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Have you ever wanted to camp among the stars in a destination only accessible on foot? Curious about backpacking equipment and how to use it? Or how to travel safely in remote locations? Join us for this backpacking course where we will develop the following backpacking skills: selection of proper clothing, packing a pack, appropriate choice of backpacking foods, safe travel techniques in a group, use of camp stoves, safety concerns while cooking, knowledge and treatment of environmental hazards, and low-impact camping techniques.
This class includes a few days of on-line instruction in advance of a 3 day backpacking trip. On-line instruction will occur on June 1st and June 8th from 5:00-7:00 PM. The backpacking trip will begin on June 12th at 12:00 PM at the CSU Mountain Campus and will conclude on June 14th at 5:00 PM.
9704914994 | ethan.billingsley@colostate.edu
Ethan Billingsley is an alumnus of the Warner College of Natural Resources – earning his B.S. in Natural Resource Recreation and Tourism and his M.S. in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. He served as Director of Undergraduate Programs in the college from 2008-2018. He currently leads and instructs in the Wilderness Leadership program at CSU.
Prior to joining CSU, Ethan worked as both an outdoor educator and guide in various capacities, primarily with youth. He has led single and multi-day whitewater rafting trips for the last 25 years. He has climbed all 58 of Colorado’s 14,000ft mountains and led many CSU groups to those summits as well. He has also spent many seasons working at summer camps and environmental education centers. Additional experience has included work as a rock-climbing instructor, horse-packing guide, backpacking guide, and sea-kayaking naturalist. He carries certifications in wilderness medicine, swiftwater rescue, avalanche rescue and whitewater travel. Ethan loves learning about the ecology of an area as much as he likes adventuring in it. He believes that time spent outdoors contributes to positive attitudes and behaviors related to the environment, as well as, enhanced physical and mental well-being. In his free time, Ethan loves spending as much time as he can with his wife and three kids in the outdoors.
Andrew Sampson is a current graduate student studying Human Dimensions of Natural Resources in the Warner College of Natural Resources having earned undergraduate degrees in both Ecosystem Science and Sustainability as well as Geography. His master's research focuses on the conservation governance of the Sublette pronghorn herd in Wyoming. In addition, he has a Snow, Weather, and Avalanche Technician certificate from Colorado Mountain College's Avalanche Science Program.
Professionally, Andrew has served as an outdoor instructor for the CSU Outdoor program and as a teaching assistant for multiple outdoor leadership classes at CSU. During the winter, he also teaches Avalanche Level 1 and Rescue classes as an AIARE instructor with Apex Mountain School.
Andrew's personal outdoor pursuits include summits of all of Colorado's publicly accessed 14ers, a thru hike of the Colorado Trail, a successful self-lead summit of Mt Rainier, summits of Cayambe and Chimborazo in Ecuador, an expedition to Mt. Logan, and 3 self-lead trips to Denali including a successful summit. He loves spending his time outside exploring the West, chasing animals through the woods, and climbing and skiing all of the snow, rock, and ice he can find.