My NOLS Semester

October 26th

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:24:15 -0400

We drove for nine hours today. That’s pretty much it. No, wait. That is it.

October 25th

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:22:20 -0400

Woke up to snow on the ground and in the air. Reminds me of home. We re-equiped for our next jaunt today, and I got some new gear. Besides the quickdraws, slings, biners and ATC guide I got from REI, I got a Mountain Hardwear ski jacket and a thermarest. I want to be comfortable in the canyons.

October 24th

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:20:41 -0400

We rolled back into Lander today. After doing my laundry, Wes and I went back to the Scud Wall at Sinks Canyon to give some new climbs a go. We also gave Stud Alert another burn each, and still no redpoint by either of us. Tomorrow we get ready for the canyons, and we’re expecting snow.

October 23rd

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 02:21:33 -0400

We had our tests today, and I’m happy to say that I am a WFR now. Pretty cool. After helping out around the ranch, I had a great jam session with some students and the proctors. Now I’m ready for bed, Lander, and the canyons. I’m nowhere near being done!

October 22nd

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 02:20:22 -0400

Today was our last day of class. We are preparing for our tests tomorrow, which I am feeling really good about. I got paired with Luke, and he knows what he is doing, which makes me feel even more confident. Next stop, EMT certification (knock on wood!).

October 21st

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 02:19:16 -0400

I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything like what I experienced tonight. We had a night scenario that was supposed to simulate a search-and-rescue situation. However, it evolved quickly into a totally different beast. During our “search”, Ryan fell down a hill and open-fractured his tibia, exposing about two inches of bone. Zac, Kelsey, Mike and I treated him and I thought the scenario was over. Mike started saying that he smelled coffee, and we all joked about that being his pre-seziure aura. We stopped laughing when he actually began to seize up. He seized for about a minute or two, and then went into a state that was only reactive to painful stimulus. It seemed too damn real to be true. I was already so adrenalized from Ryan’s injury that I went straight into rescue mode. It was so exciting! It felt so amazing to give these people treatment, especially because of the realism of the situation. I am rapidly wanting to become a paramedic. It feels right.

October 20th

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 02:15:16 -0400

Back at the books today. The day was pretty normal, and we had a fantastic scenario of a head-on collision of two vehicles, caused by simultaneous strokes by both of the drivers….perhaps not the most realistic scenario? I know I’ve said this before, but this stuff is fascinating. I’m loving every minute.

October 19th

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 02:12:32 -0400

We went into Pinedale today. It was a good chance to get some laundry done, and I was able to talk to my family for a bit. Pinedale has a fantastic aquatic center, and that was pretty fun. I’m really excited to get back to class, and hopefully it’ll take my mind off of the stress that’s been growing around the canyon section. Because of regulations, we have to split into groups of no more than 10 people. This means FSR-1 and 2 will have to combine. Everyone’s stressing out about it, and I could care less. I’m doing this course for me, and no one, FSR-1 or 2, will stop me from getting the most I can out of this semester.

October 18th

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:52:38 -0400

Today definitely made me think seriously about becoming an EMT or a paramedic. We had the opportunity to be involved in a mass casualty incident where five patients had been in a plane crash. I happened to be one of those patients. Here’s the scenario. I was the pilot of a small aircraft that took people on ariel tours of the Wind River range. My passengers were Jake, my best friend from the Gulf War, Wes, a non-english speaker whose lover, Julia, was also on the flight. Her brother, Tom, also flew with us. After the crash, Wes sustained an open pneumothorax, Julia was paralyzed from the waist down, Jake had a fractured femur, and Tom had severe burns and was missing an eye. I appeared to be 100% fine, but I was really going through the symptoms of ICP (intracranial pressure). I slowly went from A+Ox4 to unresponsive, throwing the rescuers some serious curveballs. Even as a patient, I felt the energy created by the situation, and I loved ever second of it. It was one of the coolest things I have been a part of, and I feel like I could really be a good EMT/paramedic. Regardless, tomorrow is our day off, and I’m kinda bummed that it is. I love this shit.

October 17th

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:43:09 -0400

Lots of class today. We focused on musculoskeletal injuries and how to treat them. We did a lot of splinting, and during each scenario I felt a huge adrenaline surge. This is so exciting!!

October 16th

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:41:04 -0400

Today was awesome, as per usual. We learned about signs and symptoms of shock, chest injuries, and further learned how to maintain spinal stabilization.We did a ton of scenarios, all of which pushed my knowledge to its limits. It feels so good to be challenged.

