DATES:
In-Person:
Session 1: April 19-25
Session 2: July 19-25
Session 3: September 16-23
Virtual:
May 26th 6:00pm-8:00pm PST
June 30th 6:00pm-8:00pm PST
Aug 18th 6:00pm-8:00pm PST
Sep 22nd 6:00pm-8:00pm PST
TIME:
Sessions 1 and 2 will start at 6pm on Sunday and end by 3pm on Saturday. More details about Session 3 will be shared closer to the time of the session.
LOCATION:
Sessions 1 and 2 will take place at Linne Doran, the Wilderness Awareness School’s 60-acre campus, located about fifteen minutes outside of Duvall in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. The physical address for Coho Ridge Parking Lot, our main parking area, is located at:
20121 320th Ave NE
Duvall, WA, 98019
Once you get to the gravel road, you can follow these directions to that parking area. After parking, you will be greeted with further instructions on where to go.
If you are coming from out of town, we will provide the opportunity to coordinate airport pickups and ride-sharing with your fellow students.
A NOTE FROM THE PROGRAM TEAM:
Thank you for registering for Shadowcraft. We are excited to meet you! This document contains information that you will need to prepare for this course. Please read it carefully.
If you have any questions regarding your registration, please contact Wilderness Awareness School at (425) 788-1301 or [email protected]; our office hours are 8:00am-4:00pm, Monday through Friday. If you have specific questions about registration, refunds, or transfers, please visit our Cancellation and Transfer Policy.
For any questions about the course itself, please email [email protected].
Sincerely,
Carlin Getliffe, Brooke Nelson, and Chris Laliberte
Instructors
WHAT TO EXPECT
On in-person days we will be spending most of our time outside regardless of weather. When you leave your tent or car, please bring whatever food, water and gear you need to be out for the day, as well as the “Top Priority” items from the gear list. Be prepared to dress in layers so that you can adjust easily. Expect that you may get muddy and wet.
In-person class days will be a mix of embodied learning, group sharing, and various other experiential components.
FACILITIES
Our campus includes Cedar Lodge, an indoor classroom and meeting space, as well as several outdoor classroom areas and surrounding natural areas. There are bathrooms on the property. Linne Doran has limited cell reception and no internet access.
Participants will camp on our property from Sunday to Saturday for sessions 1 and 2. Accommodations are rustic: there are simple campsites, potable water, and firewood provided.
FOOD
Dinners are provided on all in-person class days. Please bring breakfast, lunch and snack food for each class day (6 breakfasts and 6 lunches for sessions 1 and 2). Hot water will be available in the morning for tea, oatmeal, instant meals, etc. You may bring your own stove and cooking utensils if you wish to cook your own breakfast. Your lunch should be packable and not require any cooking.
We will have some cooler space available to participants but you are encouraged to focus on items that do not need refrigeration, or bring your own cooler if possible. Please store food in your vehicle while you are at Linne Doran.
CLASS SCHEDULE AND CURRICULUM
Session One: April 19th at 6pm to April 25th at 3pm
The first session is focused on developing group culture and introducing the physical and non-physical skills and practices that are at the heart of Shadowcraft. These include movement and stealth, animal forms, camouflage and concealment, intuition and awareness, self-regulation, tuning in to nature’s rhythms, and working with fear. By the end of the first session, participants will have the tools they need to continue deepening into these areas on their own. At the same time, participants will begin to engage with the thematic and archetypal elements undergirding a significant rite of passage already unfolding in their own lives.
Session Two: July 19th at 6pm to July 25th at 3pm
In the second session participants continue to put key skills into practice while also leaning further into energetic and archetypal exploration. Activities, games, and challenges provide ample opportunity to strengthen group connection and embody the learnings from session one, as well as further integrate the core routines.
Session Three: September 16th-23rd
Session three is the culmination of the Shadowcraft program. This 8-day experience will push your intuition and skill to new edges, and directly challenge your fears and perceived limitations. Successfully navigating this rite of passage will require deep trust in yourself, your fellow participants, and nature herself.
GEAR LIST
Below you will find a range of gear from “top priority” (ie, needed every day during in-person sessions) to “optional”, and some in between. Do your research for what the best fit is for your particular need. Try looking for items at thrift stores, on craigslist/facebook marketplace, or asking friends and family if they’ve got anything they want to send your way! Note: even if you are already well-equipped in terms of outdoor gear, you will likely want to allocate $200-$300 for gear purchases by the end of the course. This will include camouflage clothing and other course-specific items.
