Survival classes offered near Stevensville

by John Dowd 

“If you’re gonna spend any time outdoors you need this kind of training,” said Lee Scharff. Scharff has spent most of his life outdoors and currently teaches wilderness survival courses with Lone Rock School Adult Education program. He does this because he considers these classes essential, especially in Montana. Scharff spent many years in Search and Rescue (SAR), and he saw, firsthand, why it matters. 

Scharff worked as a snowmobile instructor for the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks for many years and was involved with the Ravalli County Search and Rescue. He was in the U.S. Air Force, where he operated on missile launch control systems and their electronic components. Following his service, he was involved with aircraft control between airports, and later he worked as a UPS driver and retired in 1991. Then, he moved just outside of Stevensville and joined SAR. 

Scharff has many years under his belt involved with SAR, particularly in the HASTY (rapid response) teams, where he was among the first groups in the field searching for people. He was involved in numerous high profile searches in the area, and he would do this until the late 90’s. Scharff was eventually president of the Ravalli County SAR.

Along with that, he also started teaching wilderness survival classes for groups other than SAR, including the Forest Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Throughout all of this experience, the main thing he learned was “certain things do happen.” People are not always prepared and often believe things cannot or will not happen to them, said Scharff.  

Especially with a warm year like this winter has been so far, Scharff added that people often make mistakes. Whether they are “tempted to go places they normally wouldn’t this time of year,” or they do not “take things or equipment they might normally,” people can wind up in a bad place. He believes what often gets a person are the simple things that they do not think about. The weather can change, things can happen and they might still need that stuff.

That tendency to be unprepared is often the linch pin. Scharff advises people to keep extra clothing, not just for themselves but for others. He carries a lot of extra things, particularly long johns, every time he goes out. He said he has had to part with numerous pairs of long johns over the years to help others. 

In fact, a lot of being prepared, according to Scharff, is for the other people that are with him. He talks a lot about this in his courses, and said that the training people get may help somebody else, and not just the students. “I never needed anybody’s help, but I’m sure not above asking. I ain’t that bashful,” said Scharff. He said nobody should be afraid to ask for help.

In fact, having other people with you is often the biggest determining factor in survival. Scharff was pleased that he had three couples in the class last year because, when they get the training together, they have someone they know they can rely on when they go out in the back country together. 

Scharff also advised that if a person does get separated, they should “stay where you last saw your group,” and “pay attention going in,” even if a person is following someone else like a guide. According to Scharff, everybody gets turned around, and he mentioned a few times that he got confused. 

Speaking of his classes, Scharff said he covers some first aid, equipment, skills and more, but his classes rarely follow any kind of strict lesson plan. He will often start with a “show and tell” of survival tools and equipment he has tried in the past, some of which have worked, and some that have not been worth their weight.

Scharff will then often ask participants what they want to get out of the class. He said he uses this time to learn how his students might plan to interact with the wilderness, whether skiing, rock climbing or just day hikes. From there, he can tailor his lessons to help people where they will need it the most. 

According to Scharff, “survival favors those most prepared.” His survival classes will have an emphasis on cold weather, but are general survival lessons that can be applied year round. Scharff said his students need no prior survival knowledge or experience, and all equipment is provided. He hopes that his classes can give people an edge so that they don’t end up suffering needlessly, and they never need the help of SAR.

The Lone Rock Adult Education program describes the classes, saying, “If you love the outdoors in Montana, and need some survival skills, this class is for you! Back by popular demand, this class will explore how to survive in the outdoors, with the motto being, ‘Survival favors those most prepared.’ We will cover first-aid, food, water safety, proper clothing, tent, sleeping gear, maps, compass, cell phone, body condition – mental/physical, medications, weather reports, and much more! Join us for informational sessions on how to prepare for the outdoors!”

There are no overnights, and Scharff brings all the needed equipment. Participants must be adults. Registration for courses should be done through Lone Rock School. Interested participants can call (406) 210-5129, or go to the Lone Rock School website, lonerockschool.org. Parties can also email registration to adulteducation@lonerockschool.org, including name, address, phone number, email address and the course name and times.

The class is six hours spread over four class meetings. Class dates will be Monday and Wednesday, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Jan. 21, 26, 28 and Feb. 2. The class fee is $25. Seniors, 62 years and older, are eligible for a 50% discount.