We’ve got a lot of talent coming to the Brushfire Rendezvous next weekend. I’ve put together a tentative schedule, but everything can change depending on peoples’ interests and the skills people bring to share. There are still a few spots available, so if you haven’t registered, there’s still time. We’re finishing week 9 of our [...]

In a world that values comfort, embracing challenge and doing hard things is rare. In this episode of the podcast we discuss the challenges inherent in the spring, 2020 Wilderness Guide Training Semester. We also discuss current events and upcoming programs. PHOTO: Loading canoes at a remote camp on the fall, 2019 semester. Kid-Friendly? There [...]

This post was originally posted on the JMB Blog on October 14, 2009. It has been edited and updated, and is more true now than it was then. By the time you graduate from high school you’ve spent twelve years being indoctrinated into the ways of our culture. You know a bit of trivia about [...]

It’s week 3 of the fall Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, and for episode 77 of the podcast we spoke with students on the course. We learned about their first impressions of life in the woods, discussed the trapping class we took as a group and the role that trapping plays in studying mammals, and checked in [...]

Tracking mammals is the topic for episode 76 of the JMB Podcast. We discuss how we approach teaching tracking, the three types of tracking (clear print, pattern, sign), the three tasks of the tracker (locate, identify, interpret), and why jumping to conclusions is bad, but jumping to exclusions is good. Also covered is why bother [...]

It’s still August but the nights are getting cool. When the night air is cooler than the river water we get dramatic morning mists. I shot this on the morning of August 23, 2019, as the sun was just peeking over Squapan Ridge and the river valley was full of mist. I stood there for [...]

When made well, a grass mattress is portable luxury. Unlike thin sleeping pads, grass mattresses can easily be made to rival a modern mattress in thickness and comfort. They can also easily be transported, unlike bough beds. And they can be made from a variety of materials including grass, weeds, cattails, reeds, and more. They [...]

During the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester students document their journey into the world of learning to live close to the land. There are a variety of workbooks they create, as well as a daily logbook of the experience. All of this is kept in a google docs folder, and their progress is marked by a checklist. [...]

Episode 75 starts with a government conspiracy (to us, anyway) regarding whether the whoopie pie is the official state dessert or just the state treat of Maine, then we discuss how a hornet’s nest has stopped us from being able to print anything at the field school for a few days. Next we discuss the [...]

It’s that time of year in northern Maine where the bushes are loaded with ripe fruit. Wherever you look there are cherries, berries and apples weighing down the branches on which they grow. For the next six weeks, the season of bounty in the county, we’ll be feasting on wild foods, learning about them as [...]

There are three jobs that go with running a school: presenting information, having students do something useful with that information, and assessing the student to see where they are on the continuum of experience. However, most outdoor schools are simply venues for information to be presented. Information is not the same as education. In fact, [...]

I’ve worked hard for and waited a long time to be about to say this. We’re all set up with the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Credits for courses, financial aid & more. Read more on the UMPI website or on the Jack Mountain website.

The new Jack Mountain Bushcraft School online course platform and networking site is now live. Visit us at BushcraftSchool.com to meet like-minded people, learn a new skill, get a feel for how we do things or reconnect with people from your course.

Episode 73 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft podcast was recorded in the Guide Shack on Saturday, July 27th immediately following the Riverman canoe expedition skills course. I was joined by Brian Manning, Darrin Baird and Blake Towsley, and we discussed the course, learning traditional canoe skills and why they matter in the modern world. PHOTO: [...]

Smudge pots are a way of life at the field school in June and July. Take a metal coffee can, punch a few holes in it, attach a piece of chain to the rim and keep a small, smoky fire going. The smoke keeps the bugs at bay. It’s getting harder to find a metal [...]

I’m not a habitual smoker, but on expeditions I do enjoy the occasional pipe. There’s a great heritage involved, a kinship with the voyageurs, not to mention the smoke keeps the bugs away from your face. In this photo we were on the Gaspe peninsula in Quebec, an arm of land that juts out into [...]

I’m happy to announce that we’ve just awarded three new Journeyman Certifications. Congratulations to Anthony Damiano, Max Lawrence and Jeremy Marcotte. It requires a mountain of work, dedication and documentation to achieve the Journeyman Certification. Each of these men have done the work. You have earned our respect and the certification that goes along with [...]

I’ve been adding information to the Brushfire Rendezous page. Coming in October (10/11-10/13), Brushfire is a 3-day rendezvous celebrating a life close to the land in northern Maine. Not an instructional course, it will be more of gathering of like minds and shared interests. I’ve changed the pricing structure to $45 for the 3 days [...]

Very few people who play sports will become professional athletes. But in addition to the obvious physical benefits of playing sports, we learn other things that are applicable and valuable off the field. It’s the same with bushcraft and survival training. As this field continues to grow exponentially, it’s important to remember that not everyone [...]

While we were out on our final trip of the spring semester the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast passed a big milestone; 100,000 downloads. I’m not one to study the statistics or demographics and stress over getting more listeners. I never have been. But I’m excited that so many people are interested in what we’re doing. [...]

In order to work with our new tablet-based digital assessment system, we’re adding a tablet that can run Google Docs (or a similar phone with an external keyboard) to the gear list for our long-term programs. We’re also adding a personal battery that can be charged via usb to keep your device charged. While we [...]

