I was recently asked what the most challenging aspect of running this business is. After almost 20 years, I’m able to answer without hesitation; March. March is a tough month in northern New England. You can’t count on winter for winter activities, and you definitely can’t count on spring. As a result, you have to plan for both, but be prepared to do neither based on the weather.

For 2018, we’re working on two separate plans: one for a southern paddling trip, the other for a folk school gear intensive in New Hampshire. We’ll only do one, and we haven’t decided which one yet, so if you’re interested in either let us know.

Here are the options:

Option 1: The south trip will include sea kayaking in the Indian River lagoon in east-central Florida, canoeing the Everglades Wilderness Waterway in south Florida, and maybe another short paddling trip. In addition to a lot of time on the water, we are also considering a short skills workshop.

Option 2: The March Folk School Intensive will include building a variety of pieces of traditional gear. These are things that we make every year as part of our semester program, but will be tailored to non-semester students. The list of projects includes an ash pack basket, canoe paddle, mokotagen (crooked knife), longbow, axe handle, and a few other, smaller items. We’ll also plan to be fishing a bit here and there and working on a few skills in the woods.

We’ll be deciding on one of the options before the end of the summer. Your feedback will be valued, should you choose to give it.