Island Ford Adventures

08/11/2024

Start your weekend off headed in the right direction! 🧭

Tomorrow at 9AM! Join our Basic Navigation Class to learn new map and compass skills + free coffee and snacks.

Here's the link to register. We still have room for you. :) https://www.islandfordadventures.com/take-action

30/10/2024

With all the chaos in the world lately, we are excited to get out in the woods this weekend. If you and your friends want to join our Women's Backpacking class Friday and our overnight trip in Pisgah on Saturday, we'd love to have you join us.

Link to book the Friday class and the overnight trip is included. https://ifabooking.as.me/schedule/5e19b00f/?appointmentTypeIds[]=11939999

22/10/2024

There's still room in our Outdoor "Thrival" skills class this Saturday at 1:00. Here is the link to join us! https://IFAbooking.as.me/?appointmentType=38627910

18/10/2024

The Pisgah Ranger Distict of Pisgah National Forest is now open. 💜 We’re excited to see y’all out on the trails again.

shared a great reminder to use extra causation on the trails as you may find downed trees and mudslides in some areas after Hurricane Helene. The Forest Service and others have been working super hard to get the forest reopened and there’s still much work to do to repair the trails.

We’ve updated our Outdoor Skill Classes after the hurricane, so here’s what we have coming up in October. ⬇️ ⬇️

🏕️ Outdoor “Thrival” Skills - Saturday Oct. 26 1:00 PM

⛑️ Outdoor Safety - Tuesday Oct. 29 5:30 PM

12/09/2024

Alright, this is exciting! We're hosting a Women's Backpacking Course + Overnight Trip this fall! This trip includes a full day of skill teaching first and then you'll head out on an overnight trip the next day, so you'll learn a ton and have fun outside with a great group of humans.

It's going to be a great trip and we'd love to have ya join us. :)

Here's the link with more info and to register: https://www.islandfordadventures.com/womens-backpacking-course-guided-overnight-trip

16/08/2024

Below is a copy of an email that went out to my Island Ford Adventures client base today. An exciting partnership is happening!

Hello friends!

It’s been awhile since I have sent out an email, but I have been busy hiking the Appalachian Trail, canoeing in the Yukon, working with the Transylvania County Rescue Squad, and most importantly, figuring out the next steps for Island Ford Adventures.

It has been an immense honor and a true joy to help you deepen your outdoor skills and to spend time sharing the forest and the trails of Western North Carolina with you over the years. You’ve become dear friends and trail family.

You likely noticed I have not been hosting many trips or workshops recently. I have decided it is time for me to make plans to step back and spend more time adventuring with my husband, our kids and grandkids, and friends like you.

I have loved building Island Ford Adventures, and I want it to continue to thrive, so I mentioned to a friend that I was looking for someone to take over the operations for me. I did not have any set plan in mind, but when my friend connected me with Katlyn Mobley, owner of a local guide company, Nero Coffee Hikes, we instantly connected. I am thrilled to announce that we have found the perfect partnership.

Both of our companies are proud to be women-owned and operated, and we are dedicated to providing high-quality adventures that celebrate our love for the outdoors and community. You can learn a bit more about Katlyn here (at the link below), and she will follow up with an email soon to introduce herself, but I just wanted to quickly say I feel like her excitement for the future is contagious and I am beyond thrilled for the direction Island Ford Adventures is heading.

Katlyn and I have been working closely to ensure a smooth transition, and I am confident Island Ford Adventures will continue to offer the exceptional service and memorable experiences you have come to know and love. Katlyn and I have a series of classes planned for October and November that we will be teaching TOGETHER! You can see our full workshop and trip calendar here.

Join us and don’t miss the fun this Fall!

Thank you for being a part of our journey. Clyde and I will still be available for consulting, special projects, and a few privately scheduled trips. If there's ever anything you need, please reach out, and I will see you this fall on the trail with Katlyn!

Warm regards,

Jayne
Owner, Island Ford Adventures

Instructors

04/07/2024

We had a fantastic time paddling the Biltmore section of the French Broad River with Mack & Paula McKeller. Great weather, great water, great people, and beautiful scenery.

We saw a bald eagle, osprey, a little green heron and a great blue heron.

26/04/2024

You know it's a great time when no one wants to go home. There's something really special about slowing down, observing, learning and connecting with each other and the natural world.

