Tomorrow morning, I will hop on the bus with my coursemates and make the day and a half drive down to southern Utah to begin our 30-day Canyon Section. We'll return on April 18th.

We spent all of yesterday in classes and meetings with many of NOLS' key departments and their leaders, including meeting with the Executive Director, Human Resources, Environmental Policy, Risk Management, NOLS Pro (professional development services), and a luncheon with many employees from both NOLS Rocky Mountain and the NOLS International Branch. As a result of all that, I met one of the interns working in the video department, and after sharing my love and passion for video and my desire to have a camera in the field, he arranged for NOLS to loan me one of their cameras for this section. Since it's a small digital media video camera, it can replace my still camera in my pack and won't even add much extra weight, but will allow me to get footage that NOLS and I can share. It also means the content from my canyon section here will be even richer than the photos I've already been able to get.

Today we packed up everything we need for the section in packs, including rations (and my extra food, thank goodness!). My pack, even with extra food and a few little extras I'll probably be able to eliminate, weighs in at 45 lbs, a respectably low weight for the section. Every day, it should get at least 2 lbs lighter, as well! Woohoo!

Our canyon section will bring us to southern Utah Canyonland, exploring natural and human history in areas such as the Mancos Mesa, Gravel & Long Canyons, and the Dark Canyon area. I've included here some Google Maps snapshots to give you a peek at what the terrain in those areas is like, and so you can see the general progression of the course.

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View Larger Map

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When I return on April 18th, after some time catching up on things, I'll be sure to get another section recap blog up before I head out to our climbing section at Split Rock and Sinks Canyon.

Your Adventurer,
Nick

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Labels: adventure, canyonland, canyons, connections, creative process, equipment, film, filmmaking, NOLS, outdoor educator, outdoors, utah, wyoming, youtube

*Apologies for the MASSIVE amount of typos in this post before. It was VERY late here in Wyoming, so I was tired typing. Most are fixed now!*

Never, ever go winter camping. That is, unless you're willing to get lots of advice from your instructors/guides/more experienced friends, relate your challenging experience with your campmates, and stick it out until you really get the hang of thriving out in the winter wilderness.

Below are many entries, almost all from the second ration period of my 20 day travels in the southern Wind River Mountains, some are highlights from my log, some are comments on the experience from now. Some pictures are here, but scroll to the bottom of this entry for a link to an album including more select shots from the section.

26 Feb 09 - Day "2" Winter

"'Normal people don't do this.' - Right Reverend Robby Ripcord, First Church of the Open Slopes

I'm currently huddled in my sleeping bag just before 7AM on the trail near Christina Lake [just inside the Wilderness Boundary]. Two hard days or cross country skiing and two of the most stressful nights of my life got me and our group here. Nothing of this journey is familiar.

Every step, every piece is a new skill I must learn to stay alive, warm, comfortable, active, and healthy. I'll even have to learn how to write better in the cold. Cooking gives me some comfort, I'm starting to get a hold of the system and can now start to get creative with meals. More entries later, wake-up time approaches...."

3 March 09 - Day 7 Winter - Weather: -At 7:30AM -4 deg C, overcast, winds from N and S, moderate gusting. -In saddle by Cony Mountain-

"These "tissue recovery days" are really nice. Not only can I get down to paper all these observations, but it's especially nice to stay in bed most of the day, even out here. I do hope we'll get one or two more of these to hep break up the remaining section days into emotionally (and physically!!!) manageable chunks. This section is undoubtedly the most challenging & overall uncomfortable thing I've ever done. I find it often difficult to believe I signed up for this voluntarily. It does help to have days like this. It also helps to know that the semester will go on to increasingly amicable camping situations. After the cold, hash, frustrating conditions in winter, we'll be in the warmer canyons, moving in tents [& sleeping under the stars]. After that, base camping in the climbing section, an idea that seems positively posh compared to now. Here's to looking forward to that!"

4 March 09 - Day 8 Winter - Weather: -At 6:45AM -5 deg C, overcast, winds from NW, SW, E, moderate gusting. By night, strong gusting from N & moderate gusting from...everywhere! -Ration cache retrieval day, back in saddle-

"Overall a good productive day today w/some challenging spots. Coyotes had found our cache and made a mess of ours & a four-person group's rations. The four-person team is missing a lot. Then there was the harsh weather [strong winds in clearings during travel to cache location] ...made it rough to climb the ~800 ft on ~4 miles of trail back to the saddle...The good news? New food! Griffen made a bangin' pasta & veggie dish w/a peanut sauce. Also: new tent group! Jill, Griffen, and I are a new three-person group, and things are already great...the positive attitudes of these two are happily infectious. More tomorrow..."

5 March 09 - Day 9 Winter - Weather: -At 7:00AM -12.5 deg C, overcast, winds from N-NW, blowing storm across the saddle to the SE. By night, snow had blown over and the skies began to clear, moon overhead a day or so past half-waxing. Should be at least mostly cloudy by tomorrow morning. -Still in saddle by Cony Mtn (woot!)-

"...some avalanche tranceiver practice & coaching [picture in album, in the saddle with Cony Mountain in the background] was a great thing....my [mid-course evaluation] talk with Clair was great, too, amazing to see all the things the instructor team had noticed about my progress....I'm reminded of what Rev. Robby said: 'Normal people don't do this.' Damn right."