It’s been a busy nine weeks, but now the parking lot is empty and the field school is quiet. Our 47th long-term program and the first half of our 21st year are complete. A few thoughts about the semester: The new digital assessment system worked amazingly well. Based in Google Docs, students were able to [...]

Episode 71 was recorded at a remote campsite in the North Maine Woods while students were out on solos. We discuss solos and how far students have come during the course. Then we address a listener question regarding the challenge of maintaining relationships when working away from home for long stretches of time. PHOTO: Recording [...]

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 [...]

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 such programs for over 20 years, I hate surprises. [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Episode 65 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast, recorded on Halfway Day on the spring, 2019 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester course. We catch up with the students and get some of their insights, discuss Christopher’s love affair with his new (to him) canoe, and talk about possibly differentiating the spring and fall semesters in 2020, with [...]

I’ve looked all over for black morel mushrooms without a lot of luck. What a treat that this is growing in an old garden space.

Episode 64 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast is about how all outdoor knowledge is local knowledge, and how the idea of a global expert is a myth. For the episode I was joined by old friend and frequent podcast guest Blake Towsley. PHOTO: Allagash falls from the canoe, taken summer 2018. Kid-Friendly? Profanity In [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

For episode 63 of the JMB Podcast we gathered with the students on the current Wilderness Bushcraft Semester in the Guide Shack on a cool morning before heading down to the river. We check in with Jeremy and Anthony and get their perspective on the course, the realities of living outdoors, using hand tools, and [...]

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 [...]

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.

Episode 62 is about how to know a place. Part of what we teach on our immersion programs is how to be at home in the forest. This includes both academic and experiential components, which we discuss. We also talk about the Masardis glacier and give an update about our articulation agreement with the University [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Episode 61 is about standards-based professional training. We’re speaking to potential students and giving them an idea of what to expect. In a nutshell, it’s hard, there’s a lot of work, and you have to be mature to to deal with the adversity it produces in a positive way. When things don’t go your way, [...]

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.

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.

In episode 60 Christopher and I get caught up with current events, talk about carving canoe paddles and discuss the winter and how the snow is still hanging around. PHOTO: Shot from a fire tower in the North Maine Woods. Links: JMBS Calendar. iTunes Link | Play, Download Or Subscribe In iTunes Stitcher Link | [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

The principles of tanning hides in the bitter cold are the same as tanning in warm weather. The details, however, are significantly different.

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 [...]

We recommend people bring a watch when they attend field school programs. It’s a necessary piece of kit for a working guide and ensures you know what time it is so you can be on time. Get a watch with a barometer, which is a common feature among modern outdoor watches. This will help you [...]

We’re excited to announce the official partnership between the Jack Mountain Bushcraft School and the University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI). After a lot of legwork, we’re partnering up to offer direct credit for UMPI students, and to offer transfer credits to students from other universities. The paperwork has been signed, the approval agency [...]

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 [...]

I just returned from a fantastic week on the land with my Cree friends David and Anna Bosum. I mention them by name, but there were many other people who worked and visited with us during the week. It’s such a unique experience, to be welcomed into their culture and learn about their life in [...]

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.

After three cold and snowy weeks in the woods at and near the field school in northern Maine, I’ve got a few days with my family and to dry out my kit before heading north to Ouje-Bougoumou, Quebec for a week on the land with my friends David and Anna Bosum. We had a great [...]

The Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast is back. After an extended stay off the grid running our winter programs, we’re back in the world with new episodes. Episode 59 is all about the Brushfire Rendezvous, coming to the field school October 11-13, 2019. Before we get to talking about it, we discuss the events of the [...]

Shot on a cold, snowy day on the Boreal Snowshoe Expedition, vlog episode 106 is an update from the field on the day we were working on emergency snowshoe construction.

I’m headed out for our winter term, which means 3 weeks in the woods for our Winter Woodsman course and the Boreal Snowshoe Expedition. Then I’ve got just a few days before leaving for northern Quebec to spend a week on the land with my old friends David and Anna Bosum. February is my favorite [...]

Although we’ll be adding to it (because no website is ever done, they’re always in process), we’ve got the skeleton of the 2019-2020 Yearlong Immersion Program (YIP) on the web. We’ve got a lot of details to add, but the dates, tuition and general idea for the program is on the YIP page. In a [...]

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.

Having business liability insurance is one thing that sets the professionals apart from the hobbyists. Nowhere is this more true than in the bushcraft/survival/outdoor space. If you’re charging money for your programs or trips, you should carry a business liability policy. We get a lot of questions regarding where to find affordable insurance for bushcraft [...]

Our upcoming winter programs, The Winter Woodsman Course, The Boreal Snowshoe Expedition and our trip to northern Quebec for the Winter Living With Cree Hunters trip are all currently full. We’re no longer accepting registrations, but if you’re interested contact us to be placed on a waiting list.

Scott Oeth is the owner of Bull Moose Patrol, a Registered Maine Guide, a Jack Mountain Bushcraft School alumnus, a featured speaker at Canoecopia and the Outdoor Adventure Expo and a father of 3. Raised in Madison, Wisconsin and active in scouts, Scott lives with his family in the twin cities of Minnesota. In episode [...]

