on your MARK, get set, go!: BENT BUT NOT BROKEN! I SURVIVED!

Hello All!

My mind is fried. I have selected some notes from my journal and have simply reproduced them AS IS.

Mount Shasta, Weed California - Time to Survive

I am next to Mount Shasta at just over 6,000 Feet. 6.5 miles from the nearest road. Another 6 miles before any sign of civilization. I am here to learn to stay alive in a survival situation in the wild. James, a Rabbi from San Jose and experienced camper/hiker, and Dylan, a Bear Grylls in the making from Minneapolis are here training with me. It is just the three of us with our guide Mark Wienert.

Over the course of 6 days, I have slept outside 5 times. The stars are too good of a show up here to think about a tent. Thankfully summer allows for this. Sort of. The days are hot unless we find shade. The nights, cold. Sometimes very cold. I fall in love with the hot sun on cold mornings.

I learn to construct bridges for river crossing. I learn the art of staying found. Knowing my surroundings and using peripheral vision to soak in my surroundings.

I learn to identify plants to consume for food and medicine. I also learn which insects can make a meal. I try some.

We identify several different options for making shelter. All from the land/earth. The techniques and effectiveness are fascinating.

THERE ARE FLIES ALL OVER ME IN MCDONALDS RIGHT NOW. I HAVE NOT SHOWERED IN A WEEK. I NEED TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW.

For the first time in my life, I have identified the Big Dipper and use the North Star to navigate myself back to our base camp at night. Very very cool feeling.

In survival situations, concentrate on the present task at hand. Use who and what you love to motivate you towards survival.

Keep pack slightly looser when crossing water. This will allow me to get it off if I fall in. Steady crossing as I may be dehydrated/sleep deprived and have poor coordination.

Learned knife skills and safety. It is amazing what a knife can do to help you survive. It is a must.

My instructor, Mark, teaches us the bow drill technique to light a fire. This technique uses friction to produce a hot coal from wood. Tools are my knife, shoelace, and a cut down tree/log etc. I go from a log that looks like your typical fire wood, to starting a fire. The process is painfully slow and excruciatingly painful. Some blood, tons of sweat, and fortunately no tears go into this process. It took forever but I had success. It was incredible.

I learn about wild animal behavior. Specifically bears and mountain lions.

Layering, both with clothing and with natural products (grasses,fibers, leaves etc) can be the difference between life and death. must prevent body heat from getting too hot or cold.

a 9V battery and steel wool will instantly ignite a flame for fire starting. Incredible. My mind is blown.

Peanut Butter gets me through yet another day. However, I don't know if I will ever want to eat it again after this week.

Visit two bear dens. I learn a lot as I can use the same techniques bears use, for my own survival shelter. locations, insulation techniques etc

I eat handful of dandelions from a mountain top meadow.

It has now been four days since I have consumed any sort of meat. I cannot recall going longer than a day before.

Saw an incredible shooting star while staring at the Big Dipper & North star. These are now the only things in the sky other than the sun and moon that I can confidently identify.

I learn to make a bowlin knot. This can be used in a million different survival situations. from river crossing, to shelter and hunting.

I have learned to light a fire with one match. Essentially guaranteed. The process is arduous but if I were ever down to a single match, this is an essential skill to survive as fire is a must.

Don't let wet wood discourage me. Use knife and carve down kindling and fire wood until you reach dryer insides.

I sleep outside once again and it is freezing. Here in the mountains, the weather changes in an instant. Hot hot days and cold cold nights. The stars are too fascinating to think about going into tent. Good practice to toughen up if I ever were without a tent.

Also, shortly before sunset, I built a successful fire using my bow drill kit! No matches, no fire starters etc. My knife + me carving wood + a shoelace and a whole lot of sweat = a fire. The sensation of starting this fire was beyond incredible.

I have now gone 5 days without any sort of meat. I am a meat and potatoes guy. I want steak!

It has been 6 days since I last showered. I look like I have a tan, but it's dirt.

I find myself having conversations with the flies up here in the mountains. I am begging them to leave me alone but they wont. I spray them with 100% Deet and tell them to Die.

I walk through the woods blindfolded at night! I learn to rely on my senses other than sight. It was somewhat terrifying, but more so exhilarating.

Overall, the experience was pretty good. I was expecting/hoping for the Man V Wild experience. I think I got the Junior Varsity experience. I DID learn a lot and was challenged in many different ways. I guess I need to crawl before I can walk. That said, I feel as though I could execute the necessary skills needed if I were faced with a survival situation in the wild and THAT'S WILD!

I left out a million details. Let me know if you want to know more. I hope all is well.

Bent but not broken. I survived!

Mark/Chops

PS. Heading North!

PSS. I cut some of my hair off with my knife to use as tinder to start a fire on night. Yeah, that DIDN'T work.

SHORTLY BEFORE GETTING TO SURVIVAL CAMP!

TENT IS ALL SET UP AT HIGH CAMP! ENDED UP SLEEPING OUTSIDE. THE STARS WERE TO GOOD TO MISS. MIGHTY COLD THOUGH!

MORNING OF DAY 6: ROUGH SHAPE. I AM TIRED AND NEED A SHOWER AND REAL FOOD BADLY. WHAT A WEEK!

LEARNING TO SURVIVE IN THE SHADOWS OF MOUNT SHASTA, WEED, CALIFORNIA

ONE OF THE TWO BASE CAMP LOCATIONS

MY WATER SOURCE FOR DRINKING AND COOKING

A BOW DRILL FRICTION FIRE LECTURE

HEADING TO HIGHER ALTITUDE WITH MARK, JAMES, AND DYLAN

BREATHTAKING MEADOW IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MOUNTAINS

DARING THE BLACK BEARS AND MOUNTAIN LIONS TO COME OUT FROM HIDING

CLIMBING A WATERFALL TO HIGHER GROUND

GOT TO HIGHER GROUND!

CREATING A BOW DRILL FRICTION FIRE WITH A KNIFE, SHOELACE, TIMBER, AND MUSCLE!

ANOTHER LECTURE

I TURNED THE PLANT STOCK ABOVE INTO ROPE.

THERE IS A 40 POUND ROCK IN MY BAG. I AM HOLDING IT UP WITH THE ROPE I MADE FROM PLANT STOCK THE SIZE OF CHOPSTICKS. I NEED A SHOWER.

DYLAN AND ME MAKING A 1 MATCH FIRE. VERY TIRING TECHNIQUE BUT WELL WORTH THE EFFORT. I NEED A SHOWER.

MADE MY BOW DRILL KIT FROM THE LOGS TO MY LEFT. I NEED A SHOWER.

MY BOW DRILL KIT THAT I STARTED FIRE WITH! MADE FROM SCRATCH!

MY FELLOW SURVIVAL CAMP SURVIVORS, DYLAN AND JAMES. NICE WORK THIS WEEK FELLAS! THANKS FOR EVERYTHING. FRIENDS FOREVER. INCREDIBLE GUYS. WE NEED SHOWERS.