Winter Count 25

February 9-15, 2014

Early registration opens on-line today!!w!

Register at backtracks.net.

WHERE THE TEACHERS GATHER

 Larry Kinsella from flintknapper.com 
demonstrates the fine art of working 
flint into tools. 

Matt Graham from the Discovery Channels new 
series - Dude You're Screwed - showing 
how to hunt with an atlatl and dart system.

Red Louvish's wet-scrape brain-tan class in action.

Jesus Garcia from the Sonoran Desert 

Museum displays his collection of 

fibers for making ropes.

Charlie Tadano of the Phoenix-based Study of Ancient Lifeways and Technologies  (SALT) Group has his classes turn rough argillite stone into fine jewelry.

Make a point of signing up early and don't miss out on attending this unique gathering of artisans and teachers of the old ways. 

We want to wish all of our Backtracks alums a very Happy New Year. Be safe and enjoy the holiday.

Please pass this message along to anyone you know planning on coming this year.

Since this is our 20th year of conducting Winter Count, we are offering a 20 year discount special to encourage everyone to sign-up early. Here's how it works:

We keep track of registrations as they come in. Every 20th registration (that's number 20, 40, 60, etc.) gets a $50 tuition discount. Every 100th one gets a $150 discount. What odds - the lottery is one in 200 million, here it's only 1 in 200. We need you to commit early to help us plan. I know it's easy to procrastinate, but we need you to sign up now. Go to backtracks.net and register on-line. Early registration is open, and this offer is only available until January 20th, so sign-up NOW!

Rabbitstick 2013

Thanks everyone for making our 2013 event a rousing success.

Rabbitstick 2013 Staff
We're missing about 20 great instructors who didn't make it for the photo. We want to thank everyone for their generous sharing of skills and their passion for the old ways. It was another great week and we missed everyone who couldn't make it this year.

_______________________________


Stay tuned for the scheduled release date for our upcoming book on the many primitive skills gatherings that are happening nationwide these days - currently 28 events available for learning primitive skills.

1 Week Until Kick-off

We just looked at the staff check-in list and we have over 75 confirmed teachers for the event, and they're still sending in class schedule cards. A few regulars will be absent, but we also have a few instructors new to Rabbitstick this year. 

Great turn out is expected. Late registrations and inquiries are coming in daily  We are on track for regular attendance, with LOTS of first-timers on the list.

It looks like a possibility of thunder showers this Fri-Sat for set up as usual. We are finally getting our afternoon monsoons that we usually get in August. Lots of thunder and heavy afternoon downpours. Temps are forecast for the high 70s to low 80s during the day and it's expected to drop into the mid-40s at night by mid-week.

Rabbitstick is right around the corner, and the weather is acting like it. 

A tree like this one was struck by lightning a couple of weeks ago. 

Be careful. Look around and camp in a safe place.

Rabbitstick 2013

Less than 2 weeks away

In an attempted to be responsible and provide a good source of local foods, Backtracks has been able to finally connect with a local supplier for natural, wholesome meats for our meals. There will also be an animal processing class in camp to help anyone who has never experienced what it takes to be an omnivore and the responsibility to life that goes along with it. Learning the skills of the hunter/gatherer doesn't end with bringing home the bacon; you also need to know how to get it ready to go on the table. 

Registration Update

Thanks so much for kicking it into gear and getting your registrations in. We still have space available, but we have been working overtime the past few days trying to get confirmations and registration packets out to all the first-timers who are coming this year. 

If you are returning and haven't signed in yet, you'd better get to it. We're considering limiting the size of future gatherings. With all of the growth that has happened over the past few years, we want to keep Backtracks events at a manageable size. 

There are nearly 30 events nationwide right now and more coming. Help us keep Rabbistick and Winter Count the national events we have come to know. It's great to get so many people from so many regions of the country who come and learn skills they can take back home to their local events. Come find out what a Backtracks gathering is all about and help us keep traditions alive!

Spread the word. 'Like' us on Facebook, and share our blog with your friends.

Bob and Gayle Kitch teach Great Basin Atlatls and Beadwork.

Scenes from Rabbitstick 2012

Photos by Joshua Sage

 Opening Circle

Larry and Big Bertha

Kids Kamp Leaders

Norm is open for business

The Ryans

Digger and Dave

Jerry's sharpening up 

Note- That hat's made from dogbane cordage

Rabbitstick Update

Fires - Idaho fires are still going, but not as severe as the media tells it. Most smoke is going to the north of us. There is still some haze in the area, but for the most part skies are clear. We're finally getting our afternoon monsoons after about 3+ weeks of +90˚ weather - that's unusual for us. 

Reservations - If anyone is planning on staying in town, you had better make motel reservations now. The university is starting a week later than normal - Monday the 16th - so that week and the weekend before should be pretty crazy with frantic parents dropping kids off. This goes double for crowds at Wal Mart and the grocery store. 

Camp Site - Garth has been busy watering our campsite, and it looks great. This will make you think things are safe, but we are not allowing any fire inside tree line. Fires other than our main fires need to be in pans only.

Staff - We've had a great response from staff so far - Yes Cody Groupies, he will be here. All of our regular classes will be offered as well as a few new ones. The Kids Kamp will need help from instructors as usual, so Rachel and Valley will getting a hold of everyone. 

Weather - Here's the forecast. It looks like we'll have a great week.

Last Chance to Get Early Registration Prices.

September 1st is the end for early registration. We have increased the late registration rate to "encourage" everyone to register early. The on-line registration link is up and running and will be changed to the late fee -$375 - on Sunday morning, so don't wait.

Staff Checking-In

Winter Count 2013  is shaping up as another great winter event. Make a point to add a week at Winter Count to your "Things-to-do" list for this coming February. We currently have over 40 instructors confirmed for this year, and will probably be well over 80 on staff by the time the gates open. Backtracks events have the largest available staff pool of any similar events in the country, and their expertise and teaching skills are second to none.   Join Us!
 

Classes currently on the schedule:

Basketry

Brain Tanning

Tracking

Primitive Packs

Felting

Bow Making

Gourdcraft

Friction Fire making

Cordage from Natural Fibers

Flintknapping

Atlatls and Darts

and much more.

Winter Count 2012 staff photo.