During the week of Sept 11-15 I attended a Leave No Trace (www.lnt.org) Master Educator’s Class sponsored by Adirondack Mountain Club (www.adk.org) and the Appalachian Mountain Club (www.amc-ny.org). On the course we furthered our understanding and practicing of the Leave No Trace skills and techniques, developed our outdoor teaching and education skills, explored our Wild land Ethic, created an action plan and participated in all group activities. A central component of the course was for us to practice our teaching skills among peers. Each of us taught one of the 7 LNT principles to the rest of the group. The seven LNT Principles are:
* Plan ahead and Prepare
* Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
* Dispose of Waste Properly
* Leave What You Find
* Minimize Campfire Impacts
* Respect Wildlife
* Be Considerate of Other Visitors

The 1st day of the class was taught at the Adirondack Loj and included a lot of logistics, overviews, and organization. Monday night we distributed food and packed. Tuesday morning we headed out in the Pharoh Lakes area for a 3 night/4 day trip. We taught principles as the trip progressed. We had cool rainy days through out the trip. The last night of the trip we practiced camping in a pristine area – leaving no impact of our presence.
I was really happy to complete the class as it was the 1st time I packed any weight and my backpack was substantial. We only hiked 4 miles a day due to the class schedule and I relied on my trekking poles, but regardless I was happy to be able to backpack again. Because I am not affiliated with an outdoor agency to carry insurance I am limited on being able to lead other LNT classes (Masters or Trainers), but I am hopeful of being able to co-lead, or do an awareness workshop with fellow campers (e.g. WinterCampers.com)