CORE is accepting new students for Fall 2025! Read more
.png)
Community Courses for Adults
CORE is proud to begin offering courses to our community. While our primary focus is on empowering and educating youth we know that when adults build confidence and skills in the outdoors, they become better mentors, role, youth advocates, and stewards of the spaces we share. These courses are designed to teach adults how to recreate responsibly, safely, with care for the environment. By deepening community knowledge and connection to nature, we help create a culture that supports growth, young people, and the land. Each course offers a safe and welcoming space for learning at all experience levels. Additionally, all proceeds go directly toward CORE’s youth programming, expanding access to outdoor education for the next generations.
July 8th + July 11th to 13th, 2025
CORE Women’s Backpacking Workshop & Guided Two Night Adventure
Group Size
2 to 8 participants
Difficulty
Easy pace and terrain
Miles Hiked
1 to 5 miles each day
Trip Length
One afternoon session plus two nights from Friday to Sunday.
Trip Overview
Join CORE for a backpacking course designed specifically for women who want to build outdoor skills, grow confidence, and feel at home in the backcountry. This experience is for women who may be new to backpacking but have some hiking experience and are ready to take the next step! This course blends skills workshops, group connection, and immersive time in the wild. We’ll meet once midweek for a classroom-style evening workshop, followed by a two-night, women-only backpacking trip in Pisgah National Forest.
What You’ll Learn
-
Trip planning & gear essentials
-
Backcountry safety
-
Water filtration & outdoor cooking
-
Shelter setup & campsite selection
-
Navigation
-
Wilderness ethics & Leave No Trace principles
Who is this course desgined for?
Women 21+ who:
-
Have some day hiking experience
-
Can carry up to 30 lbs for 5 miles over the course of one day (Mellow speed and terrain)
-
Are excited to learn, grow, and challenge themselves outdoors
-
Want a supportive, all-women group led by experienced female instructor
Pricing & What’s Included Course Fee:
$250 per person Includes:
-
Professional instruction by CORE staff
-
1 classroom session + 2-night backpacking trip
-
Group gear (water treatment methods, first aid kit, emergency communication device, maps, and group tarp)
-
Pre-trip packing list and planning support
Participants will provide their own personal clothing and food. Gear loans of backpacks, sleeping pads, tents, or stoves may be available upon request.
Itinerary
Pre-Trip Meeting
Tuesday, July 8th at 6:00pm:
We'll gather locally for an evening session covering packing, trip expectations, safety considerations, and hands-on gear demos. This meeting helps set the tone, reduce nerves, ensure you know what to pack, and build group connection before heading into the woods.
Friday, July 11th 5:30pm:
Meet at Whisper’s home to carpool to the trailhead, hike into our first backcountry campsite (~1–2 miles), and settle into camp life with instruction and support.
Saturday, July 12th:
Full day of backcountry skill-building. Discuss navigation, water filtration, stove cooking, and gear management all while hiking to our next backcountry site (~2-5 miles). Enjoy time together as a group and reflect on the day around the cook circle.
Sunday July 13th:
Wrap up the weekend with a group-led hike out (~2–3 miles), applying your new skills. Expect to return to the trailhead by mid afternoon.
Meet Your Instructor
Whisper Smith is CORE’s Executive Director and co-founder. With 7 years of experience leading youth and adults in the backcountry, she brings humor, calm confidence, and deep knowledge to every trip. Whisper is a certified Wilderness First Responder and committed to creating safe, affirming outdoor spaces for women to thrive.
Why Backpack with CORE?
CORE’s mission has always been to empower through outdoor education—and now we’re bringing that vision to adult women. This course is not just a social hike. It’s a structured, skills-based experience rooted in our values of inclusion, safety, learning, and confidence-building. Not only will you walk away with new friends and practical tools to plan your own trips, you will help fund outdoor programming for youth in our community so they can too!
Send an email to Whisper at Morgantoncore@gmail.com to register. Payments made below.