Remote trips, especially solo, aren’t safe or even possible without solid canoe skills; poling, lining, and paddling. On the Bonaventure I poled the upper section, lined ledges, and as shown here, lined through the ’embacles’ (french for log jams). As this was just a short drop inline with the current, I didn’t bother to tie [...]

Christopher Russell is the first recipient of the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester scholarship and a student on the spring, 2016 WBS. We sat down to talk about scholarships, motivation and all things WBS on a cold day in early May. You can read more about Christopher, including an amazing series of interviews he published about the [...]

Just below a series of ledges on the Bonaventure. I should have ran this one on river right, but these are the things you learn during a first trip on a river and why I like to paddle them solo before doing them with clients.

After an overnight rain, the Bonaventure was misty. In the background is a class 2 ledge. The water level was perfect for the ledges and rapids – much lower and it would have been scratchy.

I continued on to Bonaventure, Quebec. Solo river trip, headed off the grid in the AM. Atlantic sunset.  

Dropped the boys at the International Appalachian Trail in Matapedia, Quebec. They're hiking back to Maine. #woodslife #iat  

On to the International Appalachian Trail in New Brunswick.  

Empty parking lot. 35th immersion program completed. On to the Gaspe tomorrow to canoe the Bonaventure river.  

The Bowman PackBack: 2 pack baskets on a pack frame. Bottom basket is for a sleeping bag. Will be on the IAT in New Brunswick next week.  

One last trip for the semester; running the Big Machias river. Water is way up, should be great whitewater.  

Smoking a newly-made pair of braintanned buckskin shorts at the Bob Waggetorium.  

Brown ash pack baskets: starting to weave.  

Our camp internet connection broke this past week. It was probably about time, as we run camp off a wireless wifi device and it was a few years old. It will no longer charge, leaving me wondering if I should get a new one or just a standalone battery charger. Then yesterday on my way to [...]

Pounding brown ash into strips, making pack baskets. End of week 8, 1 week to go.  

Moose bone arrowheads made as part of a final project. Wicked shaahp!  

New knife. Blade from an old file, stacked birch wood and bark handle, made outside with simple tools.  

Becoming a canoe pole. Peeled spruce ready to be fitted with copper pipe shoe to become a canoe pole.  

Stretching a hide in a frame. Racing the incoming storms. Lots of cool final projects going on.  

Been out putting up trail signs- our 3 mile field school trail system is now color coded.  

Making wooden wedges to split a tree the long way for canoe paddle blanks.