As of today the Riverman course in July is full. We still have a few spots left for the summer woodsman and fall Wilderness Bushcraft Semester course, but they won’t last long. Our big news is that we will no longer be running folk school programs at our location in New Hampshire as we’re selling […]
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We’re nearing the end of our spring 2019 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. Today begins week 8, and we’re headed out for the final expedition of the course. This means you won’t hear from us for a few weeks as we’ll be off the grid. In this episode we talk about the realities of being consistent with […]
Read more
Episode 111 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Vlog joins the spring, 2019 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester course for the first day we’re out poling on the Aroostook river at the field school. You can check out our waterfront area that we call Canoe Beach and see the initial attempts at poling in fast, deep water […]
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When I see water droplets on lupine leaves, I think of tiny jewels that are there only for me to appreciate. I love how the drop of water stops and spends time at the center of the plant where the leaves go together after a rain. And then the sun comes out and shines on […] Continue Reading...
The principles of tanning hides in the bitter cold are the same as tanning in warm weather. The details, however, are significantly different. Continue Reading...
From our recent trip to northern Quebec. A great group of people. Here we were out checking hare snares and looking for marten tracks. We had a tip that someone had seen Bucksaw Jenkins tracks somewhere between Chibougoumou and Chapais, as he was wintering in the James Bay lowlands, and we were concerned that he […] Continue Reading...
This guy hung around our place a while back. In the photo he was sitting chest-high in a hemlock sapling, 9-feet from our door. Working on updating the Yearlong Immersion Program for 2019-2020, should be done by the end of the weekend. Continue Reading...
As of today the Riverman course in July is full. We still have a few spots left for the summer woodsman and fall Wilderness Bushcraft Semester course, but they won’t last long. Our big news is that we will no longer be running folk school programs at our location in New Hampshire as we’re selling […] Continue Reading...
I went to pick up the new outhouse for the riverside camp yesterday afternoon. On the way back, I saw a beaver sitting next to a ditch on the side of the road. We stopped and it walked into the water, then swam away into the woods up the stream. One of the guys spotted […] Continue Reading...
Poling a canoe is a difficult thing to learn. It’s even more difficult to teach. We have a series of exercises and situations we run people through, but it takes some time before the lessons sink in and people start to get it. When it finally happens, the “a-ha” moment is visible. They stop fighting […] Continue Reading...
Peter Frost was a 2004 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester student at the Jack Mountain Bushcraft School. This amazing story really happened and illustrates the usefulness of getting out every day, if only for a little while. Tracking A Fisher This morning we were very fortunate. The conditions were ideal for tracking. Early last night, an inch […] Continue Reading...
We’re nearing the end of week 3 of the spring Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, and today we were out on the river with a cold north wind and driving rain challenging every paddle stroke as the group was learning to canoe. It took a lot out of us. This evening I made a dutch oven dinner […] Continue Reading...
I’m writing this on Sunday morning, May 5th, in the Guide Shack. It’s a clear blue sky outside and batteries of our off-grid solar power system were fully charged at 8 am. We’re one week into the spring Wilderness Bushcraft Semester course, and spring is just starting to get some momentum. The birdsong is loud […] Continue Reading...
If you listen to our podcast, read our blog, or spent any time with us at the field school, you’ve heard us talk about learning outdoor skills in context. I’ve been bouncing this idea around in my head a lot over the past months while running short programs for museums, schools and science centers. As […] Continue Reading...
You haven’t been hearing from us much lately. Now, with the spring Wilderness Bushcraft Semester just over a week away, I’ll explain why. I’ve been busy migrating our student workbooks and our assessment system from paper to digital. This means that starting this spring, students on the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester can document everything from their […] Continue Reading...
We’re nearing the end of our spring 2019 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. Today begins week 8, and we’re headed out for the final expedition of the course. This means you won’t hear from us for a few weeks as we’ll be off the grid. In this episode we talk about the realities of being consistent with […] Continue Reading...
How to choose a wilderness immersion program is the topic for episode 69 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast. Christopher and I discuss the three things a potential student should ask themselves and the ten things a student should look for in a school. Having run a such programs for over 20 years, I hate […] Continue Reading...
Episode 68 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast is about the assessment system we use for our immersion programs. Christopher and I discuss the role of assessment on a long-term program, the crucial role of academic study to learn deeply, and a true story that drives home the need to learn the scientific names of […] Continue Reading...
Episode 67 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft podcast starts with a rant against how outdoor living was broken into two options by a tv writer in 2009: tactical or hippie. Then we talk about the Jack Mountain approach which is neither of those options; the experiential anthropological approach. We talk about how experience shapes a […] Continue Reading...
Episode 66 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast is about the challenges that come with the job of being a professional guide and outdoor instructor. While what we do can look idyllic from the outside, it’s not without difficulty. Christopher and I discuss 8 specific challenges that come with the job: You are never off […] Continue Reading...
Episode 111 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Vlog joins the spring, 2019 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester course for the first day we’re out poling on the Aroostook river at the field school. You can check out our waterfront area that we call Canoe Beach and see the initial attempts at poling in fast, deep water. Continue Reading...
Episode 110 of the JMB Vlog joins the spring, 2019 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester course as they carve canoe paddles with simple hand tools. We also work through the blame cascade exercise which is an important part of life on the WBS. Continue Reading...
Episode 109 of the JMB Vlog joins the spring, 2019 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester course on the first day of canoe poling practice. There was still snow on the edge of the field, but the air was warm even if the water was just a few degrees above freezing. Continue Reading...
Episode 108 of the JMB Vlog is a series of scenes shot on our recent trip to northern Quebec. Chiseling holes in the ice to set a fish net, splitting wood, lashing a moose hide into a frame and cooking geese by the wood stove. It was a great trip, with lots of learning and […] Continue Reading...
Shot on location in northern Quebec, episode 107 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Vlog features Sam Larson and I discussing the merits of our video policy, selfie first, safety last. Please note that this is satire, but does represent how much fun we had on the trip. Continue Reading...
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We’re a bushcraft, guide training and wilderness expedition school founded in 1999. We help people become more self-reliant and connected to the natural world using traditional skills and a few simple tools. This is our media hub, consisting of our blog, podcasts and videos.