One of my favorite spots in the North Maine Woods. One of these years I’m going to spend a week there, living with the timeless rhythms of the forest and river.

Blake Towsley is an old friend, purveyor of uncouth fire side talk (his description), and the owner of Le Club De Raquette de SRF. In this episode we discuss winter camping, winter weather trends, his line of traditional snowshoe and canoe gear, freedom cabbage, and upcoming winter camping trips. PHOTO: Blake and Tim in the [...]

Jeff Hatch is the owner of Raven Wilderness School in western Massachusetts, an ambassador for Fjallraven, has more instagram followers than we can count, and is an all-around great guy. Ed Butler and I sat down with Jeff on a breezy day to discuss his school, the role of social media in promoting small business, [...]

Gina Beach is a former teacher, current world traveler (by bicycle) and all-around impressive and accomplished young woman. I had the good fortune of having her in the fall, 2018 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester course. She publishes a great blog and the Saturn Returns podcast, and she’s been posting podcast interviews she conducted with other people [...]

One of my favorite places in the world at a beautiful time of day. Miles from the bustle of the modern world, deep in the North Maine Woods, with no signs of people as far as the eye can see.

Ed Butler, the Working Class Woodsman, stopped by and we spent an hour and a quarter talking about winter preparedness, the changing face of the forest in northern New England due to economic pressure, what you should carry with you, the boiling point of propane and butane, and a bunch of other winter-focused things. I [...]

Looking into the wood stove in one of our Jack Mountain Expedition Tents. The orange and red colors inside the stove are incredibly dramatic when compared to a grey winter day. Did you know that we designed our own tent a few years ago? Get more information here.

Photo from a past trip out on the land with David and Anna Bosum. Only a few spot remain for our March, 2019 trip. If you want one of them, register soon.

Deep in the North Maine Woods, it’s big country with big views. I’ve been roaming around this region for several decades and there’s still so much country to explore.

Dragan Uzelac is the owner of Niko Wilderness Education in Beaver County, Alberta and a Jack Mountain alumnus. In this episode of the podcast we discuss guided winter expeditions that Dragan will be leading this winter. We talk about making the gear needed for winter trips, the importance of planning ahead, and why it’s amazing [...]

Paracord was and continues to be the go-to cord in bushcraft and survival circles, but I never use it on our courses or expeditions. Instead I use string from the commercial fishing industry; a braided nylon. You can’t take it apart and use the small, inside strings for different things, but it holds up better [...]

Spent the day in the woods with the dog, marking trails and visiting some of my favorite spots including Sandy Beach and the Fairy Bridge over Perry Brook. For the trail map I’ve been working on for over a year, click this link.

Two landlocked salmon in a 16″ dutch oven over a fire. On canoe trips where we do a lot of fishing I often bring my 16″ dutch oven because the fish just taste better when cooked in it.

We were coming down a fast, narrow stream in early spring. On a bend in the stream was a full-width strainer; an obstruction spanning from shore to shore. After a short debate, we opted to cut it rather than unload and carry around it. So we poled a boat out into the current and held [...]

Donovan Burgess is the founder of Liquid Sessions Surf, a surfing school and full-service travel company in Pavones, Costa Rica, as well as a Jack Mountain Yearlong Immersion Program alumnus. Through Liquid Sessions Surf, Donovan offers a variety of learn to surf programs, including a month-long immersion into the skills and lifestyle of surfing that includes [...]

Cooking after dark over an open fire.

Forest Trees Of Maine is a fantastic guide to the trees of Maine and surrounding areas. If you’re at all interested you should get a copy. Get a free pdf copy through the Maine Forest Service. Order a print copy through the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Order a print copy through Amazon. [...]

Hanging a pot over an open fire is a great way to cook outdoors. Over the years we’ve experimented with a wide variety of pot suspension systems and have arrived at four criteria by which to judge them. As we’re often cooking for and with groups of ten or more people, it’s important to note [...]

Hot coffee and doughnuts are a great combination, even better when made outside over an open fire. When I was a teenager, two of my friends made up a little song about this amazing combination after getting some of both early one morning at a diner on the way to go ice fishing. All I [...]

It’s been almost two months since we released a podcast. In this episode I discuss what we’ve been up to, tell some stories about the history of the folk school, and finish with talking about digital sharecropping, why we’re migrating all of our media to our own sites and why we recommend you do the [...]

We’ve had a lot of interest in our March, 2019 trip to northern Quebec where we’ll live with our Cree friends David and Anna Bosum. We’ll be immersed in Cree culture for a week, learning about how they live. This video is an update on the trip, as well as a recommended reading list. For [...]

We’ve got 3 new courses running at the JMBS Folk School in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire in January: The JMBS Axemanship Course, Winter Survival in the North Woods, and The Art & Science of Fire. Each of them is a single day. They run on Saturdays in January (see the Master Calendar). I’ll be posting more [...]

I’ve been rereading some of Bill Riviere’s books lately and am reminded of why I hold his work in such high esteem. A registered Maine guide who worked on the Maine border patrol during World War 2, he was also a prolific writer. Here’s his take on throwing knives from Backcountry Camping: On TV and [...]

I took my daughter to a homeschool workshop at the Remick Museum in Tamworth, NH last Monday. The theme of the class was cooking on the hearth, or cooking on an open fire inside like they would have done in New Hampshire in the mid-1800s. It was a good experience with lots of dutch ovens [...]

