BE A SURVIVOR
ADIRONDACK WILDERNESS ADVENTURES
- OUTDOOR EDUCATION -
Understanding skills our ancestors used for survival; was not a choice but a way of life. We can bring you back to that way of life, and enrich your outdoor pursuits at the same time. Though many do not choose to live as our ancestors did, these courses can fulfill your knowledge of yesteryears, your pursuits of today, and your stretch for tomorrow.
Up front, we do not want your wilderness outdoor adventure to be one of fear or panic. They will progress you step-by-step from a basic level to an advanced level and make you comfortable and safe during your progression. They do not believe in here are the basics, drop you in the woods, and see if you can survive until morning. Although a certain amount of anxiety keeps you on your toes, panic does not. By obtaining comfort with your skills and a strong ideology with the basics, you will be less likely to enter a panic when confronted with an actual survival situation. We will although review panic during your courses.
Your hosts; also feel that a course without hands-on experience is useless. We will not provide you with a course without a field and skill experience.
Adirondack Wilderness Outdoor Adventure Courses will be found to your left, based on personal preference and experience level. Courses are broken down with a description, itinerary, and the current rates. The current rates do include your course fee, your lodging and field stays along with your meals and gear. We do require that you have one level prior to proceeding to the next level unless prior experience and direct contact is made.
If you have a topic you wish covered or stressed during one of the courses, please do not hesitate to ask, we will be happy to accommodate your request.
Back To Basics Survival Mission
We are here to enhance and expand your knowledge in your wilderness pursuits. We wish to minimize your fears, which are often based on misguided information or a lack of information. The wilderness is a gift to us in beauty and in force, but does deserve the utmost respect from all who venture in. To increase your knowledge, and provide you the appropriate tools, we strive to develop that respect needed to fully enjoy and experience the true wilderness. If left unprepared, the wilderness can be unforgiving, and usually is. Each unique individual has a different level of respect for the wilderness; therefore, each develops his/her own appreciation of nature in regards to its solitude, beauty, and what it has to offer. It's your choice on how far you wish to take that venture.
"The Old Warrior"
by Redhawk
I awoke in the forest and he was standing there,
Clad only in a breechcloth, his torso bare
Moccasins on his feet, feather in his hair.
His face was dark, sun-pigmented skin,
Face like leather, sculpted by the wind
Piercing eyes, that peered within.
I stood up in awe and then he spoke
"Walk with me and be apprized,
what life was like before we were
civilized."
So, I journeyed with him back to a time
That existed before we were "civilized".
Before electricity, before the car
When nature ruled, and we followed her Law.
We walked through forests, abundant with trees,
with pure water running from mountain fed streams,
and air so pure, it was a pleasure to breathe.
Chlorine and fluoride were chemicals not needed
Because Natures Law by the Elders was heeded.
Into the prairie unbroken by roads,
uncluttered with signs and ugly abodes.
Everywhere roamed Bison, wild and free,
Heads held high in majesty.
Wild flowers painting this breathtaking scene,
Highlighting the carpet, still pristine
I stood in wonder and realized.
The land was fine before we were civilized.
Into the mountains un-blasted and virgin
filled with pines, maples and birches.
Uncut and unsettled, more spiritual than churches.
Elk, moose, wolf, bear, beaver, and deer.
Predator and prey each taking heed,
To follow The Mothers laws,
and take only what they need.
And then we returned from that time long ago
and it suddenly hit me that "progress" was the foe.
That if we continue to take more than we need
and nature's laws we fail to heed
That sometime in the future we will realize,
That our savagery came from trying to "civilize".
As I turned to the warrior, there was a tear in his eye,
shed for the Mother who was continuing to die.
"Listen to the Mother, hear Her cry,
Be not no fast to "civilize".
I stood and watched as he faded away,
and I knew the healing had to begin today.
I pray that others will realize,
the price we pay to "civilize".
We located this poem on a poetry site, and found out almost a year later that Redhawk resides in the Southern Adirondacks. We also learned he has his own website. Please visit Redhawk's site and see whom is behind such a fabulous piece of poetry writing along with some other fabulous information.
"We have a hunger of the mind which asks for knowledge of all around us, and the more we gain, the more is our desire; the more we see, the more we are capable of seeing."
- Maria Mitchell -
© Back To Basics Adirondack Wilderness Adventures 2004