Wilderness First Responder

Many of you have been subjected to the endless taunting of the 10 Essentials. I talk about them a lot, for good reason. If you're confused or need a refresher, look HERE. While I feel it is critically important to carry these small items and that they can make a life or death difference, there comes a time in the life of every outdoor renegade to take it a step further.

On the second Real Chicks Hike EVER, the small group of us contained a woman in her late 70s. When you're hiking that close to town, it's easy to forget what the term "backcountry" means in an emergency. While hiking out at Hitchcock (an easy-moderate hike), this otherwise fit, peppy 70-something began to complain of chest pain. I kept my cool on the outside but my mind was chanting an ohcrapohcrapohcrap mantra. Here I was, responsible for this party of hikers and not a clue what to do.

Shortly after this event, I decided I had better educate myself. No one wants disaster but sometimes disasters find you. I enrolled in Outdoor Emergency Care through the Outdoor Venture Center at UNO, a semester long course covering all topics of...well, outdoor emergency care. While in the class, I heard of another similar course called Wilderness First Responder and directly asked the instructor if there was a difference between the two courses. I was told no.

Well, let this be a lesson to you..and me, because now that I have been through both courses, I can tell you there is a HUGE difference. I know this because a year after my UNO class and still not satisfied with my knowledge, I enrolled in the 9-day intensive Wilderness First Response training through the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and the Wilderness Medicine Institute. 2 years ago, I sucked up all of my extra vacation time to become a WFR (woofer, as we're called) and it has completely changed my outlook on wilderness medicine.

(to note- I think OEC has it's place but it is a course designed for ski patrol and while my instructor was more than adept on trail, the course is designed to build on on-mountain ski training. Not interested in being on ski patrol, I didn't learn much as I never went on to the ski season trial-by-fire)

So, what is wilderness medicine? How far from help do you have to be to be in the "backcountry?" 30 minutes! If you are ever 30 minutes or more from definitive health care, you need to know how to take care of yourself in an emergency. It doesn't take much to break a bone or be dealing with someone with chest pain, like I was. From that trail at Hitchcock, we were more than 30 minutes from care, and were therefore in the backcountry. Puts a new spin on hiking around Omaha, eh?

The WFR course is somewhat pricey and long, but well worth it. Once you are certified, you have to re-cert every 3 years (the 3rd year being your "grace year," meaning your certification doesn't expire but you also can't practice) over a weekend. Classes are held all over the country. If you can't afford the time or money for 9 days, try the Wilderness First Aid course (WFA- woofa) that NOLS/WMI offer over long weekends. The Wilderness Medicine Associates (WMA) offers a similar certification.

I guess what I aim to stress is that YOU are responsible for your health and well-being outside. Whether you go through basic first aid/CPR, take the OEC course or aim for WFR, it is important that someone in your group be trained for emergencies. And being trained isn't always enough...pack your first aid kit, with enough materials to cover multiple ailments for multiple people for as many days as you'll be out. If you take a guided trip, make sure your guides are reputable and trained in wilderness medicine. It's amazing how many people can just start a guide service now.

I have now been a wilderness First Responder since May of 2009 and have since joined the Wilderness Medical Society to continue my education. If you want more information, leave a comment and I'll connect with more about my experiences in Wilderness Medicine. I will try to share more tips here as well.

Take Me To The River

I am so proud of the Real Chicks who went on the whitewater kayaking trip to Asheville, NC! I get excited anytime I can get a woman to set foot in a boat, but these chicks blew me away with their willingness to try something new.

This trip began last fall when Carla and I were dreaming of adventure. Summer was winding down and we were coming to the realization that if we wanted to improve our paddling skills on moving water, we were going to have to be proactive about it. We came across Anna Levesque and her company, Girls at Play, in our initial research and quickly determined we wanted to paddle with her. Her mission to get women on the water seemed to be the perfect fit for the Real Chicks.

Several months of planning later, a group of 9 women and our mascot Daisy were set to meet up in Asheville, NC for a long weekend of whitewater kayaking.

