This weeklong course prepares you for working as a professional guide and is crash course in canoeing and traditional camping. Our spot on the Aroostook River in Masardis is an outstanding place to learn the traditional arts of the canoe as practiced by Maine Guides for hundreds of years. Within seven miles of the field school we've got 5 different rivers of varying difficulty, as well as 18-mile long Squapan Lake. The canoe gods were smiling when they made it.

We'll spend the week working on two different but related curriculums. First, you'll learn and refine the skills of paddling, poling and lining canoes on increasingly challenging water. You'll explore this beautiful area and learn the personalities of it's waterways. The second curriculum focuses on the management and leadership of a group and the skills of keeping them comfortable. This isn't a theoretical course on leadership like what is commonly offered through outdoor clubs; instead it's a focused on the crucial skills that make or break a trip taught by professional, working guides. We'll cover navigation with a map and compass, what do do if someone in your party gets lost, how to plan, pack and prepare meals over an open fire, trip equipment and how to use, care for and maintain it, and how to light a fire under any conditions. Learn to stand in a canoe, pole up and down rapids, cook over an open fire, read the river to determine safe passages and gain the most useful asset a guide can have; experience.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Participants will learn to:

• Plan, prepare, provision, pack, and guide a wilderness trip
• Efficiently paddle a loaded canoe
• Pole and snub a canoe
• Set-up and line a canoe through rapids
• Tie useful and appropriate knots
• Use an axe, knife, and saw safely and effectively
• Sharpen their axe and knife
• Light a fire in dry or wet weather
• Cook and bake over an open fire
• Navigate with a map and compass
• Take decisive action in case a member of their group gets lost
• Tie a tumpline onto a wanigan and a canoe for ease of carrying
• Bake with sourdough
• Safely manage a group in whitewater
• Set up tents and tarps

Course Schedule

Sunday: Arrive between 4 and 6 and set up camp. We'll meet, have dinner and discuss the week.

Monday: We'll start the week on the big water of Squapan Lake, learning the basics of poling and teaching such paddling strokes as the knifing J and pitch stroke for efficient forward motion.

Tuesday: We'll add the moving water component on the Aroostook River. You'll build on what you've already learned, then learn the way of the river and how it controls the boat. You'll learn to work with this elemental force, poling upstream and snubbing down. We'll also have a several mile float from the Masardis Trading Post back to the field school, stopping on the way to work on controlling the boat in Island Rips.

Wednesday: We'll add in the skills of maneuvering on a smaller stream as we float down the Blackwater River and St. Croix Stream. The challenges here are narrow passages, beaver dams, strainers, and more. You'll be challenged, but you'll be ready for it as a result of what we've already accomplished.

Thursday: Thursday morning we'll cover trip preparation and planning. We'll go through the checklists we've developed, plan the meals, pack the gear, then head into the North Maine Woods where we'll set up camp along the Big Machias River. We'll work on poling in the river and camp for the night.

Friday: We'll be up early and on the water for the long float back to town. It will take us most of the day to paddle and pole through the many rips and rapids of this lively waterway. Along the way you'll see the beautiful scenery of this seldom-paddled north woods gem. When we get back to town we'll head over to Blackwater Outfitters, where a room for the night and a hot shower are included in the tuition. After getting cleaned up we'll have dinner together (not included in the tuition), then say our farewells before turning in for the night.

This course is the first section of our our 4-Week Canoe Expedition Semester. It can be taken alone or as part of the longer course

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Travel Information and Directions:   Travel information is located here. After you register you will receive local driving directions to our site.

Arrival and Departure:   Plan to arrive on sunday afternoon, between 4 and 6. We'll have dinner, a group introduction and a tour of the grounds starting at 6. The course is over on Friday at 4 PM. Included in the tuition is lodging Friday night at Blackwater Outfitters where you can get a shower and a good night's sleep before hitting the road.

Accommodations:   Bring a tent, tarp, or other shelter. It will be your home for the week. For summer programs please consider bringing a bug net if you don't have noseeum netting on your tent. There are also cabins available through Blackwater Outfitters, located five minutes away. They can be reached at: 207-540-4101.

Meals:   Simple meals are provided during the course, and consist of fresh baked goods, beans, grains, and other foods that don't require refrigeration. For those whose palate requires greater stimulation than our meals provide, the Masardis Trading Post offers home cooked meals and is just a few miles away. We encourage you to bring any snacks you may not be able to live without.

Cancellation and Refund Policies:   With cancellations 60 days or more than in advance of the course, tuition, less the deposit, will be refunded. With cancellations less than 60 days prior to the start of the course all monies are non-refundable and non-transferable. These policies reflect the fact that we do not overbook, canceled spaces are very difficult to fill at the last minute, and that the vast majority of costs are incurred in preparing for a course/trip. If a program is canceled by us for any reason, the full tuition (including the deposit) will be refunded.

What is included with the tuition:   Included in the tuition are all camping fees, group meals, instruction, and group gear.

What is not included with the tuition:   Not included with the tuition are personal gear, items from town, knives (if you choose to purchase one) and any food or meals other than the group meals.

Course Insurance:   Adventure travel and wilderness education are not inexpensive, and anything can happen when we're in the bush. We recommend that all participants have medical insurance. We also recommend you protect your investment with travel insurance for trips and tuition insurance for courses.

Tobacco:   Smoking is not permitted in or near any buildings. All cigarette butts are to be placed into the metal can provided.

Vehicles and Parking:  We're located .6 miles down a gravel road. During the winter and spring the road can be impassable for 2-wheel drive vehicles, and sometimes for any vehicles other than snow machines.

Telephone: We don't have a phone or electricity. If you need to be in constant phone contact please consider bringing a cell phone, and if you need to charge a phone (or other electronic device), please look into getting a charger or bringing extra batteries.

Other: Please don't bring any pets, alcohol or illegal drugs.

Questions? Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

We reserve the right to include or omit any of the course topics listed due to class interest, availability of materials, inclement weather, or other factor that makes them impractical or unsafe.

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