Primitive Solo Adventure into the Sierra Nevada Wilderness

In the summer, the mountains of the Sierra Nevada come to life with thriving plant and animal species, some of which can be turned into nutritious food. But survival in these mountains is not so easy, especially when traveling with just primitive gear. Buckskin clothes, a burden basket containing two hides for bedding, a fish net, and a basket of acorns. In my hand is a sharp pointed walking stick with a bow drill fire kit and fishing rods secured to it. Also, I'm carrying a calabash bottle gourd for water and a buckskin bag that contains extra cordage, fishing line and hooks, pine pitch glue, a bone, stone cutting flakes, and a small clay teacup. On my way, I find a yucca plant with a dry flower stalk which will be good for starting a fire. At over 7,000 feet in elevation, the night is going to get cold and I'm going to need a shelter and fire. After examining a few potential sites, I find one that is ideal. The characteristics I look for in a temporary shelter are that it be on a south or east facing slope, mostly made of rock, large enough that I can lie flat inside, but small enough to easily heat with a small fire, and that it be free of rodent feces, spiders, and ants. The space under this boulder fits the description almost perfectly. After a little remodeling, it will be ready for the night. There are a lot of highly flammable pine needles on the floor of the shelter. Covering them with this cowhide adds an extra level of safety and comfort. Earthworms can be found in soil that's rich in organic matter, even at high altitudes. Small creeks like this one are home to small trout, however they are easily frightened. A stealth approach greatly increases the chances of hooking one. I had seen several small fish in this part of the creek, but the placement of the underwater camera seems to have spooked them too much, so I won't be using it anymore. Trout are known to be more line shy than other species. The high visibility of this handmade cordage fishing line makes fishing for trout much more challenging. Frustrated, I was about to quit because the day will soon be coming to an end, but after a few hours of failing to even get a single bite, a small trout dares to be different from the rest and makes the fatal mistake. I like to always have some dry yucca stalk with me because of its extremely low ignition temperature, but I'm not going to start the fire yet. I'm just getting the materials ready. Now I am going to prepare some acorn flour. The snow plant is a parasitic plant that acquires sustenance from mycorrhizal fungi that grow underground on tree roots. Earlier in the day, while looking for a suitable shelter, I was also looking for mortar holes in these rocks. I didn't find any, but I found a natural shallow depression in this one that can be used to grind acorns into flour. These acorns are from last year's harvest. Acorns don't keep well and many of them have rotted. When grinding the acorns into flour, I'm extremely careful to not hit stone on stone to avoid getting tiny rock particles mixed in the flour. When all the acorns have been sorted through and the good ones ground into flour, it's time for the next step in the process, leaching. Most acorns are loaded with extremely bitter tannins that must be removed before using them for food. One effective technique to wash away the bitter tannins is to rinse the flour in a slow moving stream for several hours. A tightly woven basket like this one made of coiled rush stems is needed to contain the flour. A small rock placed inside will keep it in place. In the morning, this should be ready to eat. I decided to use the bow drill method this time because my hands were beginning to produce blisters from doing the hand drill the day before. Usually a yucca stalk like this one will ignite very easy, but for some reason I'm being denied its blessing today. Failure is a very real part of life, but I can't afford to fail many more times because the cold darkness of the night is quickly approaching. While the outside temperature plummets, this fire effectively heats the interior of this tiny rock shelter. The stone wall of the fireplace directs the heat toward me and that heat is captured and stored by the large boulder. A full moon, cold night, warm fire, and fresh trout roasting on a rock. Here I am alone in a vast forest, tucked in for the night in a crack between the earth and rock. Poor by worldly standards, but blessed to be in the protection of the Almighty. The cycle of life is so evident out here. Life is sustained by consuming other forms of life. An endless cycle that connects all life. The hour before sunrise is the coldest of the night. With temperatures barely above freezing, it is hugely beneficial to have a shelter with the entrance positioned towards the east where the sun rises. This way the first rays of light of the new day instantly provide much needed warmth. Now I am going to retrieve the basket of acorn flour from the creek. It needs a few more hours of soaking, but it's actually not bad. The warmer the water, the faster the leaching process. I'm hungry, so I'm going to eat it. Acorn flour can be eaten raw or cooked. I regularly eat it both ways. For many native tribes, acorns were the most important food. They are high in nutrients like other nuts, especially fats and proteins. They can be leached whole, dried and stored, ground into flour, cooked as a mush with meat, mixed with other flours, and formed into cakes and cookies, or the flour mixed into a beverage and consumed like a smoothie. Medicinal plants can be found all over these mountains. One common medicinal herb is yarrow. It has traditionally been used both internally and topically to treat a wide range of ailments. This morning I want to enjoy a hot yarrow tea to warm myself up. Dandelion is also plentiful out here and packed with vitamins and minerals. This little clay cup I made is perfect for preparing small servings of tea or boiling small quantities of questionable water in an emergency. It is small enough that it can be worn around the neck or carried in a small bag. It's so important to fully extinguish and smother a fire before leaving a site. If a tree branch with dry pine needles were to fall on hot embers and ignite, the whole forest could go up in flames. Carrying a burden basket with a strap across the forehead may appear to be extremely uncomfortable or even painful, but actually it's not. The neck becomes strong from the process and it also prevents shoulder and spine discomfort, often associated with wearing backpacks with shoulder straps. Both ways have their pros and cons. As this portion of my journey comes to an end, I am reminded again of how the provisions of nature are available to those willing to take the time to observe, learn, and practice the skills once so common among people so long ago. While people trapped in the delusions of the modern world fear even the idea of drinking wild water. I crave and seek it because living water gives life. In this world there is both life and death, hot and cold, dark and light. You can't have one without the other. Risk is inevitable, but blessing cannot be achieved without taking steps of faith. Fear is mostly an illusion, an invention of the mind. Only a person who has taken the risks and spent a great deal of time immersed in the wilderness can understand what I am saying. This is the life of a wandering soul.