It would have been hard to find a group more diverse in experience than ours. At one end we have April, who can run rapids backward with her eyes closed, and on the other hand we have Beth, who had only ever been in a kayak four times. In between are the kayak polo players with varying degrees of experience on moving water. The great thing about this trip was – it was totally okay to not have previous experience. Anna was able to customize the trip so everyone had a chance to paddle something that was comfortable, yet challenging.

                                         

Our cozy cabin at the Blue Ridge YMCA

Day 1 on the River:

April, Carla and I went with Anna to run the Upper Green while Beth, Elizabeth, Cara, and Susie went with our other guide, Mary Frances, to run the Lower Green. The Upper Green proved to be an excellent warm up for the weekend. We had time to practice our eddy turns, peel outs, forward strokes and ferries before dropping in to Bayless Boof, Wanda’s Hole and Pinball rapids. It was only day one and I had already run bigger rapids than I had previously seen!

                                                          

 April running Bayless Boof

The Lower Green proved to test the patience of the second group as the Green river is dam released and they had to wait for over 3 hours for the water to make it to them.

Cara here. Marijo is right—while the first group was tearing it up on the Upper Green, my group was waiting for the water on the Lower Green. The water is released just upstream of the Upper Green put-in and can take about 4 hours to reach the Lower Green put-in. While we waited for the water to rise, we paddled around in calm water, practiced rolling, and got a skills lesson from Mary Frances. Our wait for the water was longer than we had anticipated, but we had a great time hanging with Mary Frances, hiking up-river to get a look at the narrows, and just enjoying our time together outside.

When the water finally did arrive, it was quick and swift and very obvious! Mary Frances took the lead, all the while asking us what we saw and how we thought we should tackle what was up ahead. In that short amount of time we were on the water, we started to learn how to read the river and choose a line. We learned to love rocks, to trust ourselves and each other, to take chances. We learned that, as in life, Plan A does not always fly, and that often we’ll have to rely on Plan B or Plan C.

Day 2:

Yoga is amazing. After a hard day on the river the day before we started off with an amazing, and very restorative, yoga practice.

The plan for the second day was for April and me to go with Anna to Erwin, TN to run the Nolichucky and for Kim, Susie, Elizabeth, and Carla to go with Mary Frances on the Upper Green. Cara and Beth took a day off from paddling and explored Asheville and took care of our mascot.

Even the drive to Erwin was beautiful; the Blue Ridge Mountains are gorgeous. The Nolichucky was the most fun time I’ve ever had on the water. We had some excellent surfing waves to try out, a great lunch spot overlooking Jaws, and I upped my paddling resume to include class IV rapids. This was the river where I started to push the limit of what I was confident I could handle. Each new rapid (all boat-scouted) came with a sense of uncertainty- would I get sucked into a hole? Would I flip? Would I swim? By the end of each stretch I was filled with relief and excitement, knowing I made it through, and next time I run it I’ll do it with more confidence and calm. I am grateful to everyone who ever pushed me over in a kayak polo game. I flipped at the start of two gnarly rapids and I rolled up immediately without any doubt in my ability thanks to all y’all.

April and me on the Nolichucky

The Upper Green proved to be a good challenge for the second group. Swimming, bruises, a little too up close and personal with a few rocks perhaps. It was still a fun time, everyone enjoyed the experience.

Our evening ended with supper at the cabin and hanging out with Anna.

Day 3:

Yoga. :)
The group geared up and ready to go. L to R Cara, Elizabeth, Marijo, Anna, Mary Frances, Kim, April, Carla

Daisy checks out the scene

The weekend went extremely fast but we were able to squeeze in a group paddle on the French Broad River in Asheville. It was great to all paddle in the same spot. April and I went with Mary Frances for a change, and surfed our way to the take out. Everyone else went with Anna and eddy-hopped their way to the bottom where they tried their hand at catching a wave.

                                                             

Anna says “Follow me”

 And with that, it was time to face the reality of heading back home. I trust our guides enjoyed being with us all weekend because instead of parting ways at the river, they opted to join us for a coffee stop on our way to the airport. How great!

