In an effort to make our programs available to anyone who is interested, for certain weeks of our semester courses we allow people not enrolled in our semester program to participate in standalone weeklong courses. These experiences are different than other courses. You won't be catered to, but you'll learn a lot.

If, as a result of spending a week with us, you decide to sign up for a semester course within two years, the price of the weeklong program will be credited to the tuition of the semester course.

Bushcraft And Skills Courses

If you found your way here from a link on our Calendar page, the course you're interested in is part of one of our longer semester programs. We begin all of our long term programs at the beginning, so these are run similar to a standalone course.

Canoe And Snowshoe Trips

If you found your way here from a trip link on the Calendar page, the trip you're interested in is part of one of our longer semester programs. This means that it isn't run like a guided trip, but rather as a guide training exercise. These are in-depth experiences focusing on learning the ways of the forest and the skills of the professional guide, not vacation trips as some of our standalone guided trips are. There is a significant instructional component that goes along with the wilderness travel. If this isn't the type of experience you're looking for, check out our regular guided trips.

Fall 2008 Semester

Week 1 - Bushcraft Immersion And Edible Wild Plants. 8/24-8/30
In week one we hit the ground running with a lot of time spent on axe, knife and saw safe and effective use. We'll start our plant studies by pressing specimens and using them in our daily meals, and we'll introduce canoe poling on the Aroostook river. We'll cover shelter construction and fire-making in great depth, and build a solid foundation of skills from which to move forward. $850

Week 2 - Expedition Canoeing Skills And Squa Pan Lake Trip. 8/31-9/6
From our base on the Aroostook river, we'll travel downstream, then ascend Squa Pan Stream to the lake. We'll be learning to pole and line canoes, and how to portage effectively with tumplines. We'll paddle down the lake and camp for three nights before returning home. Along the way we'll learn about fishing in lakes and rivers, as well as learning how to cast a fly. $850

Week 3 - Paddle Making And Aroostook River Poling Trip. 9/7-9/13
We'll start te week carving paddles for three days, then spend the last two poling down the Aroostook river from Oxbow to Masardis. $850

Week 4 - Pack Baskets And Advanced Bushcraft. 9/14-9/20
We'll be making pack baskets and harnesses, as well as continuing our studies of plants and the natural world. We'll continue building different shelters and learning more about making do with less. $850

Weeks 5-6 - Canoe Expedition And Guide Training. 9/21-10/4
Our long fall trip. We'll be planning the trip, then spending 10-12 days in the bush exploring the northern waterways. Our destination depends on the water levels, but could be either the Allagash, Penobscot, or St. Croix waterways. $1600

Week 7 - Wood Longbows And Bushcraft. 10/5-10/11
In addition to continuing our studies of bushcraft, we'll be carving wood longbows from scratch. $850

Week 8 - Primitive And Modern Traps And Snares And The Art Of Trapping. 10/12-10/18
Our focus for the week will be on the art and science of trapping. We'll build a variety of primitive traps that were commonly used in the northern forests. These won't be limited to the general paiute and figure 4 taught elsewhere, but rather traps that were actually used successfully in snow country. And we'll take a species-specific approach rather than one that is centered around the trap. We'll also cover modern traps and snares and their use, once again following a species-specific approach. No trapping laws will be broken during the course. $850

Week 9 - Winter Gear - Mukluks, Sleds, Wall Tents And Wood Stoves. 10/19-10/25
An immersion into traditional winter gear and crafts, we'll look at items useful for a winter in the bush. We'll make mukluks, look at a variety of different toboggans and sleds and set up a variety of different canvas tents and wood stoves designed for the trail. $850

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