Bearly Been Backpacking at Bear Creek
Meet: Saturday 11/22 in USC Village @ 9:30am
Return: Sunday 11/23 @ 4pm
Member: $44 Non member: $58
Participant Driver (1): $25
Participant drivers will also have all gas reimbursed!
Activity: hiking, introductory backpacking, hot spring dipping, spikeball, stargazing
Difficulty: (5/10) Medium Distance: 8.6 miles / 13.8 km Elevation: 711 ft / 218 m
Recommended Prior Experience: none
Location of Trip: Sespe River in Los Padres National Forest
Native Land: Kumeyaay/Kumiais
Pre-Trip Meeting: Wednesday 11/19 @ 8:30 pm for gear. Meet at SC Outfitter’s House Shack (2647 Orchard Avenue)
Can’t bear not knowing how to backpack? Come join Pirka and Ryan on a life changing journey which will adorn you with the skill set to take on any backpacking adventure. Come ready to learn!
We will meet will our fellow travelers at 9:30 am in the USC village and embark on our 3 hour journey to the Sespe River. Our 4.3 mile backpacking trek will begin at 12:30 pm featuring sights of the beautiful creek and cottonwood trees, stopping for a delectable lunch.
Once we arrive at the Bear Creek campsite, we will set up camp and enjoy the solitude around us. During this transformative adventure, guides Pirka and Ryan will lead you through every step of backpacking, sharing lessons and prepping participants to better understand concepts of:
Route selection
What to bring? (sleep systems, fire systems, layering systems)
How to pack a backpack
How to size a backpack
Starting a fire
Water filtration
Camp stoves
Knots & tarps
Topography maps and compasses
Pooping within LNT boundaries
Bear management
And possible learning activities of:
Discuss types of routes, water selection, weather conditions, exposure, back up plans pre-trip at Shack
Properly pack and size backpacks at Shack pre-trip (what to bring, how to pack, how to size)
Do a water filtration circle, watch one, do one, teach one
Do a camp stove circle, watch one, do one, teach one
Practice tying knots and using a tarp to construct basic shelters such as an A-frame or a Lean-to
Use a topographic map to identify nearby peaks and use a compass to find a bering based off of known landmarks, potentially bush whacking
And as a reward for your hard learning, we will spend our time at the campsite playing plentiful amounts of the exhilarating game Spikeball, perhaps even dipping into the hot springs. We will finish off the day with a yummy dinner and some stargazing.
The next morning we shall awaken at 8:30 am and start with a brisk breakfast as we break camp and commence on our 4.3 mile trek back to the cars. Around 12 pm, we will make our way back to campus, arriving home by 4 pm, adorned our newfound backpacking knowledge.
Contact the Guides:
Ryan Long: ryanwlon@usc.edu
Piroska Darnyi: pdarnyi@usc.edu
What to Bring:
*REMINDER (overnights only) : if you do not have a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpacking pack, or other technical gear (non-clothing), do not panic, SC Outfitters has these items for you! Your guides will send out a gear-request form the week of your trip where you’ll let them know what gear you need!
Sleeping bag
Sleeping pad
Mess kit (utensils and bowl/plate/tupperware)
3+ liters of water
Hat/sunscreen/sunglasses
Comfortable hiking shoes
Comfortable hiking clothes
Toiletries/medications
Headlamp/flashlight
Warm clothes for night/sleeping
Swimsuit (optional)
Price of the trip includes (and we will provide):
Snacks
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided when a trip occurs during meal-times
Any technical gear required (ie. kayaks, snowshoes, snorkels, backpacking packs, sleeping bags, fishing rods, etc.)
All group / shared gear (tents, stoves, bear cans, first aid kit, etc.)
Any permits or campsite reservations needed
Cost of gas reimbursed for participant drivers
Amazing guides who love the outdoors and do this for free!
Contact the Guides:
Ryan Long: ryanwlon@usc.edu
Piroska Darnyi: pdarnyi@usc.edu
What to Bring:
*REMINDER (overnights only) : if you do not have a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpacking pack, or other technical gear (non-clothing), do not panic, SC Outfitters has these items for you! Your guides will send out a gear-request form the week of your trip where you’ll let them know what gear you need!
Sleeping bag
Sleeping pad
Mess kit (utensils and bowl/plate/tupperware)
3+ liters of water
Hat/sunscreen/sunglasses
Comfortable hiking shoes
Comfortable hiking clothes
Toiletries/medications
Headlamp/flashlight
Warm clothes for night/sleeping
Swimsuit (optional)
Price of the trip includes (and we will provide):
Snacks
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided when a trip occurs during meal-times
Any technical gear required (ie. kayaks, snowshoes, snorkels, backpacking packs, sleeping bags, fishing rods, etc.)
All group / shared gear (tents, stoves, bear cans, first aid kit, etc.)
Any permits or campsite reservations needed
Cost of gas reimbursed for participant drivers
Amazing guides who love the outdoors and do this for free!
Please Review Our Cancellation and Refund Policy:
All SC Outfitters trips have a no-refund policy unless a substitute participant can be found. In the event your trip requires added reporting measures of participants (plane tickets, external providers, rental services, etc.) dropping the trip close to the date of the trip will not allow for the spot to be re-filled. See the details on trip pages for specific deadlines and reference our complete cancellation/refund policy here.
TRIP DIFFICULTY RATING SYSTEM
Difficulty rating for trips
1: No physical activity.
2: Leisurely walk.
3: 2-5 miles less than 1000 ft of total elevation gain on well maintained trails. About 2-3 hours continuous activity
4: 4-6 miles, about 1000 ft of elevation gain, well maintained trails. About 3 hours of continuous activity.
5: 6-8 miles, about 1500ft of elevation gain on maintained trials. 4-5 hours continuous activity
6: 8-10 miles, about 2000 ft of elevation gain, well maintained trails. 4-6 hours of continuous activity.
7: 10-14 miles, over 2500 ft of elevation gain, variable trail conditions possible. Full day of continuous activity.
8: At high altitude. 12-16 total miles, over 3000 ft of elevation gain, variable trail conditions possible. Full day of continuous activity.
9: Technical skills may be necessary. At high altitude with physical elevation gain. Scrambling over rocks likely involved.
10: u gunna die
**If you have any questions or concerns about the physical activity, recommended prior experience, or gear needed on any kind of trip please contact the guides as soon as possible!!
This program is open to all eligible individuals. SC Outfitters operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.
Individuals with disabilities who need accommodations to attend this event may contact the guides listed above on the trip page. We request that individuals requiring accommodations or auxiliary aids such as sign language interpreters and alternative format materials notify us at least 7 days prior to the event. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations in an effective and timely manner.