Cara sums up the experience nicely:

Our Girls At Play excursion affected me more than I thought possible, and I didn’t even realize to what extent until after I got home. There was such a positive energy surrounding us all weekend! Since then, I’ve felt a shift in myself, both on and off the water. I am truly inspired by Anna and Mary Frances, our awesome and fearless leaders, and am so grateful that they gave us such an amazing opportunity. It left me feeling thankful and compassionate, confident, and braver than before. Paddling and practicing yoga with an incredible group of women, challenging ourselves, learning and rolling and swimming and laughing…it really doesn’t get much better than that.

Guides:

I want to take a minute to give props to our guides. Anna was awesome. She has every reason to brag about her paddling accomplishments but she never did. She filled our heads with knowledge of the river, gentle pushes to be compassionate, and dares to commit to following our dreams. She went above and beyond to get to know our group and encouraged us to be our best individually and collectively.

Mary Frances was a perfect fit for our group. We have her to thanks for expanding our Midwestern vocabulary to include the phrase “all y’all.” She frequently showed calm in the face of some crazy circumstances. The group liked her so much that the name Mary Frances is now top of the baby name list for the next RC to come along.

The Gear Room

  When I moved to Colorado and began apartment shopping, I had a few things in mind. I needed dog friendly, clean and cozy, preferred a nice view and some storage space. If the price was right, I thought a 2^nd bedroom would be nice but not entirely for the reason you might think. Sure, now that I found my place, it has been great to have a room for guests (as I see quite a few of these now that I live in a destination location), but what I REALLY love about my apartment is the guest bedroom’s closet. For this large, walk-in closet has become my gear closet. We all have a way we like to organize and I admit to organizing more than the average person, but I thought showing one way to sort your outdoor equipment might prove useful if the time ever comes to wrangle your own. 

 Hanging your sleeping bags is an easy way to keep your insulation from getting too compressed and, therefore not working to it's labelled rating. No sleeping bag should be stored compressed but synthetics will tolerate it more than down. Another option is to store them in a large trash bag, pillowcase etc.

 I just installed this awesome hook for my heavy packs. Previously they were stored on plastic coat hangers, but the weight of each pack was too much and I kept breaking the hangers. This contraption cost $8 at ACE Hardware and installed in 2 minutes (screws came with it). It also provided me an excuse to wield my drill. Holler!

 2 additional small hooks for satchels and day packs and all bags are off the floor!

 Please don't judge me. Keep in mind I used to manage a gear shop. I sort by style...vests, fleece, rain wear, winter etc. As a tip, tucking the sleeves keeps the jackets from invading your walkway.

                                   Okay, I might have a problem when it comes to puffy vests.

 The odds and ends are easily wrangled in these stacking storage bins. A little duct tape to label and I no longer lose the snow baskets to my trekking poles or extra batteries.

 In organizing, make your categories fit what you have. I had a lot of extra "Bags" (stuff sacks, rain-covers etc) so that merited a drawer. I also have drawers for "Stoves and Fuel," "Misc. Cooking" (sporks, spatulas), "Shades (sunglasses)/Manuals," "Lights/Navigation/Personal" (headlamps, compasses, micro-fiber towels, pee funnels- this one is about ready to be re-sorted to 2 drawers with the addition of my new wilderness medical gear), and "Gear Care/Repair and Security" (holds locks/keys, Tech Washes, Camelback Cleaner)

I'm still working on a proper shoe solution to get those muddy things off the carpet. This does not nearly display all of my footwear. Up top, I keep tents, closed-cell pads, my snowshoes, weights, and a file of maps. Barely visible on the wall are all of my hats and trekking poles. Not shown is a ginormous Rubbermaid to the left (under the jackets) that holds all of my climbing equipment, travel pillows, sleep sacks and bigger cookware. You can see that all of my leg layers are stacked on top of the drawer units for easy access. One exception is that I hang my rain pants with my fav. rain jacket so they're ready to pack as part of my 10 essentials.

This systems has worked pretty well for me. I try hard to keep this closet for GEAR ONLY, which is not an easy feat.

