Harvesting wild apples today. A fruit picker is an amazing piece of kit for getting the high ones.  

People are coming back from solos. Just heard from one guy who had a hugely positive experience.  

Looking east toward New Brunswick from the field school on a beautiful fall afternoon.  

Wall tents in late afternoon sunlight.  

Carving A Pack Basket Mold  

Instructors hanging out. Everyone out on solos, quiet camp, beautiful fall day.  

Artisan sourdough bread, reflector oven style.  

Smoke house security guard, keeping the meat safe.  

The Fat Of The Land. Ruffed grouse and wild apples.  

Snow Walkers' Rendezvous – new web site and registration form. Registration is open. Snow Walkers’ Rendezvous 2014 | Wilderness Canoe Symposium 2014 Snow Walkers’ Rendezvous November 7-9, 2014, Hulbert Outdoor Center, Fairlee, Vermont, USA. 1995 found a group of Traditional Northern Winter Travelers gathering at the Hulbert Outdoor Center in Fairlee, Vermont. Their idea was [...]

Opening day of ruffed grouse season. First bird of the year.  

Lost a bet with another participant and had to fell a tree while wearing a dress.  

Stove in the foreground, raised bed for 8, dogs under bed. Shelter done, warm and cozy.  

Bough bed on the raised platfom, group shelter.  

Covering the dome with a parachute. Notice the guy standing on the roof.  

Building a group shelter today for the coming cold weather.  

Fly casting practice, unseasonably warm day. We’ll be swimming later.  

Dutch oven sourdough doughnuts cooked on a rocket stove. It rarely gets better than this.  

Found a baby turtle. Thought it was a kid’s toy at first. Here he’s sitting on my hand.  

Stunning sunset over the pond. Never gets old.  

How Maine Axes Were Made In 1965. Documentary shot at Emerson & Stevens in Oakland.

Arctic Manual by Vilhjalmur Stefansson as free download. This is a must have book for those interested in native life in the polar north. Thanks to Alan Halcon and his fantastic blog (if you're not reading it you're missing out) for the links. Arctic Manual…. Free E-Book – outdoor self reliance Non-professionals go to school [...]

Winter is just around the corner. Looking forward to hitting the trail.  

First video shot this semester by our video guy, Heath Spielberg.

Leaving on a 3-day walkabout with homemade gear. Outfitter shop not needed.  

Merganser in the dutch oven. Harvested today. We heard it wasn’t good, but it turned out great!  

Feather stick fire-for-coffee exercise in camp this morning.  

Fish in a freshly-carved deadfall trap.  

Poling practice, lunch break. Beautiful day on the Aroostook River! 

Congrats to Maine’s newest registered guide, Tom Belluscio!

Log drive remnants. Rings for attaching boom chains on the Aroostook. 

Removing stubborn wood from the eye of an old Snow & Neally 2.5 lb axe head. Slow going. 

Amazing northern lights show in camp tonight. Always neat to be with people seeing them for the first time.

Grass for a blanket, first frost tonight. Farewell bugs, see you in the spring! 

My view this morning: camped on Squapan lake with the Wilderness Bushcraft Semester. 

Paddles today. Had a dutch oven dinner. Now to the river for a swim. Great time of year. 

Cooking his first dutch oven dinner. Pork shoulder. Like a boss! 

Jack Mountain on weather.com.  I'm not sure how meteorology can be a lifesaving skill, but it's still pretty cool.? 10 Lifesaving Skills You Could Learn at Survival Camp – weather.com Emergencies come in all shapes and sizes, and preparing for different disaster scenarios is no different. Here’s what you can learn from the experts. View [...]

Making paddles at the field school: 28th JMBS semester course is underway. 

Although the nights are just starting to get cool we’ve been thinking about snow and ice and planning our winter schedule. Below is a preview of the programs we’re offering.Winter Bushcraft, Survival And Expedition Program 2015 PreviewOur winter bushcraft, survival, guide training and expedition programs scheduled for 2015 in Maine, Quebec and New Hampshire.

Crew at Grand Pitch, East Branch of the Penobscot, Maine. 

It's more work getting to camp after dark, but the tradeoff is being out during beautiful sunsets such as this one. The lake was like glass as we paddled several miles across Telos to Telos Landing.? View this post on Google+

Notice the inverted canoe used as a lunch table and the green food pack sitting in shallow water to keep the contents cool.? View this post on Google+

Cooking dinner on the East Branch of the Penobscot.  Tripod with a galley pole.  How we cooked all our meals during our month on the river.  No stoves.? View this post on Google+

The half-mile carry around the Hulling Machine rapid on the East Branch of the Penobscot.  We did all of our carries in three trips.? View this post on Google+

Tim Cole and Tim Smith at Allagash falls on the recent Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester, just before jumping in and swimming the rapid just below the falls.? View this post on Google+

2 quart stainless pail for $9 plus a $0.50 pot lid from the thrift store is my new favorite personal pot, and part of my group cook kit.? Amazon.com : ProSelect Stainless Steel Heavy Duty Pail, 6-Inch, 2-Quart : Pet Bowls : Pet Supplies Amazon.com : ProSelect Stainless Steel Heavy Duty Pail, 6-Inch, 2-Quart : [...]

