2Heeldrive – Walk it off Wimp!

Winter backpacking can mean your footprints are the only ones out there. That adds to the beauty of the experience, but also to the danger. Alone and in a cold environment, it’s important to know what to do in an emergency. Learning a few basic cold weather survival skills can save your life.

Fire Making

Imagine slipping into a stream and soaking everything with you, when you are more than a day from the nearest road and it’s below freezing out. What would you do? Start a fire, of course, but can you?

Always carry waterproof matches, and practice starting a fire in the cold BEFORE you go winter backpacking. Learn which tinder’s work even when wet. Birch bark, for example, will burn when wet, and so will sap from pines and spruces. You may have only minutes before your fingers get too cold to function, so speed is of the essence.

Winter Backpacking – Survival Shelters

You’ll probably have a tent with you, but you still may want to learn shelter building using snow blocks. Sometimes you can stomp out blocks without tools, using your feet, and then lift them from beneath. Just play around in your backyard until you get the hang of it. In an emergency, or if the weather turns extremely cold, you may want to put your tent behind a wall of snow blocks, to stop the wind.

If it isn’t raining, a quick survival shelter for warmth is a pile of dry leaves, grass, bracken ferns or other plants. I once collected enough dried grass from a frozen swamp in thirty minutes to make a pile several feet thick. I slept warmly in the middle of it (half the insulating grass above, half below) with just a jacket, despite below freezing temperatures.

Staying Dry

You can be wet and warm when it is far below freezing, as long as you stay active. The moment you stop moving, however, you start to lose your body heat. Once you get chilled through, it is difficult to get warm again. Hypothermia (a lowered body temperature) kills many people every year.

If you get wet, try to get dry before you go to sleep. Put dry clothes on if you have them, and use a fire to dry any wet clothes. Earlier in the day, you may be able to hang damp clothes on your pack to dry in the sun. Often when it is coldest, the air is dryer.

Try not to sweat. Adjust your layers, removing and adding shirts, sweaters and jackets as necessary to keep from getting too hot or too cold. Sweat, and clothes damp with sweat, will cause you to lose body heat fast once you stop moving. Stay dry to stay warm.

There are many other cold weather survival skills that you may want to learn. (You can generate heat by eating fatty foods, for example.) You don’t need to know hundreds of skills and techniques, but why not learn a few basics, like the ones above, before your next winter backpacking trip?

Hiking over mountains and trekking through thick forests may seem to be a tough and demanding sort of activity, but in fact all it takes is a good fitness level, some basic equipment and a sound understanding of a few key concepts.

The key for those new to hiking, as with most other learning experiences, is to take things slowly.

So where should you start? An excellent idea to begin with would be to find a suitable location in your local area in which to practice; a park or an area of the nearest suburbs for example. By staying local to residential areas you are ensuring the terrain remains reasonably tame and that you are never too far from help if something should go wrong. Walking in a group with experienced hikers is always a good idea; it increases your own safety and that of the other members of the group and also allows you to ask questions if you are unsure about anything or would just like some extra guidance.

Anticipating weather conditions and equipping yourself accordingly is another important element of hiking and although you should only consider hiking in good conditions to begin with, it is still crucial that you remember to pack equipment and clothing for any outcome. Clothing is another element of paramount importance to a good hiker, with footwear being the most crucial attire of all. However, expensive hiking boots are by no means imperative; any footwear that is consistently comfortable and durable will be suitable for most hikes. It is vital, however, that you test a range of products and choose something most suitable to your own preferences. You should never wear a new pair of boots or shoes straight out of the box on a hike, instead wearing them for a few days in advance to allow yourself to properly adjust to them and ensuring that they are ‘broken in’ and will remain comfortable for the duration of the hike.

As with footwear, the rest of your clothing should be chosen primarily for the sake of comfort. Ideally, you should be wearing reasonably loose fitting clothes; they should not restrict your movement in any way, but should not be so lose as to become a hindrance. Weather conditions on your planned hike must also be taken into account and clothing that will maintain a constant and comfortable body temperature should be worn, with layering being the key here. Having chosen clothing to begin the hike in, you must also ensure you pack spares in case of changes in weather conditions; you should also never leave without a few extra pairs of socks!