Any methods you use to organize your gear? How about those of you who can't dedicate an entire room/closet to it? Any suggestions to manage footwear? Please share and I'll add any tips/pics to the blog as we continue the conversation.

Feelin' The Love

A group of the Omaha Real Chicks went to North Carolina last week for a girls only water adventure weekend. I was hoping I'd be able to join them but my over-committed self could swing the vacation time. From the few pictures I've seen and the facebook status updates, it looked like an incredible weekend for some incredible women.

How honored was I when they took a jump shot picture and sent it to me stating that I "was there in spirit?!?" VERY honored...and a little jealous...and maybe kind of sad...but mostly honored.

You may recall from here or here, that while I did not invent the jump shot, I sure do love them.

I've been promised at least one blog post from the NC Kayak crew so watch for more to come. In the mean time, let me just reitterate how much I adore these adventurous, life-loving women. They continue to inspire me in their relationships and free-spirited choices. I am just SO honored to have them in my life.

The Responsible Dog Mom

 Have you ever been on trail and attacked? Not by a bear or a mountain lion or even another person but by a dog? It's happened to me. I'm cruising up trail when out of nowhere, I'm sideswiped by a blur-of-a-dog chasing after some unseen critter or even approached by a barking, growling, protective mutt determined to block my progress.
 I love dogs. A lot. But as any Kentucky bluegrass farmer (read: homeowners with manicured lawns) can tell you, a dog untrained is a dog disliked. No matter how big or small.

No matter how cute:

Or ugly:

Sorry about that. Ew.

As any potential landlord can tell you, everyone has the best dog in the world. I don't know when or why we all decided that if we just left our dogs alone they would grow up to be well-behaved, loving and respectful of others. Can you imagine if we did that to kids?!

This week, I am accepting that this guy:

is NOT the best, most well-behaved dog on the planet. He's a rescue, which amplifies his issues. He's very protective of me which means that if you approach our car, our house or even on occasion, my physical person, he will raise his hackles, bark obsessively and generally try to intimidate you. He's never actually bitten anyone but he's snapped at a few people and that makes me nervous.

Sometimes more entertaining is his protectiveness when it comes to wildlife. He will FREAK out when we drive past statues of elk, moose (statues, people!). I live in Colorado. We have a lot of statues around here. We were once approached on trail by some horse-packers. My dog was so nuts around the horses that I had to lay on him to keep him from running up to and barking at them. We've never run into a moose on trail (a miracle out here) but as you may recall from here, dogs look like coyotes to moose so I live in fear of the day when he gets a swift kick to the head for antagonizing.

Then, there's the kid thing. He gets jealous and/or just does not understand kids and how they move. He snaps at kids (again- has never actually injured one). What has this meant for his life? Well, we avoid kids like the plague. When friends bring their kids over, my dog gets put in solitary confinement. No dog parks for him....too much risk that kids will be present. He gets no practice with kids where we live and how do you ask someone if their kid can be the guinea pig? You don't. Generally, bad idea.

So, when Sit Means Sit and their Board and Train program were recommended to me by a friend who had used the program, it seemed like a perfect fit. Bracco is now in the midst of his week away. He's living with a trainer and his family (3 dogs, a cat- who he also hates, 2 kids and a wife) for a week. He goes everywhere the trainer goes, including lots of group classes, and gets practice with kids who are well versed in working with dogs that don't love kids. He's learning impulse control and discipline.

Some may find that SMS isn't their cup of tea. Bracco has to wear a collar...the controversial kind. MANY don't believe in this method of training. In fact, I was one of them until I moved to a place where his behavior threatened his life and the quality of that life. What is cruel? Bracco in solitary or a collar? Bracco killed by a moose or a collar? Bracco running off to be lost in the Colorado wilderness or a collar? Each has to make their own choice but to me a collar is like a spanking...to be used only in extreme situations like running into traffic. You have to be the "bad guy" for three days and then it's small behavioral adjustments as we go (hopefully, rarely needing the collar). I'm not trying to convince anyone here. I'm doing what I feel like I need to do to protect myself (from lawsuit), Bracco (from potentially being put down or killed) and others (from erratic, aggressive behavior).

