Northern Wilderness Bushcraft Expedition
Winter Bushcraft, Snowshoe Travel & Survival Skills in association with North Woods Ways
Join
us on an inspiring two-week snowshoeing expedition, traversing frozen
waterways through the uninhabited interior of Maine’s taiga forest. Travelling
on foot and using traditional clothing and equipment, we pull all our
equipment and supplies on toboggans; packing a trail through the winter wilderness of
the Maine North Woods and following in the footsteps of naturalist/philosopher Henry Thoreau.Accommodation is in wood-heated canvas tents. The days will be spent trekking through breathtaking scenery, and the nights enjoying classic pioneer trail food and good company. Small Group Size - Max. 8. All Meals and Snacks Provided.
“ The thick night falls over the forest, and the frost comes down
like an axe. Once the canvas has been stretched over the framework, and
the snow banked up all around the sides, and the stove is nice and warm
– then he (the trapper) can slip into an almost total state of
well-being – even though he may not yet fully realise that right then
and there, in the heart of the woods, he is living through the best
moments of his life.”
- Paul Provencher (Last of the Coureurs de Bois.)
- Paul Provencher (Last of the Coureurs de Bois.)
Maine is called the Pine Tree State, as over ninety percent of its land is wooded, with 3.5 million acres of boreal forest. The
Maine North Woods are a mix of northern hardwoods and conifers, and
home to moose, fox, fisher, martin, coyote, beaver, white-tailed deer,
bear, and the endangered Canada lynx – the perfect place to learn
snow-tracking skills.Unlike modern winter camping we will veer away from brightly coloured synthetic mountain garments, and will outfit you with canvas parkas, mukluks and hide/canvas mittens, as worn by the natives of Labrador, designed to meet the needs of traditional winter travel.
The expedition will begin with a two-day preparatory phase, run from a static camp, covering classic Arctic survival skills and winter bushcraft where you will begin to understand the intricacies of living in this amazing environment and cover the core skills needed to get you on-the-trail for the following 10-day expedition.
Phase one will cover base-camp and core emergency skills - - Understanding thermo-regulation
- Cold weather clothing and equipment
- Understanding cold injuries
- Sanitation and hygiene
- The science of snow and using snow tools
- Trip planning
- Menu planning
- Natural hazards
During phase two, we will focus on winter travel and trail-skills by totally immersing ourselves in this amazing environment and 'hit the trail' for the next 10-days.
Living in canvas wall tents- Using wood stoves
- Emergency fire lighting
- Ice reading skills
- Using Ojibwa and Maine snowshoes
- Loading and pulling traditional toboggans
- Backwoods cooking
- Emergency snowshoes
- Axemanship and sawcraft
- Aputiak (igloo)
- Athapaskan quinzee
- Snow-holes, slab shelters and drift caves
- Expedient shelters
- Using an Ice Chisel
- Star navigation and mythology
- Handmade snow goggles
- Making crooked knives
- Tracking and trailing
We are thrilled to be working with the founders of North Woods Ways - Garrett and Alexandra Conover.
In addition to being inspiring company, they are renowned Maine Guides
and internationally recognised experts in subarctic and traditional winter travel
skills. The Conover’s are also respected authors, having written some
of the most authoritative and valuable books on wilderness travel,
including Beyond the Paddle and, the Winter Wilderness Companion and
the Snow Walker's Companion.What is it about? The aim of the course is for you to acquire the skills in planning, preparation, bushcraft, traditional skills, snow-craft and knowledge to travel safely in the sub-arctic conditions of the boreal north. You will be spending everyday exploring, walking, tracking and living in the North Woods.
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If you are interested in this expedition and would like more detailed information, please download the North Woods Expedition Briefing Pack pdf.
An Expedition Booking Form can be downloaded here.
(No prior experience is required to attend this expedition.)
Heads Up... Whilst not essential, if you are keen on doing a bit of pre-course reading, we would recommend the following book - Snow Walker's Companion: Winter Camping Skills for the Conovers.