Ax Skills for Women at HOWL

Despite the rain today up on Crouching Lion Mountain, several of us hardy souls gather with Mary Murphy of Mountainsong Expeditions to learn basic Ax skills.

Mary covered topics such as ax types, ax handling safety, limbing, bucking, felling, splitting wood, ax blade sharpening, and ax handle replacement.

Some of us tested our skills at limbing, bucking, and splitting. And then we practiced sharpening our blades.

Then we all palavered over a delicious potluck next to the warmth of the wood stove.

Mary Murphy, Mountainsong Expeditions

Lani Ravin

Anya Schwartz

Vanessa & Lani

Sadie with hatchet

Laura bucks up log

Vanessa bucks up log

Laura splits wood

Mary Murphy, Mountainsong Expeditions

Traditional Ax Skills Every Woodswoman Should Know - Free Workshop at HOWL

Traditional Ax Skills Every Woodswoman Should Know - Free Workshop
Saturday April 26th, 2014 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. at HOWL

In these days of power tools ax skills are dying out, but there is no more versatile tool for working with wood in the backcountry. Your ax can help you harvest wood for winter camping, cut poles to erect a wall tent or tipi, create stakes for camp shelters, and keep trails clear of blow-down trees in any season.

In this class we will learn about selection, care, and sharpening of your ax, and then practice the traditional skills of felling, limbing, and bucking up a small tree, plus advice on splitting wood. You will learn proper body mechanics that allow you to use your ax more effectively, using the weight of the ax head and gravity instead of straining your muscles. If there is time we may also demonstrate re-handling an ax.

Mary Murphy

This workshop will be taught by Mary Murphy of Mountainsong Expeditions: Journeys for your Wild Soul. Check out her website www.mountainsongexpeditions.com to get an idea of her prodigious outdoor skills and offerings. Mountainsong Expeditions offers spiritually-based wilderness trips and traditional skill classes in Vermont, New England, and Sweden.

PLEASE RSVP AT THIS EMAIL OR REGISTER ON MARY'S WEBSITE. CALL FOR MORE INFO: 802-598-5868.