Lining canoes over the remains of Long Lake dam on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. Wilderness Canoe Expedition Semester 2014. Notice how the rope is pulling from under the boat – that's the secret to lining.? View this post on Google+

Baxter State Park, Maine. Part of our 4-week canoe expedition. Missing the team already – it's amazing how tight you become after 4 weeks in the bush.  That's yours truly.? View this post on Google+

Man Fire Food visits the Jack Mountain field school to cook bushcraft style.  Check it out on the cooking channel on August 5th at 8pm EST.? Man Fire Food : Cooking Channel Man Fire Food features the inventive ways Americans cook with fire. From small campfires to creative… View this post on Google+

Boreal Snowshoe Expedition seen through the lens of one of the participants.? View this post on Google+

More than half the people claiming to have PhD's have fake ones.  Classic.? The Economics of Fake Degrees This article originally appeared in Inside Higher Ed. It’s surprising how many house pets hold advanced degrees. Last year a dog received his MBA from the American University of London, a non-accredited distance-learning institution. It feels as if [...]

New JMBS office manager will provide better communication, even when our instructors are off the grid.? New Jack Mountain Bushcraft School Office Manager Our registration process and pre-course communications are about to get a whole lot smoother. Our instructors are often away from phone and internet contac View this post on Google+

"What The Mountains Tell Me." Poem written by an impressive ten year old boy who attends the School Of The Forest kids program.? What The Mountains Tell Me Kids need outlets in nature and time spent unplugged. When they do, great things happen. Things like this. What The Mountains Tell Me Every day I go [...]

Jerell Friesen's article on living in the winter bush for 38 days eating nothing but pemmican on the JMB blog.? 38 Days Of Pemmican – Ketosis In The Winter Bush This guest post is by Jerell Friesen, pictured in the photo above adjusting an improvised snowshoe during the 38 days described in the post. You [...]

by Fred GeorgekishI've been looking for this book for ten years after seeing it once. No luck. If you've got it, and would let me photocopy it, I'd gladly pay postage and treat it with the utmost care:? Iiyiyuu Miichiwaahp-h =: Traditional architecture of the Wemindji Cree: Fred Georgekish: 9780969986201: Amazon.com: Books Iiyiyuu Miichiwaahp-h =: [...]

Ordered a second copy of 'Making The Attikamek Snowshoe' for the field school library.  If you're interested in snowshoes and native culture, it's a must read.? Making The  Attikamek Snowshoe ;176 pages, 255 photos The art  of making the elegant ”square-toe” snowshoe of the Attikamek  Indians ; the complete process including frame construction, plain and [...]

Our new 10'x20' cabin, to be a library and student study area, is complete.  Insulated and finished inside.  Will be delivered in a few days. ? View this post on Google+

The Survival Show I Want To See: I keep waiting for a high-stakes, high-drama tv survival show starring puppets that's also a musical. Now THAT would be something.? View this post on Google+

Teaching assistant positions: new format and requirements.  Adding a research component. ? Teaching Assistant Internships – Jack Mountain Bushcraft School Teaching assistant positions are open to graduates of our Earth skills programs and are a good option for those looking to learn advanced bushcraft and teaching skills. View this post on Google+

Time is flying by! TV crew here today and tomorrow filming a cooking show.  It's going to be a lot of fun!? View this post on Google+

Three weeks of the spring bushcraft semester finished.  Time is flying and the weather is getting nice!#jmblog? Three Weeks Of The Spring Wilderness Bushcraft Semester Finished We’re three weeks into the spring semester. It was a challenging start, with our road being covered with several feet of snow and us unable to drive in for [...]

