Tomorrow I’m headed to Fairlee, Vermont for the Snow Walkers’ Rendezvous at the Hulbert Outdoor Center.  The focus of the event is on traditional winter travel skills of the north.  I’ll be running workshops on axemanship and fire building, but as is the case with all rendezvous or gathering-type events where I run workshops, I’d rather be learning from the other instructors.

The Snow Walkers’ (as well as their spring rendezvous, the Wilderness Paddlers Gathering) is a fantastic event; some of the most experienced people in North America attend every year and there are so many different varieties of canvas and egyptian cotton tents on hand that they have an annual tour of the tents where the owners talk about the different designs and how they function in a variety of weather conditions.
There are always a variety of different short workshops to choose from, as well as some multi-day (pre and post-rendezvous) programs where you build your own gear.  This year Geoffrey Burke of Chocorua Boatworks is running a program where you build your own traditional wooden toboggan.

If you can’t make it this year, consider attending next year.