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Paths of Learning
May 9, 2008

Spent the last three days on staff retreat with the Boulder Outdoor Survival School. Hiked down Little Death Hollow to the Escalante River where we camped on a sand bar the first night. Started our fire with a fire plow, sage on sage, all of us taking turns until we got that hot ember. My first time using a fire plow! Next morning we climbed a massive mound of soft sand over 100' high to exit the canyon, made our way over hot and dry slick rock till we found the "Moki Steps" - an old native path down into Harris Wash. Had a fun moment while my fellow instructors were passing pack and sliding down a sketchy slope. While waiting my turn, I asked if anyone had looked around to make sure this was the best route - they hadn't. So I looked around myself and found a series of man-made steps chiseled into the rock just 100' away. Not sure how old those steps are, but there was a very cool cave half way down that had obviously been lived in. And a whole series of caves (one containing an old Anasazi millinery dating back at least 1,000 years) all along the creek below. We hiked up the creek to camp in a huge cave near a (delicious cool) spring, exhausted from a 20 mile day. On day three we hiked up and over Red Breaks, more soft sand and slick rock, narrowly avoiding a big thunderstorm that pushed us around with stiff winds and flashed lightning in the distance.

We limped back onto the school property, where we were surprised with a huge dinner of barbecue pork ribs, scalloped potatoes, salad, steamed veggies, and apple cobbler. And Josh Bernstein! Of "Digging for the Truth" and "Into the Unknown" fame. He is the school's owner, and this was my first time to meet him. He brought along a genuine Mongol 100# hunting bow from the show he just filmed for the Discovery Channel.

Next week we host the Slickrock Gathering, a week long celebration of primitive skills. I am down to learn/help with the primitive pottery path. Others will focus on gourds, flint napping, and wild plants. We will be joined by some of the last true masters of these skills, so even for the staff here at BOSS this will be a learning opportunity.

There are so many learning paths I could travel during my time off from Outward Bound. But learning these old skills, becoming comfortable with less, learning to dance in harmony with the wilds... calls to me right now. Good simple food. Good honest tired. Good colorful friends to hang out with. And some of the most beautiful country anywhere to enjoy it all in.
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Posted: Friday May 9, 2008, 10:26 pm
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Darkling Thrush
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Yulee, FL, USA
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