I was not allowed to cook often at home because I made too much of a mess. So I learned to cook on trips in the wilderness. First pancakes and macaroni, now cinnamon rolls and smoked fish. Turns out the... READ MORE

A student stands knee-deep in a swamp, staring at a canoe. The swamp is the sort that is too thick to paddle through, yet too thin to walk on. Black mud sucks shoes in and releases decaying smells. The canoe... READ MORE

On Day One, everyone’s nervous. The students, quietly unloading their luggage at a campsite seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The instructors, trying to break the ice with the quiet students. The parents, waiting for a final call or text... READ MORE

There’s a common misconception that wilderness cooking is limited to hot dogs, space food, and ramen noodles. There’s no right way to do wilderness cooking, but if good food is a priority to you around the dinner table, there’s no... READ MORE

You’re not going to go home and carry a canoe around your house, I tell my students at the end of each expedition. It’s not about learning to carry canoes. But for the past few weeks, we’ve focused on learning... READ MORE

I kept my journal with a flower from a mountain summit, a penny from a campsite, and the rock I pounded against a log during my solo to scare mice away from my food. All of these items were safely... READ MORE