How real is The Legend of Mick Dodge?
Mick Dodge is a wonder. From his beard to his dirty feet, wilderness guru Mick romances the audience via the airwaves. It almost makes you want to leave civilization yourself, but doing that would mean no more Mick Dodge. He’s said to left our modern world to survive in nature 25 years ago, but it turns out that his life isn’t totally devoid of modern conveniences like cookies and internet connections.
The truth is that Mick does spend most of his time in Washington’s beautiful Olympic National Park, but he does leave more than the show makes it seems. He’s even said on the show that he likes to “shack up” with a lady friend during the cold winter months, and he does leave the forest to Skype and help publicize the show. He also has a fondness for cookies, a delicate hard to come by in the Hoh rainforest.
He also doesn’t bill himself as a survivalist. His main purpose for spending most of his time in the wilderness is not to sole “survive” there, but to reconnect with nature as much as possible, and to publicize this type of lifestyle. He teaches classes as part of the “Olympic Mountain Earth Wisdom Circle” that seek to “Expand Human Awareness, Promote Vibrant Health for People and All Life and Restore the Balance Between People and Nature.” He knows a lot of survival skills, but in general for him, it’s more about finding balance in nature.
According to exotichikes.com, Mick has no bank account, check book or debit card, but he is paid by the show through the Olympic Mountain Earth Wisdom Circle. The funds are use to promote their programs, and other money is funneled back into the community. They also look after Mick if he needs anything. He doesn’t use currency himself, but when he is in need, he takes advantage of the resources provided by his TV job.
Although Mick is often barefoot on the show, he sometimes wear shoes, a controversial subject among the show’s most ardent fans. The shoes he wears, sometimes even on the show, are homemade shoes crafted by Mick’s organization EarthGym. They even teach classes on how to make shoes like Mick’s at home.
Of course, like any show, this one is produced for ultimate humor and shock factors. In a Reddit AMA Mick did last year, he explained that he wouldn’t actually eat stuff from elk p00p, he was just messing around the with camera crew. Mike himself has even joked to the Peninsula Daily News, “It’s a show. It’s a TV show. If you think anything that’s on TV is real, then welcome to America.”
“I’m no survivalist.” Dodge told them. “I’m just a guy who loves this mountain and feels passionately about physical fitness and the connection between the two.”