We learned that some spring flowers have to be many years old before they start to bloom and that they are inextricably connected to their place, the soil conditions and the other organisms around them. All of which are in a beautiful dance with each other in order to survive.

Tread gently on this planet my friends. 🌸🌍

Can you name each of the flowers pictured?

24/04/2024

What's no more that 6 inches tall and resembles a tiny pink airplane? Come along for our wildflower walk tomorrow (Thursday) night to find out. We have some amazing surprises in store.

And.... Yes, there will be lady slippers!

https://IFAbooking.as.me/?appointmentType=13436648

24/04/2024

What's no more that 6 inches tall and resembles a tiny pink airplane? Come along for our wildflower walk tomorrow (Thursday) night to find out. We have some amazing surprises in store.

And.... Yes, there will be lady slippers!

21/04/2024

There's something special about slowing down and discovering what the forest has to offer.

Stillness
Quiet
Connection
Beauty

Join us for an evening wildflower walk this Thursday, April 25th.

https://IFAbooking.as.me/?appointmentType=13436648

16/04/2024

This is not a drill. This is how I spent my evening volunteering with the Transylvania County Rescue Squad.

Are you prepared for the unexpected? Do you know what to do if someone takes a fall, has an allergic reaction or sprains an ankle?

Island Ford Adventures is partnering with Ruby Outdoors to offer a two day Wilderness First Aid Course on May 12-13.

Click the link to secure your spot.

https://IFAbooking.as.me/?appointmentType=40854898

11/04/2024

Don't forget, registration closes in just ONE WEEK (4/15) for our annual Pisgah Project Day! Join us for a day of volunteering and community, all benefiting the Pisgah. RSVP here: https://bit.ly/3wwuzpZ

11/04/2024

At our weekly Transylvania County Rescue Squad meeting, I met a new volunteer, James Perkins, owner and lead guide for Adventure Grown Guides. One of the things I love about the outdoor industry is how supportive everyone is of each other.

I want to welcome James and his partner, Marcus to the area and the industry. I love their mission and hope they have great success!

11/04/2024

We had so much fun on our last hike, we're doing it again! This time it will be an evening wildflower hike and picnic!

Thursday, April 25th 5:30-7:30pm

Come with us and celebrate the extraordinary biodiversity of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This easy hike will be an exploration of the wildflowers currently in bloom in Pisgah National Forest. We will hike on easy terrain and move slowly so we can examine and appreciate the foliage around us. Bring your camera!
We will be joined by Sara Freeman, who holds a degree in environment studies and is a local wildflower enthusiast.
Please share
https://IFAbooking.as.me/?appointmentType=13436648

11/04/2024

Be Prepared for an Emergency!

Island Ford Adventures is hosting a Wilderness First Aid Course.
May 11-12, 2024

(If you can't make it, please forward this information on to anyone who might be interested.)

Direct Scheduling Link: https://IFAbooking.as.me/?appointmentType=40854898

No one plans to have and accident or injury while they are enjoying the great outdoors, but it could happen and it all too often does. Are you prepared?

Taking a Wilderness First Aid course is a great way to up your safety game. This weekend course will teach you how to use first aid skills when professionals are not minutes away. Be prepared to help yourself, your family and your friends when that THING happens.

Ever wanted to...

-know what to do in an emergency
-tape an ankle?
-improvise a splint with what's in your backpack?
-ask the right questions to make a decision about patient evacuation?
-add tools to your toolbox to better prepare you for emergencies that happen in the woods?
-take a set of vital signs in the field?

This 2-day program is designed to teach individuals how to deal with emergency situations by using first aid skills in a delayed-help environment by improvising with common materials carried in the backcountry.

*There is the option to add CPR/AED certification (Sat evening) to this course which will include an online component.

The American Red Cross Wilderness and Remote First Aid course focuses on Primary and Secondary Assessment, Decision-Making in the Field, Treatment Procedures for Common Illnesses and Injuries, Prevention, and Best Practices for Communicating with Emergency Responders. Participants will learn about a variety of illnesses and injuries ranging in severity and causes as well as practice hands-on examination and treatment. Limited to 12 participants.

2 year certification. Digital certificate available upon successful completion of course.

May 11-12, 2024. 8am-5pm

$250/person with CPR/AED

*If you hold a current CPR/AED Certification and do not need to renew at this time the cost of the WFA course is $195