FIRE WRITING

WHO WAS THIS COURSE CREATED FOR?

• Adult learners who want to get out on a superlative creative adventure
• Emerging and seasoned writers, budding ecologists, and curious people who crave creative challenge and a deeper understanding of fire’s role in the natural world
• People who want to hike up to 5 miles a day across an iconic Montana landscape

Immerse yourself in the rugged beauty of the Bob Marshall Wilderness while exploring the connections between fire ecology and the art of creative writing. This unique course examines how fire shapes the Western landscape and draws metaphoric parallels to the process of editing and refining written work.

Offered in partnership with the Freeflow Institute, this program combines expert instruction in both ecological science and creative writing. Together, we aim to foster a deeper connection between participants, the natural world, and their creative practices.

Over the course of the program, you’ll engage in discussions and activities that illuminate fire’s ecological role, from its transformative effects on the environment to its importance in renewal and resilience. Each day will weave together guided writing exercises, reflective editing practices, and insights into the science of fire.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS FIELD COURSE

During our five days walking along, above, and with the Teton River, we will write into a charred and fire-hungry landscape. FIRE WRITING is an immersive and intersectional walk into the heart of the heat, an opportunity to feel the ways science and story intersect with flame poetics and personal and political agency to forge new relationships with a West on fire. We'll be guided by author and editor Nick Triolo, along with other faculty from the Wild Rockies Field Institute.

EXPLORE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• How does wildfire affect the landscape of the American West?
• Which natural and human histories have brought us to the brink today?
• How do disturbance and disruption generate new life and energy?
• What level of control should we aspire to in fire processes?
• How do the processes of disturbance and disruption shape your own inner landscape and creative endeavor?
• Within the context of the creative act, to what extent should we contain, control, or restrict? And when do we decide to just let it burn?
• How do we, as residents of the New West, make peace with ecological precarity?

ENJOY MOVEMENT

• Expect to walk between 3 and 5 miles a day.
• Expect to carry about 40 or 50 lbs in your pack.
• We'll be mostly walking on trail and through a burned area, with some bushwhacking and scrambling.

AGENDA

This course starts and ends in Missoula, Montana.

MORNING 8.17 | Meet in Missoula + travel to trailhead in the WRFI van

MORNING 8.18 through EVENING 8.22 | Backcountry travel + hiking + learning

MORNING 8.23 | Work our way back from the Rocky Mountain Front in the WRFI van; plan to be back in Missoula by early evening

COURSE DETAILS

We will write, read, discuss, observe, and witness. There is no prerequisite for participation in this course, though you should be excited about walking through wilderness affected by fire; spending five days physically immersed in the elements and intellectually immersed in discussion; building community with other adult learners; and angling your learning toward wonder, discovery, creative inquiry. FIRE WRITING, as a pilot program in 2025, is not available for university credit.

Your program fee of $1995 includes:

• daily discussions and classroom sessions with Freeflow + WRFI faculty
• pre-course logistical support + substantive reading / media list
• meals and snacks from lunch on August 17 through lunch on August 23
• travel between Missoula, Montana and the trailhead
• all permitting + fees
• post-course community

The course serves as an introduction to the Freeflow galaxy of writers, leaders, and thinkers. Our alumni receive discounts on future Freeflow courses.

We offer a small discount to our alumni. Because we believe in paying our instructors, facilitators, support staff, and guides an equitable wage, we do not offer individual discounts that compromise the integrity of those wages. If you need financial support, please consider applying for our scholarships. We also encourage you to seek financial support from your organization or employer, asFreeflow courses may be taken for professional development or continuing education. 

Participants must bring their own backpacking gear (backpack + tent + sleeping bag + sleeping pad). WRFI will provide a complete packing list upon registration.

Space on this adventure is limited to 12 participants. We will close registration once the roster is full. Please apply early.

All deposits and payments are non-refundable. Payment plans are available. Payments can be made by mailing in a good old-fashioned check, or by credit card or bank transfer via our online payment system.

CLAIM YOUR SPACE

If you're ready to register, please visit the Wild Rockies Field Institute and fill out the "Adult Course" registration form. Upon registration, your program fee will be paid to WRFI.