Wolf Tracks Across Your Life
February 23 – March 1, 2025
at
The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest east of Three Lakes, Wisconsin
Brother Wolf Foundation offers this course in conjunction with Teaching Drum Outdoor School.
Spend a full week in the winter wilderness, lost in the mystery and magic
of a world known only to the few who dare to answer
the howl that arises from deep in the primal soul.
Imagine waking up and shaking off the crisp, fresh snow blanket that kept you warm all night. Your packmates are rousing at around the same time, and the Sun is just about to break the horizon. You feel so invigorated by the energy of the new day and the clean, Pine-scented air that all you want to do in the moment is leap for joy and give your packmates a warm morning-welcoming hug.
After relieving yourself and tidying up, you pick up a trail that has you mesmerized. You call your packmates over, and they get just as excited as you are. The song of the track has put a spell on the whole pack, and you are off together following it. You move as one — as a silent blue shadow across pristine wilderness landscape.
You backtrack if you can, as that is the least disruptive for the Wolves during this, the mating season, which is a sensitive time of the year for them. If you cannot backtrack, you foretrack, making sure to stay far enough behind that you will not disturb them.
First you come across a lay in a grove of Cedars, where the trackmakers spent the night. You see that they woke up to Greet the Dawn just as you did, then went on in search of breakfast. Before long, you come across a playful scene written in the snow, which is suddenly interrupted by something, as you see the tracks go bounding off for safety. You realize it was you who spooked them, and your blood runs strong — you are hot on the trail…
You might think you are reading about the day’s adventure of a pack of Wolves, but that pack is you and your fellow Wolf enthusiasts. You have come together for a week of pure immersion in the World of the Wolf. You have only one burning desire for the week: to think, feel, and breathe Wolf. You live like the Wolves you follow, shadowing their every move. You move when they move, nap when they nap, and feast on their kills. By the end of the week, you start to feel as though you are becoming Wolf.
Course Highlights:
- Winter Wilderness camping for a whole week.
- Follow a family of Wolves and gain an intimate window into their lives.
- Learn about the ecosystem and how Wolves interact with it.
- Discover the intricate prey-predator relationships that rotate around Wolves.
- Gather around the evening campfire to listen to stories from our School Elders about living with and learning from Wolves.
Workshop Format
This adventure is open to experienced overnight backcountry winter campers only, and you must be in prime physical condition. You will literally be living on the trail of a family of Wolves in the Headwaters Wilderness of Wisconsin for the entire six days. You travel light, carrying everything you need, as you will have no outside contact for the duration of the adventure.
The Preparation
If you can no longer resist the Call of the Wild and are not in the best physical condition, we suggest you start training now. Winter camping courses are available throughout snow country, and we are offering our own winter camping course prior to Wolf Tracks Across Your Life. Your acceptance packet contains guidelines for acclimating to winter outdoor living prior to your arrival.
Your Guides
The Wolf family is going to be your primary guide. They are going to teach you all they know about what it is to be a Wolf. In addition, you are accompanied the entire time by a veteran wilderness trekker and winter camper (to be announced), who knows Wolves like you know your best friend. A couple others drop in with you on the trail from time to time and spend some evenings with you around the campfire. Lety Seibel laces the darkness with stories from the time when our ancestors ran with Wolves, OdeMakwa relates the history of the family you are shadowing, and Tamarack Song shares insights gained from his own Wolf family and lifetime of Wolf study and observation. Together they help you unravel the mysteries continually unfolding before you on the Trail of the Mystic Wolf.
Course Information
Location: The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest east of Three Lakes, Wisconsin.
Date: February 23 – March 1, 2025
Tuition: $1200 – Includes in-course transportation and all food.
$2600 total of taken back-to-back with Wolf Medicine.
Alternative financing options are available when needed.
This course is open to 6 participants.