WriterByNature.com

January 25, 2008 9:24 pm

“I said to get a bent lever stick. No one ever listens,” Barry Keegan grins, sighs and reaches for the bent stick I should have seen for myself. He hands it to me.

I’m kneeling in mud, trying to balance the elements of what is known as a Figure-4 trap. I’m juggling a forked stick, a length of hand-made cordage and a rock that I pray doesn’t land on me. Barry, as if hearing my thought, places a stone underneath the large rock to keep it in place.

Barry is an instructor at Hawk Circle. More accurately, he is an inspiration, a champion and an advocate. Barry loves finding new ways to build a shelter, get fire by friction, or fine-tune a trap. Barry’s creative mind and physical coordination make him a true master of Bushcraft. He doesn’t waste a move. He always gives more than he needs to - and more than any other participant. Without his added muscle-power, my classmates and I might not have had a roof or insulation for our winter survival shelter. With insufficient snow for a quinzee, we had to build another kind of shelter, which took more work than any of us realized.

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January 20, 2008 5:16 pm

My last three days at Hawk Circle were spent on the survival trek part of their Winter Intensive program. I had the choice to spend the time solo or as part of a group. My decision was based on the quality of snow on the property. I hadn’t used my cross country skis yet this winter.

So, with a good quality sleeping bag, my day pack, eight Larabars, two acorn burgers, three liters of water, two sets of warm clothes, my knife, a compass, a clock, my digital camera, a lighter and my skis, I set off solo for three days. Here are some of my journal notes:

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January 5, 2008 8:27 am

The Hawk Circle advertisement reads:

Two Feet of Fresh Snow
17 Degrees Below Zero
No Tent
No Electricity
No Problem.

The reason: a quinzee - an Inuit word for a snow shelter made from compressed snow, which is then hollowed out.

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April 16, 2007 6:10 am

Growing up in coastal Connecticut, I’ve witnessed the power of a “Nor’easter.”

Counterclockwise air currents being pushed from the northeast, draw moisture from the south, creating a storm as dangerous as a hurricane.

When a Nor’easter dumps snow, the impact is devastating. This particular Nor’easter has me glued to the window. Even the gossip which passes for news has made the weather the #1 story. (more…)

December 8, 2006 5:27 pm

When I first heard the news that searchers found trousers belonging to James Kim, I thought: hypothermia.

It breaks my heart that I was right. I don’t go anywhere without the basics of my pocket survival kit. I also have emergency supplies in my car.

Shelter is paramount in a survival situation. I’m not judging this man. I went bushwhacking the other day and ended up in a swamp. I knew I was within 2.5 miles of my car; I had more than four hours of daylight on a partly sunny, warm afternoon with no wind.

Still, an injury could have changed my afternoon. I had headed west off the trail and knew that I wanted to travel north. I was just looking for a little loop; what I thought was an abandoned field was in fact a wetland.

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September 19, 2006 4:21 am

I like exploring and the idea of house sitting makes sense to me.

I recently published this article on the housecarers.com website.

I grew up on a farm, so animal care is second nature. When my last pet passed on and I had sold my house, I moved into an apartment. My decision to seek a new community and my enjoyment of pets are the reasons I decided to list with housecarers.com. (more…)

August 28, 2006 5:34 am

A new television program aired on the Science Channel last night - Survivorman: Surviving Urban Disasters. It’s running again at 9:00 AM EDT.

Les Stroud did say he had nothing to do with post production. I found the editing confusing and wish CBS editors stuck with one scenario at a time, rather than rotating from home to office to car.

I’m sure this program was intended for release on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina to get people thinking. (more…)

August 2, 2006 1:16 am

I was traveling in Israel last year at this time.

I have been struggling to comprehend what is going on and why. I received an email with two letters that left me asking the question: Could I survive in this environment?

For me, the difference in attitude between what each woman thinks is possible is key. I bolded the text that impacted me when I read these letters. (more…)

July 31, 2006 11:08 am

Another really good use for rock study is to look at which animals call rocks home.

All you need for this activity is an outdoor area with both sun and shade, four brick-sized rocks, a magnifying glass and a bit of patience. (more…)

May 27, 2006 3:46 am

Here’s what was on my mind this past week while (mostly) immersed in nature. (more…)