http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008319606_nicholas28m.html

Kid was going to hoof it from Washington to NJ to try to talk Tom Brown into letting him study despite being under 18. Was out for 12 days, before he gave up. Got to give him credit- he didn't screw up, and it beats joining the circus to be a clown. :P

That could have ended very badly, but inasmuch as it didn't, it makes a very cute story. It would be really cool if Tom Brown sent him an autograhped something-or-other.

By the way, 12 days in the woods, a lot of adults can't do that. That speaks well for Tom Brown's books -- and for that kid of course.

Oh, I'll go contrary on this - poor mis-beguided kid. He left home, with a "bye mom, see you in six months" note. He headed out into the wilderness above Stevens Pass, not really knowing where he was. "He found a river - he's not even sure which one" and followed it until it became an obstacle. He eventually found his way down, after 12 days on the run. His objective was New Jersey - apparently no one told him how far and how difficult that journey would be during winter months.

One bad slip, he might have been found several seasons by now, by an uninterested hiker or hunter. But he came down, and turned himself in, thinking better of his grand adventure. That's good. He left, not telling anyone where he was headed, no route plan, no game plan. Very little path for SAR to follow, more likely he would be at truck stops long Highway 2. If this was an adventure or survival, it wasn't much - and he violated every rule of giving a loved one an itinerary or at least a sense of direction. Sorry folks, I don't see anything romantic or admirable in what he did.

i don't really know what to add. this is truly impressive. many kids fantasize about doing this, some even make a bindle and hike down the street, but this is the first time i've ever heard of someone actually doing it, just walking out the door and into the woods. wow. *_*

"Sorry folks, I don't see anything romantic or admirable in what he did."

Well, yes and no.

It was a dumb thing to do. But apart from that initial decision, he did pretty well. But get this: he actually THOUGHT about what he was doing, and formed a plan. Most of the kids in my neighborhood would only have taken extra batteries for their electronic toys.

And he was only 13. How many adults have failed even to do as much as he did?

At least he didn't go with the popular 'adult plan' of traveling with minimal gear. Which shows he's smarter than some.

Sue

Good points Sue!

And yes, it could have gone the other way, I shudder to think.

But it cracks me up "he hasn't stopped eating". I'll betcha that was the true determining factor, when you boil it all down.

Determined little bugger, isn't he?

Wonder if Tom Brown might be interested in offering him a summer job?

Sounds like a "made for T.V. movie" just waiting to happen.

Didn't Aaron Hallam need a bar of soap as well as I seem to recall?

Hopefully, this kid has learn't a lesson, being cold, tired, hungry and not being able to handle your own stink isn't like the Hollywood Movies.

I hope his mom, gave him a good clip around the ear when he got home, for what this kid has put his mom through.

Two clips.
One for worrying her silly.
And a second one for being too dumb to realise that soap & a toothbrush are not excess weight. Irrespective of what the lightweight fanatics think.

I am unimpressed. The kid took twelve days to go about as many miles. He had no idea what he was doing. At his age we were taking excursions out into the big woods behind our house regularly, sometimes for a few days, but we often covered a lot more territory than that, in about the same sort of terrain.

Had we ever pulled the sort of stunt he did, we'd have been taken to the woodshed when we got home. The kid had no idea what sort of risk he was taking. If we took off, we asked permission first, we were advised of conditions we had to meet, and we were asked for a plan before it was even considered. This was at 12 years old.

Just goes to show what the mental state of many of today's youth is. They're so out of touch with reality, they don't realize the consequences of their actions usually until it is too late. This kid was damned lucky. The only smart thing he did was give up and try to go back home before he got too far.

Perhaps he should have read the FAQ and realized there is a place that Tom recommends:

http://www.cotef.org/

Children of the Earth Foundation

Say what you will about this kid, but he's still smarter than the two dimwits who nearly fell off a cliff on Mt. Baldy.

Sue

And he survived for TWELVE days. How often do we read about adults croaking in far less than that???

True. Stupidity, it seems, knows no limits.

The really sad part is what it says about his Education. Sorry but by the age of 13 I had taken both basic geography, a number of years of Outdoor education and what I learned in scouting by then.

By the age of 13 I had a clear understanding that US State of New Jersey which is located beside the US State of New York was not somewhere I could walk to whether with "two packs of cookies, trail mix, tortillas, honey and four bottles of water" or all the food I could steal out of my parents basement supply and a toboggan to haul it with.

He is alive because at least he did some basic planning and preparation. He carried a few Critical Items including a compass that probably saved his life. He failed completely in his attempt because he apparently could not read a map, possess a map or even download one from a computer, and his geographical education was woefully inadequate.

Most of the 13 years I know are computer literate, all he need to do go to go to Google Maps and ask for directions. It took me about 2 minutes: Snohomish County to Tom Brown Jr.'s Tracker School in New Jersey is a mer 4,662 Km or 2,897 Miles by road. He hoped he could cover that distance in "several months" let say 3 or 90 days. Thats 51.8 Km (32 Miles) per day. Even the best Infantry Platoon was was even in could not keep that pace up for 90 days.

I am hoping that a little while in "middle school" will be a good thing for him. He certainly has a bright future if he chooses to learn as much as he can from his wilderness experience.

I think he did a lot of things wrong. His whole plan was fundamentally full of fail. But that he kept breathing for twelve days is the reason I first posted this.

At least he had a better outcome than this 15yr old:

http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/532437

Crying shame about that 15 year old.

"Speak no ill of the dead" not withstanding, the kid pulled a major dumbass move. I feel for his parents, and I think it's a shame about the kid, but running away from home over a freakin' X box?

That 13 y.o. who survived for 12 days is at least interested in the real world, although clearly his plan to walk to New Jersey hadn't been thought through.