Wood Thrush Wilderness LLC Weekend Classes

Every since I retired earlier this year from the gun shop, I have been really getting into making my own bushcrafting and outdoors gear. Late last Fall I attended my first basket weaving class. I wanted to learn how to make a pack basket to use with my pack frame I made from red oak.

I was pretty happy to find that Miss Jessica Steele (of Wood Thrush Wilderness LLC) was offering yet another class that I could attend. This one would be harvesting an ash tree and peeling the bark. Then pounding out lathes with a hammer in order to weave yet another basket. The first one I made was from reeds, and while this is a great pack basket, I wanted to learn how to make one just a bit more robust.

We dropped a tree with my Husqvarna 455 Rancher. We had another gentleman in attendance who brought his chainsaw too. We harvested a number of smaller trees to build and erect a pair of A frames for future classes in Thorndike, Maine.

I have never done this before so it was quite the learning experience for me. The first step was cutting the tree into 4 foot lengths and peeling the bark.

A stock tank was filled with water and the log sections were allowed to soak. This loosens the growth rings. It also makes handling them sort of like trying to wrestle an eel.

Before we get started, my class mates busied themselves making the saw bucks to hold the logs off the ground.

Then the pounding began. The goal is to beat the crap out of the logs along the top, and loosen the top layer of bark. You use a 2 1/2 pound hammer to smack the log squarely.

Once the top layer is loosened, I used a drawknife to pull up the first strip.

This first set of strips is the xylem and floem layer full of the tubes that run water and nutrients up and down the tree trunk. I discovered that this is a very thick and tough layer just under the bark.

And this is the pile of strips pounded out of logs and set aside for the baskets.

The tough uprights of the basket are the staves and the thinner ones are the weavers. The staves were so tough that they needed a good soaking to get them even more pliable.

While the strips are soaking again, the class turned our attention to lashing the A frames for a future outdoors classroom.

The class sitting out on the grass weaving their baskets.

I had the hardest time getting my basket ready for the weavers. The thick staves were like trying to herd spaghetti.

We ran out of time to finish the baskets, so I brought mine home to finish at a later date. These are not the pretty little baskets that you make from perfectly machine cut wood strips. These are honest to goodness rough made baskets with wood cut and processed entirely by hand, and built for serious backwoods usage.

What I learned was a couple of things. First… I’m still struggling with my impatience. I get frustrated occasionally when I fail to get things done correctly. The instructor was very helpful in getting me sorted out. As this was the first time this class was being offered, we got a lot of instruction on the technique and how to execute the work.

Secondly…. I learned that I have an allergy to the sap in ash trees. I didn’t even know that this was a thing at all. Apparently there’s a natural chemical compound that once your skin is wet with the sap, and you’re exposed to the Sun, you break out in bad hives that REALLY itch. So I had to make a trip to the pharmacy in town to find some relief. I had to forego further pounding on the logs with a hammer and I found other duties to keep me occupied. If you ever find yourself in Maine and you’re looking for something that is slightly out of the ordinary, I highly recommend checking out the various classes offered by Wood Thrush Wilderness LLC. There’s a number of classes on the schedule for a variety of outdoors topics. They’re not just limited to basket weaving only. So do yourself a favor and make something that you will be proud of creating with your own two hands.