In the guide shack, listening to the rain on the roof, reading a book by headlamp about a downeast fishing guide. Day two of the spring semester done. Looking forward to the end of the snow and the road opening up. All good so far. ? View this post on Google+

In between scrubbing buckets and going to the dump today, I learned I was famous and have a NY Times filmography page.  Now I need to get some of those star-shaped sunglasses.? Embedded Link Tim Smith – Filmography – Movies & TV – NYTimes.com View this post on Google+

http://blog.jackmtn.com/26th-bushcraft-semester-course-begins-this-weekend/Photo taken during the School Of The Forest.#jmblog? View this post on Google+

This is about 5 years old, shot at the field school. The area where we're cutting trees is now all a field.? View this post on Google+

Also some new snow and ice. Spring is coming.? View this post on Google+

Get a sneak peak at www.schooloftheforest.com? View this post on Google+

Just bought a round for the bar #unionhockey? View this post on Google+

May 14th, Ossipee, NH.  Friction fire workshop, part of our ongoing self reliance workshop series.https://galacommunity.org/archives/3087? View this post on Google+

Fly Fishing Workshop Tonight.  I'm packing up my gear and headed out to our fly fishing workshop in an hour.  It's part of our monthly self reliance workshop series we're running with GALA.  We'll be going over gear, knots, casting and as much about fish habits and bugs as time will allow.  These workshops are [...]

http://blog.jackmtn.com/wild-food-intensive-and-solo-courses-cancelled/#jmblog? View this post on Google+

Can't wait to read Randy Spencer's new book.  A fantastic writer, I loved his first book, all about guiding in Grand Lake Stream, Maine.? Wide and Deep: Tales and Recollections from a Master Maine Fishing Guide: Randy Spencer: 9781628736397: Amazon.com: Books Wide and Deep: Tales and Recollections from a Master Maine Fishing Guide [Randy Spencer] [...]

Online Store Fail.  Hats will start shipping today.  My apologies for taking so long.http://blog.jackmtn.com/online-store-fail/#jmblog? View this post on Google+

Wolfeboro bay and town docks on March 28th, from the Upper Deck bar.  I stepped out onto the patio during a break in the NCAA hockey tournament.? View this post on Google+

Expedition travel insurance.  Great post with a list of resources to check for quotes.? Expedition Travel Insurance Expedition travel insurance is a topic about which I have been receiving a lot of emails recently. People struggling to get cover for trips of a long duration, particularly cycling tours, but also … View this post on [...]

First sign of open water? View this post on Google+

  #jmblog? My Greatest Hockey Shift Ever. On Paper. Right after I finished high school I played in a summer hockey league at Hockey Town, USA on Route 1 north of Boston. If you’re familiar with the area, it’ View this post on Google+

We're expanding our canoe fleet to 12 boats this spring, adding new 16 and 18-foot Prospectors from Nova Craft. #jmblog #canoe? Expanding Our Canoe Fleet The Jack Mountain Bushcraft School is expanding its canoe fleet to 12 boats this spring, adding new 16 and 18 foot Prospectors from Nova Craft Canoe. View this post on Google+

Sunset on a chickee in the Everglades.  It was camp for the night.  Just after the sun set, the mosquitoes came out.  The sound was deafening until a few hours after sunset.  It picked up again at dawn.  I would not venture into the Everglades without bug netting. ? View this post on Google+

Closing down shop for the day.  Headed to town to watch NCAA hockey tournament at the bar. ? View this post on Google+

Croix river (ME/NB, not MN).  Been there many times.  Amazing to see the logs going downriver.  Thanks to Bull Moose Patrol for the find – facebook.com/BullMoosePatrol? View this post on Google+

Out of print for several years  but a great primer for hot tent winter camping, this book is available again from the authors. ? Available Again!!!!!!!! – North Woods Ways | Facebook After three long years of being unavailable the Snow Walker’s Companion is back in circulation. (With luck this will inspire the scalpers on Amazon [...]

I'm sorry I missed this one.  Looks awesome, and great job in the video, Paul.  There will be more Jack Mountain Bushcraft School alumni trips in the future.? View this post on Google+

Photos from the trail.? View this post on Google+

Boreal Snowshoe ExpeditionReshared post from +ryan holt View this post on Google+

Cook pot reflector oven.  We didn't bring a reflector oven on the Boreal Snowshoe Expedition, but we baked bannock every day.  There are a variety of ways to bake without an oven, such as using a cook pot as an oven as this photo demonstrates.  In my cook kit, the pie pans just fit inside [...]

50 days of pemmican-only diet for 2 consecutive snowshoe expeditions.  Just spent 2 weeks with Jerrel Friesen.  He's doing a diet experiment this winter of 50 consecutive days eating pemmican as he snowshoes across Maine and Minnesota.  More info, and his recipe, at:? Embedded Link Pemmican Preparing for 50 days of Pemmican by Jarell Friesen [...]

See how we did it for 14 days in sub-zero temperatures. ? View this post on Google+

What would you do after a 2-week, northern Maine snowshoe expedition? If you answered head directly to Minnesota to go on another multi-week snowshoe expedition, you think just like the guys doing our yearlong immersion program.? Boundary Waters Winter Expedition What would you do after a 2-week, northern Maine snowshoe expedition? If you answered head [...]