July 7-12, 2013 near Bellingham WA
Survival course participant collecting grass to thatch her shelter.
Takes place at the beautiful Bakke Farm in Acme, WA under the beautiful Mt. Baker volcano and Twin Sisters Mountains with pickup/dropoff options in Seattle-Tacoma Int’l Airport and Mt. Vernon.
Gain comfort in the wilderness so you never have to carry a heavy tent and sleeping bag again, let alone get anything you need from the store. Gain proficiency with the arts of foraging, shelter building, water purifying, food preserving and fire carrying as we travel to one of the best and most beautiful places to live off the land.
Learn traditional ways to start fire by friction so matches and lighters become unnecessary. Learn to find and build natural shelters in case of wilderness emergencies. Learn the most critical wild edible plants for survival, and forage for grubs and other delectable insects which are a safe source of protein in survival situations.
Participant in front of his shelter in progress.
We will use the gifts which nature supplies us, including natural bug spray, soap and soft bough beds. We will construct a waterproof lean-to, warm debris huts, safe fire pits, reflective heat walls, and buried hot beds. You will also have the option of building a group survival camp, or constructing your own.
Depending on when you feel ready to embark on a solo survival trek, you can spend 1-4 days putting your skills to the test. This is your own wilderness survival trek, and no matter how you choose to do it, we will work to help you make it the most incredible outdoor experience of your life.
Course Availability:
Current Enrollment: Open/Available for Adults (16-106) while the youth camp version runs simultaneously.
Goals & Skills Covered:
Participants collecting cattail ‘fluff’ for their fire tinder.
The goal of this camp session is to prove to yourself that you can survive any wilderness emergency and begin living in traditional comfort. If you already have some experience, this camp is also good test to see how to take it from the “emergency survival” level to the “primitive living” and eventual “stone age living” levels.
Skills covered during this camp session may include, but are not limited to the following list:
• Learn the critical order emergency response, and the corresponding critical plants for food, medicine, and survival crafts.
• Wilderness Camping.
• Navigating with and without modern aids.
• Use of Survival Knives; Natural selection forestry, using Hatchets & Axes.
• Wild Edible Foraging & Preparation (Herbs, Nuts, Roots, Flowers, Fruits, Insects)
• Traditional Pit Cooking
• Emergency Shelter & Traditional Shelter (debris hut, lean-to, wickiup, thatch hut, earth lodge, split cedar cabins, and pit houses, including fire drafting strategies)
• Natural Water Purification (seeps, filters, rock boiling, and locating natural springs)
• Traditional Fire by Friction (bow drill, hand drill, pump drill, pressure pump, fire plow, flint and steel, etc.
• Spin natural rope for your bow-drill kit (double and triple reverse wrap using nettle, fireweed, cedar, etc.)
• Burn out your own bowl and spoon for eating.
• Smoke and jerky wild meats, and make pemmican.
• Fishing, depending on your license.
Course Instructors:
Chris Chisholm will be lead instructors with staff assistants.
Pick-up, Drop-off and Airport/Bus/Train Transportation:
Arrival Options on Sunday:
Complimentary Arrival Option: Meet us at the beautiful Bakke Farm, 6184 Saxon Road, Acme WA 98220 on Sunday between 5:00-5:30 p.m. and help us set up camp from 5:30-6:00. We’ll give an overview of the week from 6:00-6:30 followed by orientation from 6:30-7:00 during which accompanying friends/family are free to depart. We will have some food available for those who were not able to eat dinner before arriving, but we also encourage you to bring hors d’oeuvres to share during the arrival period since it really helps bring an immediate community feel to the group.
$25 Bellingham Arrival Option: Meet us at Bellingham Bus/Train/Airport Terminals on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. so that participants can travel with us to our camp location.
$25 Everett Arrival Option: Meet us at the Everett Transit Station on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. so that participants can travel with us to our camp location.
$50 SeaTac Arrival Option: Book your Airport/Bus/Train Arrival into Seattle-Tacoma on Sunday morning in time to meet our pick-up vehicle at 2:00 p.m., but be sure to call or email us with arrival times before confirming your plans. Pick-up at baggage claim.
