Certified in WFA

Took a break from the trails this last weekend to take a certification course in wilderness first aid with Wilderness Medical Int'l of Seattle, WA. I spend enough time on the trails to think that I should probably know what to do in the event of an emergency, or non-emergency that just needs some attention. The course was a 16-hour cram full of information on how to treat airway issues, bleeding, various types of wounds, hypothermia, etc. It was alot to absorb, but was taught enthusiastically by mountain guide and Everest summiter Melissa Arnot. I would highly recommend for anyone who spends alot of time in the backcountry.

The site's getting lots of updates. I'll be adding new images from several recent trips to Mt. St. Helens, the John Day Fossil Beds, and Strawberry Wilderness. I'll also be adding new trail reports from each of these areas to my Trail Log page. Eventually, they'll all also have GPS tracks on Backpacker.com.

This weekend, it's back on the trail, this time down to Oregon's Central Cascades. We'll be backpacking into the Santiam Lakes area near Three-Fingered Jack; then later in the month will be the 24-mile Eagle Creek loop, an assignment from Backpacker magazine. Next month has hiking and backpacking in Washington's North Cascades NP, and the north side of Oregon's Mt. Hood. Keep checking back for the latest...