6 March 09 - Day 10 Winter - Weather: -At 7:15AM -15 deg C, partly couldy, mostly clear, winds from N & NW, gusting, which made the -15 degree morning temp seem even colder. At 11AM near Roaring Fork Valley, temp had increased to -11 deg C. -Day tours to Silas Canyon or ridge above Roaring Fork-

"While one group made their way to the W towards Silas Canyon for some exploration & snowpack study, my group went NW to try to find a suitable new campground somewhere in in or near the Roaring Fork region. [We] broke trail along & over ridges in what turned out to be a fruitless search for passable trail past Boulder Lake. Even our eventual exit from the Wilderness will be a challenge, finding a way to minimize boulder hopping with sleds as we make our way. We'll see what the I-team decides, but I'll bet we spend a few days camped in Silas Canyon before heading toward exit on the 14th. For today, I'm glad we got some good views and exercise at a relaxed pace, and am enjoying some early rest & hot drink. More tomorrow!"

7 March 09 - Day 11 Winter - Weather: -At 6:30AM -15 deg C, clear. At 7:30AM -10 deg C, clear. Occasional mild gusting winds from N-NW -Ridge summit to W-

"Pit digging!

Test Pit Results [for those that understand them!]:
-Dug 1m20cm on 29 degree slope.
-Ski penetration 2 cm. Boot penetration 6 cm.
-@0-10cm, fist (F) hardness, .5mm flakes, round.
-@10-15cm, four finger (4F) hardness, .5mm flakes, round/groupel
-@15-25cm, F, 1 mm, round
-@25-40cm, 4F, .5mm, groupel?
-@40-50cm, F, .5mm, round, with shovel shear with high energy (STHQ1) @45cm and compression test breaking using strikes with whole arm and snow barely collapsing (CTHQ3) @50cm.
-@50-80cm, 4f, 1.5mm, facets, STMQ2 @75cm.
-@80-120cm(ground), one finger hardness (1F), 1.75mm, facets, shovel shear at base (STN@120cm), compression test at base (CTN@120cm)
-Rutschblock Test had no failures (RB7). [This meant Jill skiing out on a big, isolated section of snow, flexing her knees, jumping once, again, then three times in the middle of the block, all without the snowpack moving at all.
[Not the most interesting pit ever, but I know how to do one now!]

....Today=great. Wonderful weather. Couldn't ask for a better day for today's activities. The whole group went to the summit of the peak to the W, up ~920ft to 11,522 ft. Beautiful view; got 360 degree view photos, portraits, and group shots. Didn't join the group going out on the ridge--my right foot was very cold, so I joined the descent, found a sweet ski spot without skins down the last third. Also got a great opportunity to head back out w/Erin [an instructor] and Jill for a few hours to learn test pits. Moving to Silas Canyon camp tomorrow, more when I can.

Sun 8 March 09 - Day 12 Winter - DST begins - Weather: -At 7:45AM -15 deg C, overcast. At 8:30AM -13 deg C, overcast. Mild to moderate gusting from N-NW, snow falling rapidly. -Moved from saddle to drainage in bottom of Silas Canyon-

Labels: adventure, Atlantic Canyon, Boulder Lake, canyons, Cony Mountain, NOLS, outdoor educator, outdoors, Rocky Mountains, Silas Canyon, utah, Wind River Mountains, winter, winter section, wyoming

First thing I've got for you this time is another wonderful video--the last got such good reviews, I knew I had to post this one of two of my coursemates, Dan and Bear (aka Doug), giving a rousing interpretive dance to solidify their Common & Simple session on fungal infections:


Also available on YouTube.

We had a much needed day off in the nearby town of Pinedale, WY, and in addition to doing some laundry and having far too much fun on the water slide at the Pinedale Aquatic Center, we managed to get some really good eats downtown. I wish I could remember the name of this place, they were really great there, and the food was tasty.

Since the testing day is coming up soon (it's tomorrow now), we asked our instructors to demonstrate a perfect rescue, so we could see how the pros do it. They did it using the toughest scenario we've encountered so far: an open tension pneumohemothorax from a gunshot wound. Yeah, go ahead and look that one up. Anyways, it was great to see the details they paid the most attention to; as we've been trained, they took the "ABC Life Threats" as an absolute priority and got their patient's airway clear, breathing intact, and ensured circulation before doing anything else.

Sunsets at the Three Peaks Ranch are always, always breathtaking. I've never been surrounded by such intense natural beauty for so many days in a row before.