Choosing tools for winter programs with the Jack Mountain Bushcraft School in Maine and points north. In the video we look at criteria for choosing a useful axe, knife and saw for the winter trail based on year of experience guiding snowshoe trips. Specific gear looked at includes: Axes from Pole & Paddle Canoe  Axe [...]

Scene this morning on Rust Pond at the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Folk School on the day before Thanksgiving, 2018. After yesterday’s snow, the white pines have their winter look. It’s beautiful here every day, but mornings like today remind me that this is no ordinary place.

The Brushfire Rendezvous is on the calendar for Friday, October 11 to Sunday, October 13. I don’t have any details yet, but will be working them out. After talking to a few friends, we figured that 100,000 people was too many, so we’ll probably limit it to 40 or so. We’ll be running an introduction [...]

We’ve been discussing the possibility of having a small 3-day rendezvous based around bushcraft and traditional wilderness skills at the field school since 2010. But despite a lot of talk, we’ve never hosted the event. A few weeks ago I was talking with some friends about it again, and after an hour discussing the possibilities, [...]

I’m renewing my Maine Guide license this fall, and the rules have changed. Included in the process now is a digital fingerprinting and background check. I heard a rumor from a game warden that the process is a response to people with criminal sex-offender backgrounds taking young people in the woods. While I don’t like [...]

If you enjoy first person narratives of life on the trail, you might be interested in a book that I just put on the Kindle store on Amazon. It’s a selection of my canoe and snowshoe trip journals from Maine, Alaska and the Florida Everglades. Most of the essays are from the early days of [...]

Replacing the broken culvert on the Moose Vegas Road at the field school. It’s been a long time coming, and will fix drainage as well as transportation issues.

On a remote river shuttling firewood across the river. Because at any established campsite the good wood is picked over, but just across the river there’s usually a lot of it. This is the boat that was recently damaged in a wind storm, in action on the Bonaventure river in Quebec last June (2018).

We had several storms over the past few days at the field school, resulting in the loss of one of our canoes. With temperatures below freezing and winds gusting to 50 miles per hour, several canoes were blown off of the racks, and one hull was broken. In the photo above, you can see the [...]

We just wrapped-up the Autumn Woodsman course after a great week of bushcraft and camaraderie. The Autumn Woodsman was new this year as a cold-weather, no-snow weeklong course. We had a great group, achieved all of our intended learning outcomes and also had a bunch of laughs doing it. Participants spent the night in individual [...]

There are two new alumni sections on the Jack Mountain website: alumni programs and alumni appreciation. In the alumni programs section (under the Courses tab) is information on the Year 2 Program for alumni. It’s on the schedule for 2019 and consists of a 2-week canoe trip on the Allagash and the 2-week Primitive Wilderness [...]

Putting a mattress of green fir boughs on a raised bed in a long-term cold weather shelter. It’s easy to make these more comfortable; add more mattress. Like everything else we do, you can learn something about this type of shelter and bed by building it, but to really know it you have to live [...]

In 2019 we’re changing the dates for the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester courses that have been on the web for a few months. After lots of discussions in the guide shack about how to provide the best courses with the fewest drawbacks, we’re shifting a few things around. The spring semester will run from April 28 [...]

There were hugs, handshakes and promises to keep in touch, but now the parking lot is empty and a group of people that came together nine weeks ago has gone their separate ways. They’re headed back to Alaska, to cycle across southern Europe, to explore West Virginia, to a winter job at a ski area [...]

Finishing pack baskets with dogwood rims. Snow flurries here this morning and cold and windy today, so we’re in the guide shack with the stove roaring. Last project on the last day of the fall Wilderness Bushcraft Semester.

Back from the trip, finishing projects on the last few days of the semester. A few people wanted to make pack baskets, so we’re making them. It will be a push to finish them, but that’s what we do.

We’re leaving on our final trip this morning, headed to a large, remote lake about an hour away. While there we’ll do our canoe-skills testing and people will head out on solos for several days. We’ve had some cold nights, so I’ll be brining a canvas tent and wood stove in case someone goes for [...]

The Autumn Woodsman is a new field school course this year, designed to provide people with skills for cold weather without deep snow. There’s a heavy emphasis on axe, saw and knife use, appropriate fire skills, shelter construction, using tents and stoves to create warm, comfortable spaces, as well as seasonally-appropriate crafts such as making [...]

Teaching poling and watching everyone come through a rip. Poling is a traditional canoe skill that we use daily. It’s a great way to descend a rapid with complete control, stop in the middle of whitewater and travel upstream against a strong current. And to do it well, you stand in the canoe.

Cool today, lit the first fire of the season in the Guide Shack. Enjoying the heat and looking out the window at the yellow aspen and birch foliage. Two weeks left in the semester, our last weekend in camp. Off-grid and loving it.

In episode 51 of the podcast Christopher and I recap the 2018 season with our youth program, the School Of The Forest, and talk about the Teen Wilderness Living Semester coming in 2019. As part of the discussion, we discuss the difference between wilderness living skills and actually living in the wilderness. It is something [...]

Canoeing season is almost finished for the year here in northern Maine, with night temperatures below freezing. But we still have one trip left on the fall Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. I’m excited to get out one in the boats for a few days one last time in 2018. If you’re interested in learning the way [...]