Finally, there are a few items of basic equipment with which new hikers should familiarize themselves. The most important and potentially lifesaving of these are a good quality topographic map and compass. The ability to find your bearing and read a map accurately is the by far the most important skill for hikers. Other equipment to consider ranges from basics, such as sun lotion and sunglasses, through to potentially important items such as a first aid kit and water purifying tablets.

America’s Best Idea – the national parks – gets even better with several fee-free days at more than 100 national parks that usually charge entrance fees.*

Mark your calendar for these fee-free days in 2011:

January 15-17
(Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday weekend)
April 16-24
(National Park Week)
June 21
(First day of summer)
September 24
(Public Lands Day)
November 11-13
(Veterans Day weekend)
Making the fun even more affordable, many national park concessioners are joining the National Park Service in welcoming visitors with their ownspecial offers.

Here’s a tip – many of your 394 national parks NEVER charge an entrance fee. So start Planning Your Visit!

*Fee waiver includes: entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.

From the National Park Website

Shipmates & Friends:..

Take a few moments today to remember those that gave their lives for us.

Saturday, December 6 – Washington D.C. – U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt makes a final appeal to the Emperor of Japan for peace. There is no reply. Late this same day, the U.S. code-breaking service begins intercepting a 14-part Japanese message and deciphers the first 13 parts, passing them on to the President and Secretary of State. The Americans believe a Japanese attack is imminent, most likely somewhere in Southeast Asia.

Sunday, December 7 – Washington D.C. – The last part of the Japanese message, stating that diplomatic relations with the U.S. are to be broken off, reaches Washington in the morning and is decoded at approximately 9 a.m. About an hour later, another Japanese message is intercepted. It instructs the Japanese embassy to deliver the main message to the Americans at 1 p.m. The Americans realize this time corresponds with early morning time in Pearl Harbor, which is several hours behind. The U.S. War Department then sends out an alert but uses a commercial telegraph because radio contact with Hawaii is temporarily broken. Delays prevent the alert from arriving at headquarters in Oahu until noontime (Hawaii time) four hours after the attack has already begun.

Sunday, December 7 – Islands of Hawaii, near Oahu – The Japanese attack force under the command of Admiral Nagumo, consisting of six carriers with 423 planes, is about to attack. At 6 a.m., the first attack wave of 183 Japanese planes takes off from the carriers located 230 miles north of Oahu and heads for the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor – At 7:02 a.m., two Army operators at Oahu’s northern shore radar station detect the Japanese air attack approaching and contact a junior officer who disregards their reports, thinking they are American B-17 planes which are expected in from the U.S. west coast.

Near Oahu – At 7:15 a.m., a second attack wave of 167 planes takes off from the Japanese carriers and heads for Pearl Harbor.
Pearl Harbor is not on a state on high alert. Senior commanders have concluded, based on available intelligence, there is no reason to believe an attack is imminent. Aircraft are therefore left parked wingtip to wingtip on airfields, anti-aircraft guns are unmanned with many ammunition boxes kept locked in accordance with peacetime regulations. There are also no torpedo nets protecting the fleet anchorage. And since it is Sunday morning, many officers and crewmen are leisurely ashore.

At 7:53 a.m., the first Japanese assault wave, with 51 ‘Val’ dive bombers, 40 ‘Kate’ torpedo bombers, 50 high level bombers and 43 ‘Zero’ fighters, commences the attack with flight commander, Mitsuo Fuchida, sounding the battle cry: “Tora! Tora! Tora!” (Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!).

The Americans are taken completely by surprise. The first attack wave targets airfields and battleships. The second wave targets other ships and shipyard facilities. The air raid lasts until 9:45 a.m. Eight battleships are damaged, with five sunk. Three light cruisers, three destroyers and three smaller vessels are lost along with 188 aircraft. The Japanese lose 27 planes and five midget submarines which attempted to penetrate the inner harbor and launch torpedoes.

