided if the location is changed.
Additional information:
Everyone ages 19 & over must sign a liability waiver form in order to participate in this program. Please take the time to read this form because you must understand and agree to it when you sign it. By signing it you are waiving certain rights, including the right to sue. These forms will be available to sign when you check in. Please seek legal counsel if you have any questions.
Informed Consent Form
Everyone, age 18 & under must have an informed consent form signed by their parents or legal guardian in order to participate. Please contact us if you need this form prior to arrival at this program.