Someone spent a bunch of time building this cairn on the Allagash. I didn’t get a great picture of it because I couldn’t move the sun to where I wanted it. Whoever built this did so for the sake of building it, not for compensation or recognition. Everyone on our trip appreciated it’s beauty.

Grave Of The Unknown River Driver, Baxter State Park. Along the park tote road about 20 miles from the south entrance. Near Nesowadnehunk Stream, presumed drowned on a log drive. More at Downeast Magazine.

Human physiology doesn’t change in order to make a story better. But sensationalized stories of survival will always draw eyeballs, with the result being foolish and untrue beliefs being formed. I’m not a fan of how the media portrays survival episodes. They are looking for sensational stories, not to tell the truth. The result is [...]

Members of the fall Wilderness Bushcraft Semester cooling off in the lake on a recent trip. Underwater basket weaving is something that people who know nothing about basketry or working with your hands often joke about, mistakenly thinking they’re being clever. The reality is that basket making is hard work, and a worthwhile craft to [...]

We met this guy on a trip this past summer, sunning himself on the river.

Check out our new 18-foot yurt-dome; the Jack Vegas Casino & Ballroom located at fabulous Moose Vegas. We’ll be outfitting it with a woodstove and lots of casino-style games in the near future.

Congratulations to our own Colin Clifford, Maine’s newest Registered Guide. Colin is an alumnus working with us on this fall’s semester course. He traveled to Augusta today where he passed the test to become a Registered Maine Guide. He will be traveling back to the field school on the shoulders of stallions. Well done, sir.

In episode 50 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast we discuss listener comments, the role of alcohol on the trail, and how important food and eating well is on expeditions. PHOTO: Newly-carved paddles being used for the first time. Links: The Woods Cook: Outdoor Cooking With A Professional Guide by Tim Smith iTunes Link | [...]

We had an amazing week on the water last week, as the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester students used the paddles they recently carved to cross a remote lake and camp for the week. They learned a bunch of named paddle strokes, where hand and body position at the beginning and end of the stroke, as well [...]

Some knife sheath bling – made from birchbark and roots. Whatever your edged tool, it should always have a sheath, both to protect you and to protect your tool’s edge.

After a long, hot summer (the warmest on record in the Caribou, Maine area), we’ve now had two mornings in a row with temperatures in the high 20’s. It will warm up again and we’ll be swimming comfortably for a few more weeks, but the colder weather is coming. A few years ago in the [...]

Episode 49 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast is all about expedition behavior and leadership. Expedition behavior is outdoor education-speak for working as a team. On a chilly Saturday morning in the Guide Shack Tim, Christopher and Colin were joined by Blake Towsley for a discussion on good and bad leadership and how leadership skills [...]

Hard at work carving paddles. Finishing them today, heading out on the trail next week to put them to use.

David Callison hiked the Appalachian Trail from north to south , finishing in March of 2018. He’s also a participant on our fall, 2018 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. We discuss hiking the trail, why you should plant to hike from north to south to have a better experience, and learn about his most and least favorite [...]

An old video of our received a comment that stated there was no such thing as bushcraft in North America because we didn’t have any bush, only woods, and as such it had to be woodcraft. Let me take this moment to say I don’t care what anyone thinks about the appropriate name for bushcraft, [...]

This morning we started carving canoe paddles. It’s a chance to learn about wood and wood grain, as well as traditional hand tools. Our preference is for a draw knife and spoke shave, with a farrier’s rasp near the end. There are lots of tool combinations that work.

There are two components of incorporating wild plants into your life. First is making a positive identification in the field. Second is harvesting and processing the plant and knowing what to use it for. There are a lot of great books on using wild plants for food and medicine once you make that positive field [...]

Episode 47 is about women and gender in bushcraft. Christopher and I were joined by Allison Figueroa and Regina Beach, both of whom are participants on the fall semester. They share their insight into the role that gender plays on women getting into the outdoor industry, gear, and the “pink tax” women often pay for [...]

Lucky The Wonder Dog, river safety officer. When someone goes for a swim, she jumps in the water and swims around them. #fulltangcaninelifestyle

Mors Kochanski is a man who needs no introduction to people in the bushcraft community. My friend Dragan Uzelac from Niko Wilderness Education and The More You Know Podcast recently posted a 2 hour, 7 minute podcast interview where Mors discusses many things that will be of interest to the student of survival training and [...]

Episode 46 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast is about the path to becoming a reputable instructor. We discuss the necessary steps, finding your voice as an instructor, overcoming imposter syndrome, and the role of being an assistant instructor or teaching assistant as part of a long-term development plan. PHOTO: Poling practice on the river. [...]

Today is our first day of poling canoes during the fall semester. It’s hot and sunny, a nice bonus for enduring the cold water of the pond. We worked through the first five poling exercises, and also covered lifts, carries and canoe rescue. Tomorrow we’ll be poling on the river.

On episode 45 Christopher and I are joined by Allison Figueroa, a student on the fall Wilderness Bushcraft Semester who is taking a semester off from her studies at Boston University to attend Jack Mountain. We discuss how she’s settling into the semester, how the experience of being here fits with her expectations, her take [...]

