ORANGE COUNTY COUNCIL HIGH ADVENTURE TEAM 

ADULT LEADER DESERT BACKPACKING COURSE 

CLASSROOM: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2026…8:00 am-12:00 pm 

IRVINE RANCH OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTER  

OVERNIGHTER BACKPACK: OCTOBER 17-18, 2026 or MARCH 20-21, 2027. 

JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK 

PREREQUISTE: BASIC BACKPACKING COURSE TAUGHT IN SPRING AND FALL 

Have you always wanted to take your Scouts hiking/backpacking in late winter and early spring but do not know where to go? Exciting possibilities exist in the deserts of California, Arizona, and Utah. Try the Boy Scout Trail, California Riding and Hiking Trail or Quail Springs in Joshua Tree National Park, Kelso Dunes in the Mojave National Preserve, Telescope Peak in Death Valley National Park, to name a few. The slot canyons of northern Arizona and southern Utah beckon adventurous Scouts and Scouters over Easter/Spring Break. 

This course will get you thinking and started and builds upon the principles and skills taught in the Basic Backpacking Course which is a prerequisite to this course. Covered in the 4 hours of classroom are seasonal considerations, how to choose your desert trails considering Scouts, what to wear trekking the desert, water availability and management, packing lightly but safely, and hazards specific to the desert such as daytime radiation and nighttime cold, flash floods and sharp organisms like scorpions, cacti, and rattlers. 

The overnighter is a 6-mile round trip out of Black Rock or the Boy Scout Trail (Indian Cove), to be decided. An easy one to get you started. Pre-trek planning is at the course. 

Cost: $40.00...roster limited to the first 10 students who sign up. Additional sign-ups as cancellations occur. 

Additional cost (food and gas…$30 per vehicle to enter JTNP possible depending on trailhead) for the overnighter backpack. MSR water dromedaries are supplied. 

To register online and pay tuition: TBD    

OCC-High Adventure Team Website for detailed information: https://occhat.org  

Contact Course Director John Welton: jwelton2012@gmail.com  with questions.