$75 Puyallup Arrival Option: Meet us at the Wolf Campus, 1026 14th St SW in Puyallup on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. so that participants can travel with us to our camp location.
Weekend Departure Options:
Complimentary Friday Departure Options: Family & Friends are invited to meet us at the Bakke Farm on Friday between 3-4 p.m. for our closing ceremonies which really helps participants integrate this unique experience back into their home lives. Final departure will be from 4-5 p.m. We will also provide complimentary transportation to the Deming IGA at 5:15, and the Bellingham Sunset Mall at 5:30.
$25 Friday Evening Bellingham – Mt. Vernon Departure Options: Depart from the Bellingham Airport on Friday at 5:45 p.m., or the Bellingham Amtrak/Greyhound Station at 6:00, or the Mt. Vernon Food Co-op at 6:30.
$50 Friday Evening Everett-Seattle-Bellevue-Renton Departure Options: Depart from the Everett Transit Station on Friday at 7:00 p.m., or from a convenient location or your choice in Seattle or Bellevue at 7:30, or from the Renton Shopping Center at 8:00.
$75 Friday Evening Puyallup Departure Option: Depart from the Wolf Campus, 1026 14th St SW in Puyallup on Friday at 8:30 p.m. after participants travel back home with us.
$100 Saturday Morning Puyallup Departure Option: Participants can stay overnight with us on Friday and depart before 12:00 noon on Saturday in Puyallup.
$125 Saturday Afternoon Bus/TrainAirport Departure Option: Participants can stay overnight with us on Friday, and then get dropped off at the Airport, Bus or Train Stations in Seattle or Tacoma on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in time for afternoon flights. Drop-off at ticket counter unless unaccompanied minor, then at gate.
$150 Saturday Evening Puyallup Departure Option: Participants can stay overnight with us on Friday night and depart Saturday evening after dinner in Puyallup.
$175 Sunday Morning Puyallup Departure Option: Participants can stay overnight with us on Friday & Saturday nights and then depart on Sunday before 12:00 noon in Puyallup.
$200 Sunday Afternoon Bus/Train/Airport Departure Option: Participants can stay Friday & Saturday nights with us, and then get dropped off at the Airport, Bus or Train Stations in Seattle or Tacoma on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. in time for afternoon departures. Pick-up at baggage claim unless unaccompanied minor, then at unaccompanied minor waiting area.
$225 Full Weekend Stayover Option: Participants can stay the entire weekend and join us next week for Advanced Wilderness Survival at a special discounted price!
To add transportation and weekend stayover options, just increase your registration deposit amount below by the amount listed above with a note of explanation. Thanks!
Tuition:
Tuition for 2013 Summer Expedition is $645 if you register by June 5th, or $675 if you complete registration at least one week prior to your expedition start date, and $695 thereafter if space remains available. To reserve your spot and lock in the earliest registration discount, make a $175 minimum deposit and your balance will be due upon arrival.
You can also receive cumulative discounts of $20 per additional friend/family member attending together, $20 per additional expedition you attend, and $20 for successfully referring others to attend. The only additional expenses you may incur for this course are that you will need specific camping gear, although we have plenty of extra just in case. You will also need health insurance, but check with us for recommendations on inexpensive temporary insurance if necessary. Also, please see above for optional pickup/dropoff and weekend stayover choices.
Registration Options:
Check/Mail/Email Registration Option: Print out and complete our Microsoft Word Registration Form for each participant and send with a check deposit payable to the Wolf College, 1026 14th St. SW, Puyallup WA 98371. You can also email us a completed registration form and pay using your preferred method.
Credit/Debit Card Registration Option: Just call us at 253-604-4681 or 425-248-0253 and we will take your registration securely over the phone.
Our refund policy is that deposits are not refundable unless your registration is not accepted. If you cancel after making additional payment, you may receive a credit for a future program, minus a 25% administration fee of total payments made, in case of emergency. You will receive a full refund if your program is canceled and not rescheduled at a time that you can attend. No refund (and not necessarily any credit) is given if a participant is inappropriate at the program and asked to leave.
Not ready to register yet?
Email us to be put on our our list for this program in the future. We always keep your information absolutely private, and will never share it. You can also like our facebook page to keep in better touch.