On episode 44 of the podcast I’m joined by Christopher and Colin, recorded during our morning instructors meeting on Wednesday, August 22nd. We cover four topics: welcome to the fall semester, our systems-based approach to outdoor living at the field school and on the trail, some points about our educational philosophy, and the wild bounty [...]

Yesterday we began the fall, 2018 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, our 45th long term program over the past 20 years. Our team for the course consist of myself and Christopher Russell as instructors and Colin Clifford as the teaching assistant. I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few years on the trail with both [...]

Plants Of Baxter State Park. The plant book I’ve been waiting for years to find. Amazing resource. Full post with link coming soon.

Paddling big lakes with big tailwinds is a skill that I haven’t seen discussed in the books, but it takes a certain knack to not get spun by the waves. Once you get spun, it’s easy for the waves to come over the gunwhales and fill your boat with water. In most cases it’s really [...]

From time to time I mention our amazing alumni. Tonight I want to say congratulations to Sam Larson for winning Alone, season 5 in Mongolia! You’re an inspiration for the young and young at heart everywhere! If you don’t know Sam, he runs Woodsong Wilderness Outfitters, has a great sense of humor, and is now [...]

Paddling the East Branch of the Penobscot is a lot of work. There are 4 big carries around waterfalls in the first ten miles of the trip, and there are also some rapids that require solid paddling skills. But the views are amazing, such as this photo of a few canoes paddling downriver with the [...]

Grand Pitch, on the East Branch of the Penobscot river, is not an easy place to get to. In our world where almost everything is accessible via automobile, I think it’s great that there are still places you need to sweat and bleed a little to get to.

Allagash Falls, 2 different viewpoints. It’s a special place, not reachable by road. Shot on the recent Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester.

On Eagle Lake at the Smith Brook campsite, Allagash Wilderness Waterway. We saw this bull moose who was not the slightest bit interested in us. Smith Brook is the site of the 1976 Allagash alien abduction, the focus of this book.

We’ve been out on the land and off the grid for a month and a half, so this is the first podcast in a while. In it I talk with Christoper and Ed about what we’ve all been up to. For me, it’s been the Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester, from which I just returned. We [...]

Our first night on the water of the 2018 Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester, camped on Telos Lake on the Allagash. I had the camera on autofocus, so you weren’t able to see the high peaks of Baxter State Park in the distance.

Our alumni do awesome things, so it’s a pleasure for me to keep in touch with many of them. This past spring I got an email from a guy named Ezra, who participated in a summer program a while back. He has since received a bachelor’s degree, worked as a teacher, and had many other [...]

It’s been a long, hot, low-water summer full of challenges, and we’re finally back from the Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester (WCES). Since mid-June we’ve spent seven weeks on the rivers of Maine and Quebec guiding. That’s a lot of rapids, carries, and meals cooked over the fire. Today we said farewell to our WCES crew, [...]

In a few hours people arrive and we’ll begin the Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester. The plan is to spend the first few days in camp planning and packing meals and covering a variety of expedition skills from efficient paddling to whitewater rescue, then head out on the river. We’re having an exceptionally dry summer in [...]

We’ve had a great week on the Summer Woodsman course, starting with a heat wave but settling into cooler temperatures late in the week. We’ve spent a significant amount of energy working on axemanship, fire, campfire cooking, navigation, shelter, crafting, tracking and edible wild plants. Today is the last day of the course, and we’re [...]

I talk to a lot of people who are interested in running their own outdoor business, but haven’t pulled the trigger. I also talk with a lot of people who have pulled the trigger, but haven’t had the level of success they need in order to make it their full-time job. Due to requests from [...]

Shot on the Bonaventure River, this was our morning ritual for the trip. Man did we have a blast on that trip. Featured in the video is me, Frank, Kelly, Dragan and Christopher with the intro. Thanks to Blake for filming. Jack Mountain Bushcraft Vlog Episode 96.

I spent some time over the 4th diving in Lake Winnipesaukee with my son and one of my oldest friends. We took a few underwater photos while swimming down below the thermocline into the cool water, and it felt glorious.

To keep things simple, I’m changing how we catalog our videos. After a quick count of the videos we’ve put out over the years, I determined that we had done 94 of them, making this episode 95. On a muggy July morning on the dock, I discuss my old hat, my new hat, and edits [...]

If you’ve ever wanted to hear the unsolicited opinions of participants on our Boreal Snowshoe Expedition, listen to this episode of The More You Know podcast by Dragan Uzelac (Instagram @ nikowilderness) of Nico Wilderness Education from Alberta, Canada. Dragan spoke with Blake Towsley (Instagram @ leclubderaquettedesrf), owner of Le Club De Raquette De SRV, [...]

I went for a sunset kayak paddle with my son on Rust Pond, where I grew up and home to our folk school. After a long spring at the field school it’s great to be home.

It’s July 4th week and we’re in the midst of a heatwave with temperatures in the 90’s. This type of weather always gets me thinking about winter! 2019 will be our 20th year running multi-week snowshoe expeditions, and thoughts of the winter trail are somewhat of an antidote to sweating while sitting still in the [...]

I’ve been asked several times recently how I define what a guide does and when someone is ready to start guiding remote trips. Below are some thoughts on this. A practitioner is someone who likes to engage in an activity, and may be extremely skilled at it. An instructor is skilled at breaking down a [...]

