Athabasca River Bushcraft Canoe Trip September 10 - 17, 2023 $1000 CDN ($300 deposit)
$300.00
September 10- 17, 2023 $1000 CDN (includes tax), Deposit $300/person, also includes 2 day Paddle Canada River Paddling Course, canoes and canoe equipment, and meals.
Deposit required to ensure you spot on the trip - $300/person. The remainder of the trip fee will be collected at or just before the start of the trip.
Bushcraft Skills, River Paddling, Hunting, Fishing, Traditional Camping
Inspired by the Fur Traders and Voyageurs of Canada’s wild rivers, and paired with wilderness living skills passed down by legendary survival instructor - Mors Kochanski
Description: Join our certified instructors for 7 days of bushcrafting and paddling skills on the Athabasca River. Combine essential river canoeing skills with traditional bushcraft skills to elevate your outdoor knowledge and experience to an exciting new level. Experience Canada’s wilderness the way it was meant to be experienced – in a loaded canoe, hunting, fishing, and camping as we travel downriver learning and practicing timeless woodsman skills.
Learning Outcomes:
• Paddle a traditional fur trade river while learning numerous paddling strokes and maneuvers that increase your river paddling competency and skill. Become knowledgeable on loading and outfitting a canoe for river tripping and increase your awareness of river hazards and potential problems you may experience on paddling trips.
• Utilize bushcraft skills and equipment such as Roycraft pack frames, wool blankets, canvas and modern tarp shelters, knifes, axes, saws, and ropework. Experiment with various ways to pitch camp along the riverbank and at our backwoods camp on Cartright Sny.
• Being that its hunting season, students will be able to be part of the harvesting of waterfowl, game birds, and some small animals. Fishing for pike, walleye, and whitefish will also be part of our activities and students with appropriate hunting and fishing licenses will be able to help provide food for the group. Non-residents will be able to assist in field dressing and preparing harvested animals and cooking meals over the fire.
• Paddle a traditional fur trade river while learning numerous paddling strokes and maneuvers that increase your river paddling competency and skill. Become knowledgeable on loading and outfitting a canoe for river tripping and increase your awareness of river hazards and potential problems you may experience on paddling trips.
• Utilize bushcraft skills and equipment such as Roycraft pack frames, wool blankets, canvas and modern tarp shelters, knifes, axes, saws, and ropework. Experiment with various ways to pitch camp along the riverbank and at our backwoods camp on Cartright Sny.
• Being that its hunting season, students will be able to be part of the harvesting of waterfowl, game birds, and some small animals. Fishing for pike, walleye, and whitefish will also be part of our activities and students with appropriate hunting and fishing licenses will be able to help provide food for the group. Non-residents will be able to assist in field dressing and preparing harvested animals and cooking meals over the fire.
Course Schedule:
Day One – We will meet up and immediately begin planning, organizing equipment and going over the week. From there, we will move to local lake for the flat-water component of the course. Here, we will ensure that all participants are up to speed on necessary paddling strokes and maneuvers that will be required on the river. Instructors will assess if we head to the river on day one or continue to work on paddling skills and preparation for the trip. Overnight camping will be at our Nature Alive Adventure Centre.
Day Two – We will put into the Athabasca River at the Fort Assiniboine Bridge and begin paddling in river current and work on ferry’s, crossing eddy lines, reading water, and river signals. River rescue, outfitting a canoe for rivers, linking maneuvers, and opportunity to practice all skills will be the focus of this day. Completing the Paddle Canada Moving Water Tandem Skill curriculum by the end of day two is the goal.
Day Three and Four – We begin our tripping portion at the Blue Ridge bridge, and we paddle down the Athabasca River with canoes loaded for 5 days of adventure and travel. While paddling, we will begin to look for good locations for fishing and hunting as we move downstream towards our private camp on Five Mile Island. We set up camp for a couple days of bushcraft skills, hunting, fishing and feasting. As time allows, we will head out on various walks and engage in hunting, fishing, plant ID, gathering materials, and Boreal Forest Bushcrafting.
Day Five to Seven – On day five we will break camp and travel down to our second camp at Cartright Sny, to experience a different forest ecosystem and continue to hunt, fish, and practice bushcraft skills near the river and up into the hills along the Athabasca River.
Day One – We will meet up and immediately begin planning, organizing equipment and going over the week. From there, we will move to local lake for the flat-water component of the course. Here, we will ensure that all participants are up to speed on necessary paddling strokes and maneuvers that will be required on the river. Instructors will assess if we head to the river on day one or continue to work on paddling skills and preparation for the trip. Overnight camping will be at our Nature Alive Adventure Centre.
Day Two – We will put into the Athabasca River at the Fort Assiniboine Bridge and begin paddling in river current and work on ferry’s, crossing eddy lines, reading water, and river signals. River rescue, outfitting a canoe for rivers, linking maneuvers, and opportunity to practice all skills will be the focus of this day. Completing the Paddle Canada Moving Water Tandem Skill curriculum by the end of day two is the goal.
Day Three and Four – We begin our tripping portion at the Blue Ridge bridge, and we paddle down the Athabasca River with canoes loaded for 5 days of adventure and travel. While paddling, we will begin to look for good locations for fishing and hunting as we move downstream towards our private camp on Five Mile Island. We set up camp for a couple days of bushcraft skills, hunting, fishing and feasting. As time allows, we will head out on various walks and engage in hunting, fishing, plant ID, gathering materials, and Boreal Forest Bushcrafting.
Day Five to Seven – On day five we will break camp and travel down to our second camp at Cartright Sny, to experience a different forest ecosystem and continue to hunt, fish, and practice bushcraft skills near the river and up into the hills along the Athabasca River.
Day Seven - To wrap up the week we will break camp, and head downstream to our take out point near Fort Assiniboine.
Skills Learned:
• Canoe Strokes: forward, reverse, check, sweeps, pry, high brace, low brace, stern pry, lake J, cross bow draw and blended strokes.
• Canoe Maneuvers: front and back ferry’s, running pry, eddy turns, peel outs, attainments, MITH, carving, and more.
• Outfitting a canoe for wilderness travel. Reading river currents. River Signals and rescue.
• Bushcraft Skills: fire lighting, axe, knife, and saw safety and use, ropework, roycraft pack frame, setting up shelters, super shelter, campfire cooking, and more.
• Hunting and Fishing: harvesting, field dressing, and cooking waterfowl, gamebirds, fish and snowshoe hare.
• Forest Study: boreal forest ecology, plant uses, wood, stone, feather, and bone.