Board and Train isn't cheap. It's an investment. But after only a day and a half away, here are the results I'm seeing:

He's letting kids touch him!

My dog will never be perfect...and I don't want him to be. I want him to be healthy, happy and included in all parts of my life. I'm trying to be a responsible dog mom. Although, the marmots and I miss him terribly!

Jet Setting

  In the past MONTH, I've been to Utah, Washington D.C., Denver (twice), Breckenridge and had a friend in town from Oregon. This weekend, I am headed back to my old stomping grounds for a wedding in Omaha. Needless to say, I'm tired! I can't believe how busy my weeks get! Seeing friends, catching flights, touring around the country...it's been a whirlwind. There are days I look back and wonder how that happened. Then I remember how bad I am at sitting still. I remember how much I love adventure.

  Here are a few of the highlights:

 Dead Horse Point State Park, UT

 Hiking along the rim

 Da boys

Bracco jump shot

 Oh, hello

 Arlington National Cemetery

 Nationals Game. I LOVE baseball!

 Virginia Vineyard

 From the Newseum

 Peanut

Please pay no mind to the skanky appearance of this outfit. It's a SKORT.

 Just some casual jump shots on the way home from Breck

CO Senior portraits

When Nature Attacks: Part Two

There's an old camp song that goes something like this:

Wait, wait....this is a repeat after me song. Ready?

There was a moose,

He liked to drink a lot of juice,
There was a moose,
He liked to drink a lot of juice,
Singin' way-oh, way-oh,
Way-oh, way-oh, way-oh, way-oh,
Way-oh, way-oh,
Way-oh, way-oh, way-oh, way-oh,
His name was Fred,
He liked to drink his juice in bed,
His name was Fred,
He liked to drink his juice in bed,
He drank his juice with care,
But he spilled it in his hair,
He drank his juice with care,
But he spilled it in his hair,

Now there's a moose on the loose all covered in juice!

Now, doesn't that just make moose sound like they're SO silly and barrels of fun?! The reality is, moose are not to be trifled with. They are massive and can be quite aggressive, particularly a cow protecting her calf. I don't know anyone who wouldn't be intimidated by the rack of a bull moose. Heck, as the saying goes, even a bear will run from a moose. Just because they eat veggies, doesn't mean they won't chase you, people!

So, a few tips to avoid the moose...
   Cows will be most aggressive in Spring and Summer. One word. Babies.
   Never get between a cow and its calf
   Bull moose are most aggressive in the fall. One word. Chicks.
   Bulls may actually perceive you as a competitor. Funny, but true.
   Moose do not like dogs. They look like Coyotes. Coyotes attack/harass moose. If you have a dog, make sure he's leased and under control.

Where do moose hang out?
    In the U.S. - Montana, Maine, Michigan, Colorado, Wyoming, Alaska, Minnesota etc.
    Moose eat a lot of aquatic plant life so they'll hang out around water sources.
    Cool climates
    Marshes and riverbeds
    Old, mature forests with spruce, aspen and willow thickets
   
If you see a moose...
   BACK OFF! Give it plenty of space.
   Move slow. Stay calm

Signs of aggression...
    Flat ears
    Charging and then veering at the last moment
    Stomping
    Shaking its head back and forth

Attack!!
    You might be able to make a run for it and be okay. A moose doesn't view you as food and is most likely just trying to scare you off.
    If running isn't an option (I always think of this in my snowshoes), keep in mind that moose aren't very agile. If you're being charged, duck out of the way behind a tree or large rock. Try to keep the object between you and the moose.
    If you can climb a tree, do it. Just make sure you get up high enough.
    Moose are great swimmers so don't think the water will protect you.

Then what?
    Once a moose has left the area, slowly leave the area. Stay aware as moose will often return to the same spots..
    If the moose succeed in attacking you (and let's hope NOT), curl up in the fetal position and pray. Do not try to fight it. It could weigh up to 1500 lbs. Try to protect your head, neck and back as best you can. The moose will stomp and kick at you.

Respect the moose and stay aware. Deaths are rare but do occur.