October 15th

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:39:24 -0400

We learned all about spinal injuries today. Lessons were centered around stabilizing the spine, as well as giving rescue breaths and practicing CPR on an unresponsive patient. This stuff is so interesting. It’s like a science class, but with blood, adrenaline, and ACTUAL consequences if we screw up. My goal is to go this whole course without having a death while a patient is in my care. So far so good, but we haven’t gotten to the life or death situations yet. We’ll have to see how I do with those.

October 14th

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 02:52:20 -0500

We had our first day of classes today. It was eight hours of intensity, with very few breaks. We began learning about the PAS, or the Patient Assessment System, which includes scene size-up, assessment of life threats, and rapid full-body exams. We had a great scenario where our patents were seriously dehydrated, and we had to be cautious of a serious spinal injury. That’s a lot to cover on the first day. I can only assume things are going to get crazier.

October 13th

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:06:54 -0500

Today felt like three days rolled into one. We woke up at about 5 to hike out of Lankin Dome, and caught the bus back to Lander around 8 AM. We got into town, showered, and then immediately left for the Three Peaks Ranch to begin our WFR course. We’re doing it with the FSR-2 kids, which might take a little getting used to. We already have such a tight community in FSR-1 that integrating a whole new set of people might throw us off a bit. You have to remember that meeting new people is an oddity when you’re spending 99% of your life in the backcountry. WFR is going to be awesome though! I’m actually ready for a little dose of classroom learning. It’s a change of pace, which is welcomed right now.

Photo

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:02:14 -0500

October 12th

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:59:18 -0500

We spent our last day at Lankin Dome cleaning up. Tents had to be broken down, gear had to be sorted, and our rations had to be polished off. After this section, I know I want to spend as much of my life on the rocks as possible. I want to sport climb beautiful limestone, trad some remote multipitches, and summit the world’s highest peaks. It’s a powerful thing, especially when one can immerse themselves in it for three weeks straight. I want to become an experienced and well-rounded climber, which is going to be difficult considering the demands of the life of a musician. But I am determined to continue climbing. It’s one of the most addicting sports I’ve ever been involved in, and I don’t want to quit.

Photo

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:58:07 -0500

October 11th

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:56:26 -0500

Last day on the rocks. It’s pretty sad, to be honest. But the good thing is I get to climb to my heart’s content in the years to come. Also, Taylor suggested that Wes and I should come back up to Sinks Canyon on the weekends during our WEMT course and stay overnight at City Park so we can climb. Anyways, WFR is next, and I’m feeling like I’ll love it. All of it.

This I Believe

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:49:04 -0500

I believe in balance. Balance plays a huge part in my life. The sport I love demands it, the people I love deserve it, and the life that I love needs it. As a rock climber, balance is one of the key tools that I use in order to successfully climb a route. Being highly aware of where your body is in relation to the rock is something every great climber has, and is something I strive for every time I tie in. Each foot placement, hand position, and general weight distribution affects how much energy you use to climb, therefore affecting how well you climb. You will hardly ever see a great climber thrutching around on the rock, expending energy faster than a rabid hyena. When you watch the greats, you will see grace, fluidity, and above all, fantastic balance. They are always aware of their bodies, and that allows them to be successful. Another activity that requires balance is slacklining. Slacklining not only requires good physical balance, but mental balance as well. If you are thinking about anything besides staying on the line, chances are you won’t. Physical and mental balance are important because they allow me to do things that I find challenging, exciting, and refreshing. Living a balanced life is also very important to me. My family is one of my top priorities, and I generally try my hardest to pull my weight back at home. However, there are times that I need to get away from that life and take some time for myself. Balancing a strong family life, an active social life, and an honest personal life can be extremely difficult, and it is something I try to work on every day. Being able to maintain a balance in my personal life has proved to be a challenge, and it remains a constant interior struggle within me. I have many interests, ranging from climbing to music, to baseball, and even to theater. I was involved in all of these activities and more in high school almost around the clock. Unfortunately, I have come to the painful realization that this must come to an end if I am going to move forward in my life. I can see in my future a constant struggle to stay balanced, and to not get wrapped up in any one thing or stuck in a rut. I fear this, and I will do my best to avoid it. Staying balanced will keep me sane, wholesome, and it will keep me from taking monster whippers when I’m on the sharp end. This is why I believe in the importance of balance.

October 10th

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:05:05 -0500

We only have one day of climbing left. It’s killing me. It went by soooo fast. However, I do feel like I’ve gained a ton of knowledge and can now safely climb almost anything, be it crack, face, slab, or even multipitch. Here’s my shopping list for when I save up some money:

C4s (.5-4)

C3s (0-2)

5 single lengths slings

2 double length slings

4 locking carabiners

10 wiregates

1 ATC guide

8 quickdraws

1 15-ft cordalette

It’ll cost a lot, but I’ll be set for quite a while.

Edit: Maybe a new harness, too. Mine’s getting a bit small.