One of our more memorable experiences this year was a Survival course we hosted for a large group from the Young Professionals Organization (YPO). Because of the size of the group (38-40), we were wondering how it would work out. We brought in three professional SERE/Survival Instructors to teach them wilderness survival skills and the YPO folks spent the night with minimal gear while the temperatures dipped down into the teens. Something we found out the next morning from a few local cowboys was that they had recently run off a grizzly sow and her cub eating a cow carcass awfully close to where we camped that night. Thankfully, we did not experience any bear visits.
Leif, Jesse, and Brandon did an excellent job and I think everyone, including Mark and I, learned a lot. They taught fire craft, shelter building, signaling, water and food procurement, and a little wilderness medicine. There were even a few grasshoppers that were consumed.
Whatever task they were given, everyone pitched in. The positivity was refreshing, and I think it was a fun experience for all involved. Once again, the instructors were awesome. Their infectious enthusiasm and obvious love of their craft made a “survival” experience enjoyable.
