Surviving Alone

Alone in the wilds of British Columbia, cut off from family and friends, uncertain of how long he may be able to make it, Clay Hayes battles starvation, predators, and the unforgiving shores of Chilko Lake in a struggle for survival—and half a million dollars. This harsh and vast landscape of spruce and pine, rock and glacier wouldn’t be an easy place to survive and he knew it. With winter fast approaching and grizzlies nearby, things needed to be done — quickly – a cabin, nets, snares, food. In this firsthand account, Clay recalls his wilderness experiences, from being stalked by a mountain lion and charged by a grizzly bear to building a cabin and shooting the most important shot of his life with his hand-made longbow. This account takes us into the past as well, from a sandy-haired boy building forts and setting snares in the piney woods of north Florida to the seasoned outdoorsman tracking elk through the rugged western mountains. It gives us an insight into a life that uniquely prepared the author for this challenge. For those interested in the physical aspects of solitary wilderness survival, there’s plenty of fodder, but the physical side is only half the battle. Isolation and starvation can play with your mind as well. Often we can be our own worst enemy.