Lots to say today!

First off, check out IMDb for my very first appearance on that site, for my tech work in the short film Boundaries of Attraction with Dunkirk Studios! This is, of course, a big step for me.

Also exciting is that some of you may be visiting thanks to a story in the NOLS eNews newsletter. I was contacted by William Roth a few days ago asking to feature this blog in NOLS' student/staff/alumni newsletter, so welcome to all of you! I hope you enjoy your stay.

Now for another fun Common & Simple video (alas the last) featuring Bear and Aaron with a beatbox/rhyming combination to help you fight ear infection:



Soon after that, we took our WFR certification, and I am happy to say that every member of the class passed both the practical and written exams. Soon my WFR and CPR cards will be arriving at home in Connecticut.

We spent two days at the White Pine Ski Area near Pinedale, WY with our instructors, getting some class time and free skiing in on our mostly unfamiliar telemark skis. By the end of the second day, I was able to take on every slope on the mountain with increasingly tight tele-turns. The glade runs, however, were navigated with alpine style turns...safety first!

After our second day of skiing, we made a quick supply run to Pinedale and came home to the Three Peaks Ranch for a tasty turkey dinner. My instructor, Marco Johnson, is seen here taste-testing the turkey while carving, an important element of quality control.

The last two days before departure (yesterday and today) have been largely devoted to our AAA Avalanche 1 Certification classes, taught by our new winter section instructors, Claire, Erin, and Robby (aka Reverend Ripcord). I'm really glad to get this training. Heading into the backcountry means that we're responsible for our own mountain safety and like the WFR training, this course is empowering. Plus I get a neat transceiver to wear!

Today is a big pack-up day. Tomorrow, bright and early, we load up the bus, van, and trailer with backpacks, sleds, and town bags, and drive to the bottom of the Wind River Range to be snowmobiled in as far as we can to the Wilderness, hopefully as far north as Christina Lake. We will return to Lander on March 15th, and I will promptly blog with pictures and thoughts from the field.

Your Adventurer,
Nick

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