Top Priority – must have on all in-person days
- Daypack or Satchel: Something to keep all your gear in for the day. Make sure it’s comfortable to wear and big enough to hold everything you need plus a lunch.
- Water Bottle: Any kind will work – there will be days that we are out in the field without access to water, so at least a 1 liter bottle is recommended. Some favorites include single wall stainless bottles like Kleen Kanteen or bpa free plastic Nalgenes.
- Lighter: Nothing fancy, just a simple, pocket sized bic lighter is great.
- Blindfold: Earth toned or camouflage is preferred. Most students use a bandana.
- Pocket notepad and pen/pencil: small field notebook (3×5” or 4×6”) for taking notes. Many people like Rite in the Rain notebooks for their waterproofing.
- Notebook: For more detailed notes, journaling, etc. Whatever form works best for you is fine. Some people like spiral bound, others like something smaller.
- Safety Whistle:. Any small emergency whistle or sports whistle will work.
- Lunch and snacks: Nothing that requires cooking.
- Layers: Whether or not you’ve lived in the Northwest before, you may know that we can get a lot of rain here, and weather can be unpredictable. On wet days we recommend NOT wearing cotton and having layers for the day with you in your daypack, including things like a rain coat, hat, and a wool or fleece sweater.
- Small red LED light: Something on a small keychain is great.
Camping
These items will be needed for camping at Linne Doran during in-person sessions.
- Personal 3 season tent: Doesn’t need to be fancy or ultralight, but it does need to be waterproof. A 2 or 3 person tent will give you a little extra room for gear, but a 1 person tent or bivy will work too. Depending on your level of experience, you may choose to just use a tarp.
- Sleeping Bag: Lightweight synthetic sleeping bag rated to 32 degrees or lower (ideally 20 degrees or lower). Down is also fine as long as you are 100% positive you’re able to keep it dry. Wet down is trash.
- Sleeping pad: Closed cell foam or Thermarest-type or other inflatable.
- Mess Kit: plate, bowl, mug, fork, spoon, etc. Some seasoned pros use tupperware as their bowl/plate and then are able to save leftovers! Silverware from your kitchen is totally fine.
- Toiletries and personal medication: whatever you need to take care of yourself.
Outdoor clothing
People tend to have or find a system of clothing that works best for them – these are just recommendations especially for anyone who hasn’t spent much time in such a damp environment. May and September are especially unpredictable: the sun could be out the whole time or it could be pouring rain. If you are purchasing or thrifting clothing, we recommend considering earth tones or camouflage patterns, as concealment will become important later in the course.
- Hiking shoes: whatever your feet like best.
- Sandals: spring/summer in the PNW can be warm and sunny!
- Warm socks: Wool/synthetic warm socks, at least a couple pairs recommended.
- Rain jacket and pants: A light rain jacket is usually fine for the time of year we will be together. A poncho is also an option.
- Wool or fleece sweater: Layers are essential in the PNW. Fleece is lighter weight than wool, but wool is a magical natural fiber that will still keep you warm when it’s wet. Wool is pricier if purchased new, but can be found at thrift stores.
- Down/synthetic/wool outer layer or jacket: One more layer for staying warm. Down will not keep you warm if it gets wet, but is nice for having as a lightweight layer and can be used under a rain jacket.
- Wool/synthetic gloves: Optional.
- Long underwear top and bottom: Wool or synthetic, no cotton! For your layering game.
- Shorts and T-shirt: Because hey, at least in July it’s likely to be warm and sunny!
- Wool/synthetic hat: Whatever keeps your noggin toasty.
- Sunhat and sunglasses: for if we’re out and about on a full sun day.
Optional, but nice to have
- Knife: Folding or fixed-blade with a sheath. We love the simplicity, quality, and affordability of the Mora knives and we sell them in our store, so it is an option to wait to purchase one when you arrive. Any sturdy pocket knife will do as well.
- Thermos/insulated mug: For tea and other warm things.
- Butt pad/camp seat: We do a lot of sitting on stumps/the ground/benches, and some people need/prefer some extra back support.
- Sunscreen: to keep those rays at bay.
- Wool blanket: Useful for sitting on the ground, bundling up, or pushing your edge instead of a sleeping bag. 100% wool blankets are an investment, but you can also find 80-90% wool with 10% synthetic material for much cheaper. Try looking at army surplus or thrift stores too.
- Headlamp: As a backup when you really can’t find your socks.
- Binoculars: Fun for scoping our birds and other far away things.