Karie Lee Knoke (Recap): Wilderness Adventures and Sacred Living

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In this clip from Season 2 episode 15 of The Adventure Diaries, host Chris Watson is joined by wilderness survival expert and former Alone contestant, Karie Lee Knoke. Together, they dive deep into Karie's journey of founding Sacred Cedars Wilderness School, her profound experiences living off the land, and her passion for teaching both practical survival skills and the art of sacred living. Karie shares the mental fortitude needed to survive in the wild, the importance of living authentically, and how her experiences in nature can help others reconnect with their true selves.

From setting up a wilderness school in Northern Idaho to offering energy exchange programs, Karie is on a mission to help people shed the distractions of modern life and experience deep connection through nature. Whether you're a survival enthusiast or someone seeking personal transformation, Karie’s insights will inspire you to follow your dreams and live with purpose.

Key Discussion Points:

• Karie’s experience creating Sacred Cedars Wilderness School and the work-trade programs that help the school grow.
• Lessons learned from her time on Alone and how they shaped her wilderness teachings.
• The balance between teaching hard survival skills and the softer, spiritual elements of sacred living.
• The importance of mental fortitude and maintaining a positive mindset in both survival situations and life.
• Karie's vision for her upcoming book, The Art of Sacred Living, and the year-long program she plans to offer at her school.

Memorable Quotes:

• “It’s a lot of work for a single older woman to do this all by myself... But I’m creating opportunities for community, where people can learn survival skills while helping me build the school.”
• “You have to have faith... Who cares how you pray, but you have to have faith. Even in the wilderness, that’s a crucial survival skill.”
• “Do your dream. It might be crazy, and nobody will understand it, but it’s your dream. When you live from the heart, the universe will back you up.”

Call to Adventure:
Karie’s message is clear—get outside, follow your passion, and disconnect from the distractions of modern life. Whether it’s through wilderness adventures or daily micro-adventures, nature offers profound healing and personal growth.

Pay It Forward:
Karie emphasizes the importance of supporting others in their journey, whether it’s through scholarships, volunteering, or contributing to small, wilderness-based schools like Sacred Cedars Wilderness School.

Where to Find Karie Lee Knoke:
Website: KarieLeeKnoke.com
Instagram: @karieleeknoke
Wilderness School: Sacred Cedars Wilderness School (available through her webs

Transcript

Chris Watson: "I want to just again pivot back to Sacred Cedars Wilderness School. You said just before the show you had actually purchased the land. So just tell us, talk us through your wilderness school, what it's all about, and what we could expect if we were to undertake any sort of classes."

Karie Lee Knoke: "Sure. Thank you for asking. So at this moment in time, last year, throughout this whole last year, I’ve been working with the land and creating a space for people to come to the school. So, I have a campground set up. We have an outdoor kitchen, and my yard that I’ve been living in for two years is now moved to the land.

The 30-foot yard, instead of me living in it, is now dedicated to an indoor classroom. In the wintertime, we have five months of winter up here in Northern Idaho. Not all summer is conducive to doing outdoor classes unless it's winter skills, but I have a space where we can go inside and do crafting projects.

That's all set up, and I’m really focusing the land towards the school. But I also need a place for myself to live. Right now, I don’t have a structure for myself to live in, so I’m camping out, you could say, for the summer. But I would like to eventually be able to build. It’s a lot of work for a single older woman to do this all by myself.

So, this is where I’m creating opportunities. I have what I call energy exchange programs or work-trade programs—creating community, getting the help I need to make the school come to fruition, and having a place for myself to retire. At the same time, exchanging for learning skills—whether it’s hard skills like fire-making and survival, or incorporating the self-skills of survival, which is the art of sacred living. And everything you saw me doing on the show—being in gratitude and having a positive mindset, because a positive mindset is a very important survival skill.

You have to have that. Even the military bottom line: positive mental attitude. And you have to have faith. Who cares how you pray, but you have to have faith."

Chris Watson: "Bottom line. Mental fortitude. Yeah, mental fortitude. I think that's the one thing that comes across in all of these interviews. Mental toughness. Were there any experiences or skills that you took from the show that you’ve brought into your wilderness school and have helped shape any of your teachings?"

