Classes in Orange Country California?

I've been looking for an intro backpacking class in southern California and have come up pretty empty. Maybe it's a little early in the year, or maybe I'm out of sync with my trends.

Does anyone know of (esp. UL) classes starting soon?

I'm a skinny 52 year old guy. I day-hike and mountain bike a lot, and am confident of my legs and cardio ... but my back can be a little sketchy. When I'm hiking say, and have to bend under a tree 5 miles in, I have to do it slowly. That's the real reason I don't want to just gear up and go. I'm worried that the back wouldn't like it, and I'd have to do a yard sale.

I guess I am asking for general advice about that, too.

UL classes, try backpackinglight.com.

REI has classes and trips, but not UL. If you wanted to try Yosemite there are some guide type places available.

But classes are expensive. First time out, pick something that is a few miles in, and do a quick overnight gear test. How the pack carries, how you use everything you got - get up in the morning and go home, and review the gear list to remove stuff you didn't use or didn't work quite the same way as expected.

You don't have to go far or fast or anything to get into it. If you don't want to go alone, there's groups - Adventure Club comes to mind - huge group of Southern Californians who hike and climb and all sorts of outdoor activities. Go with the Sierra Club. Go with a meetup hiking group. Heck, PM me and come out with my group, I schedule overnight trips - doing a whole 8 miles with a bunch of novice backpackers this weekend. I may not teach, but you don't need a class to backpack. Just opportunities to do short and easy before you go do epic and multi-day.

I think they've already started, but Sierra Club does this Wilderness Travel Course every year. I've heard great things about it (I'd like to take it myself but grad school gets in the way).

It's not ultra light, but they do give you tips on gear, etc. One of the exercises is have everyone in the group go on an overnight backpacking trip and set their gear up. Then the instructors go over everyone's setup. So you can go ultra light if you wanted to, but that's not the focus of the class.

I think it's around $300 for 10 classes and 4 trips. I think you need to take a couple extra trips after the class is over and you "graduate" in the Fall sometime.

I would check with the Sierra Club. Here is a link to the LA/OC chapter-
http://angeles.sierraclub.org/

Here is the outings calendar. Check out the beginners hike in Fullerton-
http://angeles.sierraclub.org/outingsDB/index.aspx

I just looked at the prices for those Sierra club trips. They are out of their minds. 1200 bucks for a 10 day 45 mile hike in Michigan. Could do the same trip for a couple hundred max.

In San Diego the wilderness basics course costs $100 (I think it's $120 to 140 for non members?) for 10 weeks and includes 3 weekend backpacks and car camping trip. I think this course is well worth it. Unfortunatly, it has probably already started in Orange County as well so if you are interested you will have to wait for the next go round.

Thanks for the help everybody. There is a Sierra Club class starting at REI Tustin in May. I'll have to see if they have any spots open.

I know the Sierra Club Wilderness Travel Course fills up like 6 months early.

It really seems kind of odd that REI has no "native" classes (that I could find). Their search engine could really use "within 100 miles" and "filter by activity."