Research in White

#53 – Tuesday March 20th

I love being out side and because I tend to go places far away from everything and everybody, I thought it wise to learn how to take care of myself if something went wrong out there, far away. So years ago I took a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course to become certified in the practice of wilderness medicine. To maintain that certification, every two years I take a refresher course, and this past weekend that’s what I did. The refresher is three days of scenario based, intensive study and while it does include some class time, it’s mostly hands-on practicing one’s skills outside, in simulated accident and medical emergency situations. The course was up in Flagstaff, put on by Flagstaff Field Institute, a partner of The Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS. Friday was a gorgeous mountain day, sunny, with a light breeze and just the right amount of warm. The kind of day that begs you, to go outside and play. Saturday was a bit cloudy and cooler but still a perfect day to romp around in the woods. But on Saturday night the reminder it’s March in the mountains, came roaring in. I woke to 3 feet of fresh snow and 35 mile an hour winds, and yes regardless of the  proverbial hell or high water, WFR class goes on. So Sunday’s scenarios were performed in a winter wonderland of blowing snow whipped into a frenzy, and while at the time I was thinking, “What the heck, this is severely messed up!”, there is a certain satisfaction knowing if I ever do  need to traction-splint a femur fracture, in a blizzard, I’ve been there and done that.

Thanks for reading.

Charles