AOC Survival Series: Introduction to Survival Skills

Ever wonder what you would do if you were lost, injured, or for whatever reason "stuck in the woods" and had to spend (survive) the night when you had not intended to do so?

This is a fantastic opportunity to learn survival skills from Mark Warren, who has taken much of what he knows from the true masters of survival, the Cherokee Indians.The essentials of shelter, fire, and water will be covered.  You will learn, and practice skills which will help you survive in a worst case lost hiker scenario.

First we will learn about basic emergency shelters.  Then we’ll learn about what different species of trees offer us as fuel. (Long-term coals; short-term flare-ups; torches; ineffectual woods; etc.) This means wandering through the forest and learning trees. Then we address pyre-making. How to build a master structure for a match fire. Next we move to fire by friction using the purest, most primitive technique – the hand drill.  That night we’ll learn how to make a water- purification bowl. The next day will be devoted to foods and medicines from plants. We’ll go over how to address headache, stomach upset, food or water poisoning, infection, insect sting, etc.

About Mark: Age 68. Chemistry/pre-med major UGA. Practicing survival skills for 48 years. 12 years naturalist for the Georgia Conservancy. Running Medicine Bow for 35 years. Longbow World Champion 1999. Author of Two Winters in a Tipi.

Please note: We will hike 3/8 mile from the Medicine Bow parking area to the camp site with our gear

                                 DIRECTIONS TO MEDICINE BOW 

From Atlanta:  Take GA 400 (19)  north toward Dahlonega. 400 ends just past the Chestatee River at Hwy. 60/19. Turn left onto 60/19 and go about 4 miles into Dahlonega all the way to the square. This means you ignore the by-pass (at the first traffic light near Moe's SW Grill) which is labeled 60/19 also. By going straight through the light you are on 60/19 business. Go straight.

At the square you have to turn right. After that turn, go straight for two short blocks to a traffic light and turn left (still 60/19 north) on N. Grove St. Go a little more than 2 miles (past the high school on your left). Look for Banister Funeral Home on your right and then very soon see Gold City Tire on your right. At this intersection (Camp Wahsega Road to left, Hidden Valley Rd. to right) you’ll see signs for Frank D. Merrill Army Ranger Camp, Camp Wahsega 4-H Center, the Whisenhunt ATV trails and the airport all pointing left down Camp Wahsega Road. Turn left on Camp Wahsega Road and * go 7.4 miles. 
Turn right on a gravel road called Hunters Ridge. Go 100 yards 
down a little hill past a log cabin, up a little hill, follow the curve to the right and you’ll 
see the Medicine Bow street sign. Don’t take any sharp turns at the sign. Take the gentle right fork – with the street sign on your left -and ten yards later look for the parking lot entrance sign (a hand-painted arrow) on your left. Turn sharp left over the cobblestones and down into the parking lot. 
Park on the high side of the lot, pointed uphill with the old rusted truck to your left and slightly back behind you at the 8 o'clock position if your car is pointed at 12 o'clock. Please park parallel to one another as closely as is comfortable to allow room for others.

From Gainesville :  Take hwy. 60 all the way to Dahlonega square then follow above directions. 

From points north :  Take hwy. 60 or 19 south from Blairsville or Morganton. As you get close to Dahlonega look for hwy. 60/19 business at a yellow gas station (Marathon) just past Concord Church. Turn right onto business 60/19, cross Yahoola Creek, go to the top of the hill and turn right on Wahsega Road. Then follow above directions from Atlanta at asterisk*. 

From points west :  Take hwy. 52 or 136 to hwy. 9. Turn left. After you cross Cane 
Creek climb a hill to a traffic light and turn left at a cemetery. Go to Dahlonega square. 
Go straight across the square to the first traffic light, turn left onto hwy. 60/19 business (N. Grove St.). Go a little more than two miles to Camp Wahsega Road. Follow above directions from Atlanta at asterisk*.

There is one safety rule at Medicine Bow and one conservation suggestion that I hope you will be open to: 1.) Do not discard any scrap foods – solid or liquid – onto the ground. Especially be mindful of the eating area, where spillage is most likely to happen. There will be a compost container available for food disposal. 2.) Please consider low impact camping food with little waste packaging and little leftovers. It is not a requirement on a camping trip to buy envelopes of dehydrated “camp food” or military MRE packages that people usually end up throwing away more than half. Consider fresh foods: rice, potatoes, nuts, cheese, fruit, butter brought in a reusable sealed container, something homemade you bring in a reusable container or Zip-loc, etc. 
Bathroom is a latrine with a nice view. Tissue is provided.

There is a lodge where food can be secured but not refrigerated.

For more information about Mark Warren and the Medicine Bow school:

http://medicinebow.net/

Survival class fee

The class will not be cancelled due to inclement weather, unless severe weather is predicted.  There is a lodge where class activity can take place in the event of rain.

Cancellation Policy: This event will be cancelled if we do not meet the minimum number of paid registrations by March 23. If the event is cancelled by the Trip Leader, the members will receive a full refund. If you cancel on or before March 23, you will receive a full refund less a $10 administrative fee. There will be no refunds for cancellations after March 23, unless someone replaces you from the wait list and pays in full.