In the quiet hours of the bootcamp grind, I found myself: Esteban's Bootcamp Experience

B.E.L. Post # 63

After the morning blitz, I loaded up the other work rig with a chainsaw, hatchet, and a handful of batteries. Made a quick pit stop at the gas station to top the rig off, then headed over to the laboratory.

Once there, I got to work delimbing four fallen live trees, taking the time to make sure everything was lifted cleanly off the ground before calling it good. Solid, straightforward progress that’ll make future work much easier.

Wrapped up my off-boot day the best way possible—snuggling with my fur baby and spending some quiet time journaling. A good balance of getting things done and ending the day grounded and grateful 🌱

Yesterday’s Log ( 01/05/2026 )

I spent the first half of my day at the Abbey, focusing on the junkpole fencing. I finished installing the horizontals on one section, bringing that area to a total of four completed framing panels. The next step there will be placing the junkpoles themselves.

After wrapping up at the Abbey, I shifted gears to several support tasks. I processed cardboard, three full crates worth of woody bits,  performed maintenance on one of the chainsaws, and worked on the wooden signs.

Later in the day, I headed back to the Abbey to finish strong. I worked on a fallen tree, split firewood, and stacked it at the woodshed by the tipi site.

A solid, productive day with steady progress across multiple projects.

Hi Esteban, I fleshed out my idea a bit better for easier junk pole fence options.  It might be neat to try a few experimental sections somewhere, put a trail camera on them, and see if they work...   Shorty Junker ideas

HI Esteban,    thank you for sharing with us your daily life up there in Montana.... I always look forward each night to read about your daily work and learning journey and the pics , esp. the fluffy 'commander' your super smart pup.  
so how much does the bootcamp cost new students ? is this a year long or longer program? am curious how it works...
I assume  its pretty tough up there esp. in winter,  well thank you!!! for sharing , its great to see how things are done up there,  follow your  progress and adventures,    sending you , your pup and the whole crew / group much Loving Light energies...  aranka from So Oregon coast

Yesterday's Log ( 01/06/2026)

After the morning meeting, I headed over to the Abbey and got some solid progress in. I was able to thread 3 out of the 4 junkpole panels in the section I’ve been working on, which felt good to see taking shape before breaking for lunch.

In the afternoon, I shifted gears at the shop. I cleaned out a good amount of ash from the RMH using the specialized shop vac, gave another chainsaw some much-needed maintenance, and spent time working on the wooden signs.

I wrapped up the day by reinstalling the turtle lot sign. The chosen area turned out to be more rock than soil, so I adapted and set it up as a small rock jack instead. It’s solid and functional for now—just needs a shelf and some added rocks to finish it off.

A productive day with a nice mix of building, maintenance, and adapting to what the land offered.

Mike Haasl wrote:Hi Esteban, I fleshed out my idea a bit better for easier junk pole fence options.  It might be neat to try a few experimental sections somewhere, put a trail camera on them, and see if they work...   Shorty Junker ideas

Hey Mike, thanks for taking the time to flesh that out — I really appreciate you sharing the Shorty Junker ideas.

I like the idea of trying a few experimental sections. I’ll experiment with your approach temporarily on some of the remaining ~25 blown-over panels and see how they behave. Putting a trail cam on a test section is a solid idea too — it could tell us a lot over time.

For context, it’s just me out there right now. And while chickens are part of the long-term vision at the Abbey, I’m keeping in mind that they can fly surprisingly high, so any fence experiments will need to account for that reality.

Thanks again for the thoughtful input — I’ll let you know what I discover as I test things out.

aranka fisher wrote:HI Esteban,    thank you for sharing with us your daily life up there in Montana.... I always look forward each night to read about your daily work and learning journey and the pics , esp. the fluffy 'commander' your super smart pup.  
so how much does the bootcamp cost new students ? is this a year long or longer program? am curious how it works...
I assume  its pretty tough up there esp. in winter,  well thank you!!! for sharing , its great to see how things are done up there,  follow your  progress and adventures,    sending you , your pup and the whole crew / group much Loving Light energies...  aranka from So Oregon coast

Hi Aranka, thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful message — it truly means a lot to me. I’m really glad you enjoy the daily updates and the photos… the fluffy “commander” definitely knows he has an audience and takes his role very seriously. 🐾

The boot program itself is cost-free for the “boot,” and that’s entirely thanks to Paul’s generosity. I’m deeply thankful to him for opening up his home and land in such an intentional, welcoming way — it’s not something I take lightly at all. The program can last up to about two years I believe, depending on the person and their path, and it’s very much a hands-on, learning-by-doing experience rooted in daily work, observation, and growth.

You’re right — it can be pretty tough up here, especially in winter, but it’s also incredibly grounding and rewarding. There’s something special about learning these skills in all seasons and really living them day by day.

Thank you again for following along, for your curiosity, and for sending such loving light our way. It’s felt and appreciated more than you know — by me, the pup, and the whole crew. 🌲✨

Yesterday's Log ( 01/07/2026 )

After the morning’s meet, I headed over to the Abbey and wrapped up threading junkpoles on the final panel of the section I’d been working on. With that completed, I shifted over to another panel near the tipi gate and got started there.

Later in the day, I finished installing the turtle lot sign, which felt good to finally have back in place. I wrapped things up by continuing work on the delivery signs, making steady progress before calling it a day.

Solid, productive hours out on the land.