Last night might have been the most intense night of the WFR section so far. Our instructors took us out for a "night game", on a hike away from the ranch, to test both our technical skills and our ability to stay and keep calm in a dire situation. Basically, our scenario involved being lost, away from instructors, with two sudden patients - one with a through-skin tibula/fibula fracture, and one with a first-time seizure who developed mild to moderate hypothermia. I was definitely glad to have a lot of the stuff I did with me, but our instructions were strict: bring only what you would have brought on a long day hike before you got any WFR training. I think I learned the most about myself as a rescuer and a member of a rescue team during this extended nighttime scenario. For any NOLS or WMI staffers or instructors reading along, always keep this part. It's brilliant.

I'll do one more brief blog before we depart for the winter section later this week, but thanks for tuning in, folks.

Your Adventurer,
Nick

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Labels: adventure, classroom musicals, comedy, equipment, groups, health, NOLS, outdoor educator, outdoors, packing, photos, Three Peaks Ranch, youtube

Here are some photos from the past few days, including the trip to NOLS and some NOLS facilities, as well as a bit of the Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course we're in right now.
(I'll do my best to upload some larger images later on and change this post, when I'm not limited by the slow satellite internet here at the Three Peaks Ranch.)

Detroit and Denver airports, respectively...interesting places. Trams seem to be really in vogue these days.





My first prop plane! My ride from Denver to Lander, WY on Great Lakes Aviation. Really nice folks.






The road from Riverton to Lander, with a great spread of the Winds (I think) ahead of us.







NOLS' historic Noble Hotel, where we stay when we're in town between sections and at the beginning and end of the course.







The bunkhouse where I stay. No, I don't have to sleep on the screen porch, but I could!







CPR training, as part of the WFR course. Love those dummies.








Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no head stabilization technique?











A few of our class/coursemates hiked to the top of the hill across the road from the ranch for some sunset photos.







NOLS' Three Peaks Ranch in Boulder, WY, seen from above, with the namesake peaks in the background. Beautiful place.







More to come, I'll try to get one more blog in before we depart for our winter section!

Your Adventurer,
Nick

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Labels: airports, NOLS, outdoor educator, outdoors, photos, planes, prop plane, Three Peaks Ranch

The next four months of this blog will be absolutely dedicated to my adventures on NOLS Rocky Mountain's Outdoor Educator Semester.

I'm currently putting together all of my gear in one place, just to see what I have and what I'll need to buy either on my last, frenzied shopping trip tonight or when I arrive in Lander, WY, a place I'll call "Base Camp" for the semester. It's actually already a pretty impressive array, but it doesn't include my second water bottle, my brand-new Asolo boots, and a few other miscellaneous things I have around the house.

I leave my home town in the wee hours of the morning on February 8th, meaning I'll be a civilized man for less than four days, before I get on a 6AM flight and get on my way.

My first leg currently looks like it will be an 80-hour Wilderness First Responder course with the Wilderness Medicine Institute. I think this is a great place to start, not only because it eases the transition from home life to camp life (I get to sleep in the dorms for this, I think), but especially because it equips me and my group with medical training before we hit the trail. That way, we can all feel a bit more comfortable knowing that if something does go wrong, we will have the skills to respond.

I'd love to hear from my friends and family while I'm gone (and always love to get freelance inquiries), so feel free to email me, write to me, send me (non-perishable) care packages, whatever you like. I'll be able to check email every 2-5 weeks and will be sure to respond as soon as I can.

For now, wish me luck, and off I'll go into the wild country...

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Labels: adventure, equipment, NOLS, outdoors, packing, Rocky Mountains

Hey there!

Your friendly neighborhood movie-making-kid here...just an update on Boundaries of Attraction, the 45 minute short produced by Dunkirk Studios, directed by Jamie Fessenden, with technical direction by yours truly.

Starring Billy Baraw, Robert Kersey, Stephanie Aurora Long, Dina Baker, Xebic Smith, Ashley Caron, and Greg Murphy.

Here's the trailer for your enjoyment, with a release hopefully before I disappear for NOLS in February:




Also find on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex_PWOItAx8

Labels: Ashley Caron, Billy Baraw, boundaries of attraction, Dina Baker, filmmaking, Greg Murphy, Jamie Fessenden, NOLS, Robert Kersey, Stephanie Aurora Long, trailer, Xebic Smith

It's been a while since I mentioned it, but the mysterious clues that I mentioned months ago have been continuing since, and I have totaled now seven paper clues and two rather literally concrete clue. In the next few weeks, I hope to get you caught up with my own level of understanding and presence in this ongoing mysterious game. Now, I will present to you Clue #3.

Clue #3 (4?)

Please forgive me for being uncertain about the order of these clues, but it has been many months since the last one and I have been hesitant to number them.
This one came quickly on the heels of Clue #2. I found it in my dorm mailbox alongside a NOLS DVD. A dynamic duo if I ever saw one...check out the "J" for my middle initial, make a mental note of what it looks like:
Very pretty, I know. Here is a shot of the back, complete with the now repeated three blue squares:
Sweet, sweet mystery. What's inside? Enjoy these tall panoramic shots of the creepy interior card. It was so long the sender had folded an end over.
This was to be the first clue that was rather directly sexual. Whether it is meant as playful or not remains to be seen. More installments as I can...

Labels: college, dorm life, NOLS, real-life mystery, sex