We are looking forward to a week of adventure and learning with your child at Linne Doran (Pond of the Otter), home of Wilderness Awareness School!
Schedule:
Sunday 1:00 PM – Friday 4:00 PM (for the specific dates you registered for please refer to your registration confirmation email)
Please join us at 3:00 PM on Friday for a closing circle – this is a valuable time for campers to share their experiences and start the transition from an intense and exciting week back into daily life with you, their family. A staff member will meet you near Cedar Lodge at Linne Doran at 2:45 PM and direct you to the location of the closing circle. This circle will last until around 4:00 PM, at which time the week will be officially completed. If you are unable to attend the closing circle, please plan to be at Linne Doran no later than 4:00 PM on Friday to pick up your child.
Location:
Linne Doran (our campus) is located about fifteen minutes outside of Duvall in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. It takes an hour to get to Linne Doran from Seattle without traffic.
You can find a map and driving directions on our website HERE.
Our land address is: 20410 320th Ave NE, Duvall, WA 98019
If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you this summer!
To warm summer days,
| Dan Corcoran – Program Director | Nicole O’Byrne – Summer Program Manager |
Advanced Survival Expedition
Facilities:
This expedition will be based out of our campus but we will only be starting and finishing here. We will spend all our nights away from campus and will have minimal facilities. Once we are out, campers will use nature as a bathroom and will need to dig ‘catholes’ for their waste and use natural materials for wiping. All of which we will teach them. Hand sanitizer will be used for keeping hands clean. There will be options to bathe in creeks that we go by to clean themselves if they wish, but will not be a part of the camp.
Food:
We will provide all meals and snacks during this camps. Beginning with dinner on Sunday and ending with lunch on Friday. Campers will be expected to wash their own dishes and be part of food preparation which will be taught how to do in the back country.
We provide healthy food and serve local and organic fare as much as possible, particularly with regard to meat and dairy products. There are vegetarian and gluten-free options. Please make sure your dietary needs are up to date on the online registration system since we plan our menu and make our food orders prior to camp and are unable to accommodate last-minute requests.
As the nature of this camp is a survival expedition, campers will experience less foods and variety than they are use to. Our staff are well trained and experienced with less calories and will be monitoring the campers very closely and have backup nutrition available. But know less calories and hunger are elements of this survival experience. There will be both times of low and high calories consumption. Any food related illness / concerns please contact us for more clarity.
If your child has a medical condition that necessitates that they bring their own food/snacks, please contact us well in advance so that we can make food storage and access arrangements with our cook and instructors. We will gladly accommodate this for medical reasons only.
Wild Foods, Animal Harvest & Fishing:
In our expedition, we look for opportunities for our students to have the experience of sampling wild foods. This experience will include opportunities to correctly identify and gather edible plants and how to safely prepare them for eating. There may be opportunities for them to experience fishing and/or hunting bullfrogs and potentially gathering edible invertebrates. All experiences will include how to correctly identify species and how to comply with the rules and regulations governing the collection of these species. We will also include how to humanely and respectfully take the life of these animals and how to safely prepare and cook them. All of these activities will be optional, and if you have any concerns or questions about these opportunities, please talk to the camp director at check-in. We will work with you to ensure that your child’s experiences are within the boundaries of what you believe to be safe and appropriate for your family.
Animal harvest – There will also be an opportunity to take part in a small animal harvest. This will look like learning how to take a living animal and transition it to food for our meal that evening. Along with using as much of the animal as possible for other crafts/projects. This is not a compulsory experience, students will be invited to take part in a way that feels good for them and how they are feeling in the moment.
Fishing – Will be an option at this camp, no fishing gear is needed as we will provide it. All you will need if your camper would like to fish is a WA fishing license if they are 16 or older. DO NOT BUY UNTIL APRIL 2026, That is when the next season begins which will cover our trip. You can buy an annual or a daily, if you opt for daily we suggest the 3day option and choose the middle 3 days of this camp. The license must be carried whilst fishing so please do not forget it as you cannot fish without it physically with us! Anyone under 16 does not need a license!
