Teaching survival to the fittest
ROCK CREEK – Milo Crooks’ voice echoed through the Rock Camp Saturday afternoon calling his dad to come and watch him brave one survival activity after another.
Milo, 6, and his dad, Jeremy Crooks, of St, Ignatius, were happy to meet new friends and experience Gary Steele’s survival challenges.
“We are new to the Mission Valley,” said Jeremy, a local nurse originally from Alaska. “Our family has always loved the outdoors. This has been a great experience for my son and I. I am sincerely looking forward to attending more activities like this one.”
St. Ignatius mountain man, Gary Steele and his wife, Terry Lynn Miller, set out to provide a memorable experience and offer activities designed to help family members bond.
And families filled the mountain side over the weekend east of the Bitteroot, trying their hand at traditional long-bow hunting and other outdoor activities. Hand-drawn targets of spiders, bears and a red-nosed deer were poking from behind trees, tempting even novice archers.
“I met him (Steele) when I was a small boy,” said Wes Harmon, a fellow outdoor enthusiast. “I wanted to learn how to kayak and he was an instructor. I had no idea then the friendship that would follow.”
Harmon uses his Steele-taught skills almost daily as he guides families over rivers around the world.
As the sun began to kiss the forest floor, handmade tomahawks reached their wooden targets and children laughed at their success.
Campfire sessions entailed learning how to tie knots the children would later use hauling small logs up from the valley floor. Long-time African river rafting friends and Steele’s previous kayaking students told stories of places and animals they saw from around the world, while their hands concocted dutch oven recipes like enchiladas and plum crisp.
“Baboons are considered the squirrels of Africa,” said Mandela VanEedon, who shares her time between Africa and Montana. “They come into the local homes to ravage fridges and dig through cupboards looking for fruits and sweets.”
She said African men patrol the streets with paintball guns in the attempt to keep the scavengers within the boundaries of the reserve and out of the homes.
Stories of African lions, zebras, scorpions and various other safari animals filled the ears of the children and family members listening in amazement.
Small and large feet attempted to master the tree line walk, while others climbed and swung on massive neighboring trees with repelling gear.
With bellies full of dutch oven delicacies, families ended their evening within the walls of a large teepee, warmed by a small fire and entertained by musical instruments from around the world.
Steele and fellow outdoorsmen shared stories of mountain living and river rafting meant to encourage the young children.
“I am happy with how well everyone has done today,” Steele said. “Some of the students have never experienced some of these activities and I am so happy to see how fast they have learned.”
Steele plans on scheduling more frequent activities over the coming months to teach survival techniques he believes every resident participating in outdoor activities should know.