TRADITIONAL OUTDOOR SKILLS & TRAVEL

• Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants of the Great Lakes
• Wilderness Survival & Primitive Living Skills
• Canoeing For Fun I
• Recreational Canoeing II
• Backpacking in the Great Lakes
• Simple Urban Living
• Winter Escape to Northern Michigan
• Cross - Country Skiing
• Snowshoeing - Go Anywhere!
• Winter Camping & Loving the Cold
• Dogsledding in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

WILD EDIBLE & MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE GREAT LAKES - Unlock the secrets weeds hold for us all. Plants which we consider weeds are actually highly valued by many cultures and groups including Native Americans and even U.S. drug companies. Learn how Native Americans use plants for food and healing. We will learn basic plant identification skills, take several field trips, collect plants and cook our own wild dinner! Dress for the outdoors. This is a 6 session 3 wk. course.

Dates & Cost: See calendar.
Instructor: Michael Hood.

WILDERNESS SURVIVAL & PRIMITIVE LIVING SKILLS - Ever gotten lost in the woods or wanted to? Master the primitive living skills needed to survive an unexpected stay out where the wild things are. We’ll learn how to stay warm when its cold and cool when its hot, start a fire without matches, build a shelter out of natural materials and get water from the ground, even the desert. We’ll learn Inuit secrets on how to live in a hostile environment, learn about wild plants for food and healing, and how to survive almost any crisis in the wilderness and find your way back to civilization.  Call for dates and costs.

CANOEING FOR FUN  I - This introductory course starts in the classroom and moves to the water where we can really “get our feet wet”.  No previous experience needed.  We’ll cover canoe anatomy, strokes for tandem and solo canoeing, designs and styles, canoe carries, portaging and righting a canoe - in the water!  We’ll also help you plan an overnight canoe trip and discuss canoe camping in the Great Lakes.  All students must be competent swimmers and must enjoy having fun and getting wet!  Canoe rentals available.  This is a 4 session / 8 hour course.

Dates & Cost: See calendar.

RECREATIONAL CANOEING II - This course begins on the water so we can get to work on more advanced skills.  We’ll learn more strokes for the solo canoest and practice advanced techniques for righting a submerged canoe.  Some previous experience needed.  All students must be competent swimmers and must enjoy having fun and getting wet!  This course focuses on “traditional” canoe skills and equipment.  All students wll get the opportunity to paddle genuine cedar & canvas canoes.  We use only the best traditional equipment available for our courses and trips.  For anyone who knows canoes this means using actual Duluth Packs, still making the genuine article for over 100 years.  Step back into the past with us and experience the history and excitement of canoeing the Great Lakes.  Canoe rentals available.  This is a 4 session / 8 hour course. Call for info.

BACKPACKING IN THE GREAT LAKES - Discover the beauty of Michigan by backpack.  Get out and seek wilderness while its still there!  Strap on a backpack and experience the best of the Great Lakes. We’ll learn about trip preparation, clothing choices, equipment selection, backcountry cuisine and discuss women’s safety issues.  We’ll also explore lesser known destinations in the U.S. and Canada to hike and help you plan your first Great Lakes Get-a-way!  This is a 4 session, 2 wk. course. 

Dates & Cost: See calendar.

SIMPLE URBAN LIVING - This course is designed to help you live a little slower in a world of increasingly faster paced lifestyles.  We’ll explore simple pleasures, doing things yourself and making time for them.  We’ll have guest speakers, discussions and field trips.  Topics include urban ranching, container gardening, alternative energy, Paleolithic diets, food preservation, kite flying, car camping and stone fences! So if you think that less is really more then unplug, turn off, relax and join us for this inspiring course.  This is an 8 session course. 

Dates & Cost: See calendar.

WINTER ESCAPE TO NORTHERN MICHIGAN - Enjoy the beautiful wintry landscapes of Northern Michigan. Spend 2 days and nights on the northwest tip of the lower peninsula on Sturgeon Bay.  We’ll arrive Friday night to stay in a wood heated rustic bunkhouse at Wilderness State Park. Enjoy x.c. skiing and snowshoeing along 10 miles of forested trails.  At night we’ll cook by wood stove then ski, snowshoe, make a snowman or just take in the spectacular night view of the Mackinac Bridge from the Lake Michigan shoreline.  Ski & snowshoe rentals available.  Includes meals, lodging, ski & snowshoe instruction if needed, guides, and all the fun you can handle.  Come alone or bring a friend.  Join us on a classic Michigan getaway!  Dates & Cost: See calendar.

CROSS - COUNTRY SKIING - Glide through a winter wonderland and experience Michigan’s snow covered wild places.  Learn everything you’ll need to know to safely cross-country ski on your own including the proper equipment, clothing, and skiing techniques.  First class (1 hr) will be an indoor orientation covering what to bring and wear for our outdoor session.  Next session (2 hrs.) will meet outdoors where we’ll practice basic skills like gliding, turning, going up and down hills and spending time on the trails.  Dress appropriately.  Ski rentals available. Dates & Cost: See calendar.

SNOWSHOEING - GO ANYWHERE! - The romance of snowshoes is timeless.  They’re the 4WD of winter hiking.  You can even go places skiers can’t reach.  We’ll weigh the traditions of rawhide and ash vs. nylon and aluminum and look at the Ojibwa, Michigan and Bearpaw styles.  We’ll practice “shoeing” techniques and learn to stay warm on the coldest winter days!  Class meets indoors for a bit, then goes outdoors for some shoeing.  Dress appropriately.  Snowshoe rentals available. Dates & Cost: See calendar.

WINTER CAMPING & LOVING THE COLD - Experience the quiet solitude and beauty of winter camping in the Great Lakes.  While most people are indoors, you can be out with the wild things far away from the summer crowds.  You can still getaway! Learn how to stay warm and comfy in the worst of winter storms, create practical and delectable meals for the trail and discover travel ideas for winter like x.c. skiing and snowshoeing.  We’ll explore destinations for your first trip and help you plan a winter wilderness adventure.  Dates & Cost: See calendar.