I took this photo at our last campsite on the Bonaventure, on the lower river a few miles upstream from the ocean. When I first saw pictures of this river, the clarity of the water drew me in and I knew I had to paddle it. After several trips it continues to hold a spell [...]

I spent a lot of time in the canoe this past spring, and watched as a variety of people had dry bags that failed. This happens every year. People put their faith in a dry bag to keep their stuff dry, but their stuff still gets wet. Don’t believe the dry bag hype, and don’t [...]

A few clips from our recent trip on the Bonaventure River in Quebec.

Our next series of programs is our summer term, beginning July 8th and consisting of the Summer Woodsman course and the Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester (both are full and we’re not accepting more applications). The Summer Woodsman is a weeklong introduction to all that we do here at the field school. But more than an [...]

We just returned from an epic canoe trip on Quebec’s Bonaventure River. For episode 42 of the podcast, Colin Clifford, Christopher Russell and I discussed the trip over coffee in the Guide Shack. We talked about what they got out of the trip, the impact of the hit song Party In The USA on the [...]

We’re back from a fantastic trip on the Bonaventure River on Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula. It was a lot of work due to low water levels, but we had an amazing group of guys that were ready for any challenge the river threw at us. It was my second trip on the Bonaventure, but the first [...]

Episode 41 was recorded in the Guide Shack on June 14th, the final night of our spring, 2018 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester course, our 43rd long-term program. I was joined by Christopher Russell, as well as Tom and James who were both students on the course. We talk about our final trip, their experiences on the [...]

The gear is packed up, the shuttle is on it’s way, and we’re ready to go. We leave this morning on our final trip for the spring, 2018 Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. We’re headed to the headwaters of the Aroostook and will float back to the field school, 50+ miles, over the next week. We’ll also [...]

Fleshing a deer hide on the scraping beam. Getting the meat, fat and connective tissue off of the hide makes it shelf stable and it can then be stored by drying. It’s also the first step in the braintanning process. This hide is from a deer harvested last fall by this course participant. He’s eaten [...]

Beautiful stretch of weather here in the county. A couple of the guys decided to loose a few arrows in the field. #fulltanglifestyle

I received a piece of sad news and wanted to share it with our alumni. We were over at Scopan lake the other day working on paddling strokes and canoe rescue when two guys from the Maine Department of Conservation motored up to the launch. We talked for a few minutes about the lake and [...]

Acknowledgement of achievement by your peers and people who understand what you do feels more impactful than acknowledgement from strangers. We’ve been placed on numerous lists over the years regarding the best survival schools in America, etc., and it always feels good to be included with the industry leaders. Recently we were awarded the Wilderness [...]

It was 93 degrees here today according to the weather station in Ashland. We spent the day working on paddling strokes and canoe rescue on Scopan Lake (3 miles from the field school). When we got back to camp at the end of the day I went for a swim in the pond. It was [...]

Practical exam on map and compass navigation for the Journeyman Certification Program this morning. Students have had weeks of instruction, now it is time to prove they can do it. #fulltanglifestyle

I was up early this morning tweaking menus for our upcoming trips on the Aroostook and Bonaventure rivers before we start our instructional day here at the field school. It’s not the glamorous side of guiding expeditions, but planning and provisioning are crucial parts of having a trip work at all, let alone smoothly. The [...]

Instructors Ben and Christopher taking a break from poling on a recent canoe trip. #fulltanglifestyle

This morning I went to the fish hatchery in Caribou and picked up some young brook trout, brought them back to the field school, and put them in the pond. I have many fond memories of fishing small trout ponds as a kid. Now we can provide that same experience to the kids who come [...]

We’ve got an open spot left on our 2018 Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester, a four-week experience where you learn to guide wilderness canoe trips. It’s a great opportunity to take your paddling, poling and wilderness living skills to the professional level, as well as learn the rivers, rapids and campsites of northern Maine. You’ll cook [...]

Episode 40 of the JMB Podcast is about current and upcoming events. Christopher and I discuss what we’re working on to upgrade the field school, upcoming trips and programs, stocking our pond with brook trout, and our new team resiliency training. Links: Team Resiliency Training At Jack Mountain Autumn Woodsman Course Family Bushcraft Week, School [...]

This afternoon we wrapped up week six of our nine-week spring semester with Journeyman certification testing on axemanship and dramatic thunderstorms. As part of our Journeyman certification, students have to pass a series of tests in the field to demonstrate their mastery of the material. Today we tested on the four major axe disciplines: felling, [...]

Immediately following our spring Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, our team of instructors is headed northeast to the Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula for a whitewater trip on the Bonaventure River. (Photo above is from Kicking Horse Pass on the Bonaventure, taken on a previous trip.) We’ll be joined by several notable Canadian and American instructors. We’re all excited [...]

We had a cold front pass over us this morning and Adam Lougee snapped this photo of the clouds over the Guide Shack. I love looking at and studying the clouds. So much beauty right over head every day.

I’m a lifelong learner. Even as I’m sliding through middle age, I still get excited about learning new things. Each year I like to take a course or two to increase what I know and because I find it enjoyable. I like to seek out experienced instructors, because when I’m taking a course I’m learning [...]