Medical Information:
Because of our semi-remote location and the overnight nature of this expedition, it is absolutely vital that we have complete medical information and history for all of our participants. Please let us know about any concerns you have or changes to your child’s medical information or health.
Please bring any medications for your child in a ziplock bag with their name and instructions. We will keep them secure and help remind campers to take their medications when needed.
For our Health policies and guidelines, click here.
Communication During Camp:
There is no reliable cell phone reception at Linne Doran, and we ask that participants leave cell phones and all electronics at home. Our phone line at Linne Doran is for use by staff only in case of emergency. Please do not expect to receive any calls from your child during the week. For many families, this week at camp is the first time campers have been away from home for so long. We are used to working with children during this exciting and sometimes challenging time and are honored to be a part of their lives during this experience.
If you need to contact us during camp, please call our office at 425-788-1301. Please realize that we usually do not call or email parents to provide updates on how your child is faring.
Important Gear Tips:
Clothing: Cotton is great for warm, dry days. We recommend clothes made of polypropylene, “fleece”, other synthetics, or wool for wet, cool conditions. Cotton loses all of its ability to insulate when it is wet, and can lead to hypothermia. We require that all campers bring several top and bottom layers, and socks, which are not made of cotton. Some cotton clothing as per the gear list is fine.
Footwear: Please make sure that your footwear is comfortable, broken in, and you are used to wearing them. Sneakers and light hiking boots or shoes are great. Heavy backpacking hiking boots are not necessary and may be too heavy for most activities. New boots can cause blisters, which range from merely very uncomfortable to having a serious impact on the ability to participate. We will be covering a lot of ground both off and on trail, and potentially walking through swampy, marshy areas.
Knives: Loaner knives will be available for the duration of this camp, you may also bring a knife if you already have one. The only knives we permit are fixed-blade knives. All students undergo knife safety training before using knives at camp. If they do not pass the training, they will be unable to participate in activities using knives.
Gear List:
All gear for this camp will be rolled into a blanket pack, the blanket you will use for sleeping will also be your backpack yes! For bringing stuff to camp feel free to bring in a duffle/backpack but this will not be used in the field!
Gear: All gear is below is required other than the optional list at the bottom.
The 10 essentials: (Links are for recommendations of kits we know work well!)
- Wool blanket: we recommend this one! If you already have one please make sure it’s a twin size 64×88! The wool blanket is the most important piece of kit.
- Knife: will be provided
- Metal water bottle: 32/64oz (Single walled)
- Headlamp: (A good headlamp, red light feature ideal but not necessary, changeable batteries not rechargeable are more ideal for expeditions so you can bring spares)
- Cooking pot (Will be used for cooking meals)
- Ferro rod: (Magnesium fire starter, can be found on amazon, any of them will work)
- 6×8 or 8×8 tarp: (Builders tarp from ace work great)
- P-cord (50/100ft): (Paracord, will be used in a variety of ways! Can find in rei, amazon, wallmart)
- Folding saw: (Folding 7-9inch blade)
- 2/3x stuff sacks/dry bags: (Under 10L)
Clothing: Outdoor clothing that is ready for the elements and the wear and tear the outdoors brings. You may only bring the following, in addition to what you are wearing!
- Sturdy pants x1
- Shorts x1
- Wool or polar fleece thermals (top and bottom)x1
- Warm hoodie/jacket x1 (Fleece or wool)
- Sweater x1
- T-shirt x1
- Rain jacket and pants, or poncho x1
- Warm hat x1
- Sun hat x1
- Water shoes – shoes that can get wet and muddy x1
- Socks, ideally wool x3
- Underwear x3 (If you are someone who bleeds, you may bring enough to make you feel comfortable)
- Hiking boots or shoes – see description above x1
Accessories/random items:
- Insect repellant / head net
- Toiletries and personal medication
- Sunscreen and/or sun protection (long layers to protect skin)
- Camping cup
- 1 extra water bottle, this one can be plastic, a Nalgene for example. Must be 32oz.
- Plastic garbage bag or pack cover – large enough to cover your bag. For rain protection.
- Small personal bottle of hand sanitizer
Optional items:
- Journal (Paper notebook)
- Pens and pencils
- Towel
- Swimsuit
*NO electronics are allowed on this expedition*