This January (2023) I’m headed to Alberta to speak at the Frostbite Winter Camping Symposium. The event is a celebration of living and traveling outdoors in the north during the winter, with lots of instructional programs and experienced people. As hot tent camping and traditional winter travel skills have exploded in popularity in recent years, this a a great place to learn the skills and fundamentals of the winter woods life from seasoned instructors and guides.

I’m excited to see some old friends, as I spent a considerable amount of time in Alberta in the late 1990’s/early 2000’s as a student of the late, great Mors Kochanski and Karamat Wilderness Ways, and have had friends from there join us in the northeast for both snowshoe trips and paddling trips. It will be great to get back. Even more so after the covid-induced isolation of the last few years.

Some more about the event from the website:

Frostbite is Canada’s 1st winter gathering that brings together instructors and students to learn and explore the art of winter travel in the Canadian Bush.  The instructors are both students and volunteers, but collectively represent some of the most respected names in outdoor education, bushcraft and wilderness survival in Canada.

Notice the last line, as it is kind of important regarding my participation. This is a first class operation, and as they state, they only invite the best instructors from all over Canada. As I’ll be coming from Maine, though, I’ll be able to exploit this loophole and participate regardless of my status as clearly NOT a respected name, or even Canadian. So, if you go, you can expect to learn real skills from some of the most respected names in outdoor education, bushcraft and wilderness survival in Canada, as well as hear a few off-color jokes and uncouth stories of dubious origin from a man who is all about exploiting loopholes such as this in order to potentially secure a meal or two.

The dates for the Frostbite Symposium are January 13-15, 2023. More information, including registration information and all the details, is available on the website at https://www.frostbitesymposium.com/.