Walking across arctic Norway, axe in hand. Shot this photo when in Norway filming a tv show in 2014. I wanted to be able to prove to my kids I was actually there! #fulltanglifestyle

A few years ago I was abducted and left for dead on top of a mountain in arctic Norway. I was forced to find my own way back to civilization while dealing with deep snow fields, freezing temperatures and raging rivers. The entire experience was recorded and appeared as an episode of the Discovery Channel [...]

We had quite a bit of traffic, slowing the travel down a bit. #fulltanglifestyle

Today is the official halfway mark on the spring semester; 4.5 weeks down, 4.5 weeks to go. In some ways our 9-week semester seems to pass in the blink of an eye. In others, it seems to last for years. So far this specific course has been flying by leaving me wondering where the time [...]

On our long-term semester and expedition programs, we live and work together in close quarters for an extended period of time. Our goal is for individuals to learn and excel at hard skills, but without a plan and systems regarding how to live and work together, successful outcomes are harder to achieve. Working as a [...]

Episode 39 of the JMB Podcast begins with Ed’s review of the New England Bushcraft Show, moves to a discussion about appropriate gear for specific situations, then a discussion of minimum versus displaced impact, and lastly a cross-cultural view of different approaches to ecology, specifically regarding the Cree idea of continued use for sustainability of [...]

The river is calling, and this morning we will answer! We’re headed out on our first trip of the spring semester in an hour. The water is high, cold and fast, and we’re headed to a winding, small river with plenty of challenging water. It will be the first time poling in moving water with [...]

What a difference a week makes! The photo is Christopher taking the first paddle around the pond (aka Grand Lac Samsquanch) of 2018, 1 week ago. Today was sunny and 70 degrees, and we had a bunch of boats on the pond working through our introduction to canoe poling curriculum. It was a late spring, [...]

Keeping your body clean is important. This video is all about the ways in which to do so with no infrastructure. Something I neglected to mention in the video is that the Pump-Up Solar Shower is also a great piece of kit for trips to the ocean in order to rinse off at the end [...]

Today begins week four of the spring semester. People have been living with the field school systems long enough for it to become second nature, making life smooth and enjoyable. Another factor in this smooth, enjoyable lifestyle is the weather; the snow is finally gone and we’re enjoying warm, sunny weather. Watching the plants emerge [...]

Traditional Maine Guide Canoeing: Episode 38 of the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Podcast. On a blustery Saturday morning, Christopher and I discussed the role of the canoe in northern Maine. Along the way we covered the history and materials of canoes (birch bark, wood canvas, aluminum, fiberglass, plastic),why canoeing still matters, the JMB traditional skills approach, [...]

It’s a Guide Shack Saturday night. From the photo: radio, guide canteen, knife, hat, wood stove in the northwest corner (thankfully not needed for the first Saturday of 2018). Listening to A Prairie Home Companion on the radio. Dutch oven cooking outside. My 16’x20′ off-grid, off-pipe home at our field school in northern Maine. Content. [...]

Our Summer Woodsman course for July, 2018 is currently full with a waiting list. We’re not accepting any more registrations for it. The next week long course covering similar skills is the Autumn Woodsman which takes place November 4-10.

In episode 37 of the JMB Podcast, we discuss the Journeyman Certification, our standards-based guide and outdoor leader certification. To get there, we start with a history of the bushcraft/primitive skills/survival industry, how the Bulletin Of Primitive Technology and the internet got us to the point where the industry is at now, and the difference [...]

After snowshoeing into the field school for the first two and a half weeks of the spring Wilderness Bushcraft Semester, on May 1st the snow was finally low enough for me to put the truck in 4-wheel drive and make it down the road. Once there are wheel ruts in the snow, things melt significantly [...]

Making simple mocotaugans (crooked knives) in the campfire. It doesn’t take a bunch of infrastructure to make a functional knife. I used to believe it did, but now have 20 years of making simple knives in the campfire under my belt. Vise grips and a hammer are necessary, as is a new file to cut [...]

We woke up to a beaver sunning itself on the pond ice. It spent the whole day hanging around before swimming down the stream after dark.

Snow is finally melting. Still too much of it on the road to drive in, but the fields are just about snow-free. See you in a few months, snow. Now bring on the bugs!

Studying the natural world adds depth and richness to life. In this episode Ben, Christopher and I discuss our nature study curriculum as set forth in First Person Ecology. Our method is a blend of academic study and personal experience, with the goal being to create a series of field guides that you carry around [...]

History is rarely hands-on, but traveling old canoe routes is history you can experience in person. Connecting watersheds, traveling to distant lakes or regions, poring over maps; I love all of it. The romance of hanging up the truck keys for a year and traveling by my own power is a fantasy I’ve entertained often. [...]

Through adversity comes growth. So far this spring, mother nature has provided great opportunities for growth. The first few weeks of our spring Wilderness Bushcraft Semester are the hardest few weeks of our calendar year. The snows are still deep, the streams are swollen, and getting around can be very difficult on deep, slushy snow [...]

JMB alumnus Doug Dickens is hosting a Prehistoric Pottery Workshop with Keith Grenoble at Flood Creek Farm in Southern Maryland. Keith Grenoble has been a product of the Back to the Land movement and developed close ties to Native communities from an early age. Keith started his journey by making stone tools represented in the [...]