Karie Lee Knoke: "You mean that I got from my experience and then brought it home?"

Chris Watson: "Yeah, exactly."

Karie Lee Knoke: "Because like I said, it was a virtual experiment, so everything that I was, that I’m writing about in my book, I put to the test—all the stuff I know. But in this modern world, we get so distracted by responsibilities. It gets so distracting. So this was a period of time where there was no distraction. It was just me, nature, and the camera. I really had to put everything to the test. It was a very profound experience out there. And so now, coming back, I want to share that because I feel like I’m a bridge walker, and I can help people. That’s my goal.

I’m also taking my healing practice outdoors. I’m available one-on-one, but I really want to take a group of people out to shed those layers of the outside world, of responsibilities and the internet, and help guide them to that place where they have their own profound experiences. I can see the pathway. Every individual is going to have their own experience because they have their own past. Their past is not my past, and my future is not their future. But again, to help guide them to really connect and find that deep place from within—and learn some really cool, awesome survival skills as well."

Chris Watson: "Excellent. I just hold this place of: if everybody’s doing what they’re truly passionate about, how would this world change? There's this higher purpose that I’m really trying to help facilitate and support."

Karie Lee Knoke: "Yeah, I couldn’t have said it any better. That’s part of the core values of what I’m trying to do with the school as well. It’s not just about survival skills; it’s also about how we can live from the heart, connect with each other, and find meaning in our lives."

Chris Watson: "I love that. We’re almost coming up on time, and I do want to be respectful of your time, Karie Lee. So in terms of wrapping up the conversation, how would you like your time to be remembered by us, the viewers, the audience of Karie Lee Knoke on Alone?"

Karie Lee Knoke: "Yeah, I’m so glad you’re asking that question because it’s something that I obviously needed to think about, but nobody’s asked me before. I really want to encourage people to do their dream. I had this bumper sticker—it was actually a bubble gum machine sticker I’d gotten years ago for 25 cents—and I took that out there to remind myself when times got tough, ‘Why am I out here?’ That, and my song, which helped me a lot when things got hard.

Doing your dream is really what I want people to take away from this. Your life might be crazy, and nobody’s going to understand it, but that’s your thing. You never know—some crazy reality TV show might contact you and say, ‘Hey, do you want to go on this show?’ But when you’re living from the heart and living your dream, that’s when the universe is going to back you up. People will come up and say, ‘Hey,’ and you’ll find those connections with people who share that dream. It becomes a collective dream.

So just do your dream, and you’ll find the right place. It might not be easy, you might have to change friendships and relationships, but you’re on the right path. You just have to believe that."

Chris Watson: "Awesome. That leads right into our call to adventure. Typically, we ask guests to give a suggestion to listeners, but I think you’ve already given one: ‘Follow your dream, get outside, and live your adventure.’"

Karie Lee Knoke: "Exactly."

Chris Watson: "Paying it forward is another tradition we have here. Any thoughts?"

Karie Lee Knoke: "Definitely. You can always support someone else—whether through scholarships, donations, or volunteering—especially for schools like mine that run on a shoestring budget. Helping someone else find their passion is a beautiful way to pay it forward."

Chris Watson: "Thank you, Karie Lee. Where can people find out more about you and your work?"

Karie Lee Knoke: "My website is KarieLeeKnoke.com. The school, Sacred Cedars Wilderness School, is part of that site. You’ll find everything about the Wilderness School, my time on Alone, the store, and my energy medicine practice. I’m also on Instagram at @karieleeknoke."

Chris Watson: "Excellent! We’ll make sure all of that is linked in the show notes. What’s the deal with your book? Is it a work in progress?"

Karie Lee Knoke: "Yes, I started the book four or five years ago, and now that I’ve had this experience on Alone, I know it’s time to get it out. The book is called The Art of Sacred Living, and it’s tied to a year-long program I’m developing for the school. I hope to have it finished this winter and ready by next spring."

Chris Watson: "Excellent! Best of luck with it. Thank you so much, Karie Lee, for joining us."