Escaping damage from the attack are the prime targets, the three U.S. Pacific Fleet aircraft carriers, Lexington, Enterprise and Saratoga, which were not in the port. Also escaping damage are the base fuel tanks. The casualty list includes 2,335 servicemen and 68 civilians killed, with 1,178 wounded. Included are 1,104 men aboard the Battleship USS Arizona killed after a 1,760-pound air bomb penetrated into the forward magazine causing catastrophic explosions.

In Washington, various delays prevent the Japanese diplomats from presenting their war message to Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, until 2:30 p.m. (Washington time) just as the first reports of the air raid at Pearl Harbor are being read by Hull.

News of the “sneak attack” is broadcast to the American public via radio bulletins, with many popular Sunday afternoon entertainment programs being interrupted. The news sends a shockwave across the nation and results in a tremendous influx of young volunteers into the U.S. armed forces. The attack also unites the nation behind the President and effectively ends isolationist sentiment in the country.

Monday, December 8 – The United States and Britain declare war on Japan with President Roosevelt calling December 7, “a date which will live in infamy…”

Thursday, December 11 – Germany and Italy declare war on the United States. The European and Southeast Asian wars have now become a global conflict with the Axis powers; Japan, Germany and Italy, united against America, Britain, France, and their Allies.

Wednesday, December 17 – Admiral Chester W. Nimitz becomes the new commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Both senior commanders at Pearl Harbor; Navy Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, and Army Lt. General Walter C. Short, were relieved of their duties following the attack. Subsequent investigations will fault the men for failing to adopt adequate defense measures.

Copyright © 1997 The History Place™ All Rights Reserved

From the MOUNT RAINIER VOLUNTEERS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2010
RIP Damian, 1993-2010

Allan and Damian, 2007
photo by John Chao
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of one of our most faithful volunteers this afternoon. Many of you know Damian as the golden retriever service dog of volunteer Allan Dreyer. But Damian was a friend and volunteer in his own right, one dedicated to a lifetime of service who spread good will wherever he went. He died peacefully at his home this afternoon at 2:45pm.

Few people know that Damian, in fact, had his own volunteer agreement, signed with his paw print, documenting his important role on our staff. According to this agreement, Damian’s duties were to assist Mount Rainier National Park volunteer Allan Dreyer, as well as “spreading good will and good cheer among park visitors and employees; inspiring his coworkers with his dedication, enthusiasm, and positive demeanor; helping to bring positive attention to the volunteer program at Mount Rainier; and increasing the species diversity of our volunteer staff.” While there was certainly a tongue-in-cheek element to Damian’s paperwork, his service was beyond question, and he admirably accomplished all of the things listed in his position description and more.

Above all, Damian loved the outdoors, and Allan consistently reported that Damian would perk up when they drove up the road into Mount Rainier National Park. Even when old age led to creaky joints at lower elevations, he would happily bound through the mountain snow like a puppy, accompanying Allan on snowshoe walks or, in the summer, along the trails as a meadow rover. He loved people just as much, and was infinitely patient with visitors who wanted to pet his long, soft, orange fur.

Allan and Damian became volunteers together in August of 2003. Like so many volunteers, Allan had hiked the trails of the park for years before a chance encounter with another volunteer convinced him to ask about joining our program himself. It quickly became apparent that Damian was an equally valuable addition to our crew. Allan wrote a note to the newsletter of Dogs for the Deaf, from whom Damian was adopted in 1994, proudly announcing the news:

“I wanted you to know that Damian has officially been made a VIP — that is a ‘Volunteer in the Park,’ at Mount Rainier. The US Park Service used Damian’s paw print in lieu of a signature. Damian is a true greeter when we work at the park. When people enter the lodge to sign up for our park-led snowshoe hikes, he greets each of them. Our snowshoe hikes have about twenty people per hike. One of the rangers was complaining to me that the people were raving over Damian and thanking us for having Damian on the hike. The ranger said, ‘What about me? I was leading the hike.’ So they thanked him for coming along, too.

“Damian is one LOVED dog. People always come up and ask questions about him. He, in turn, loves everyone. The rangers at Mount Rainier love him to pieces. There are few people who are on our hikes who haven’t at least one photo of Damian to take home with them.”

Our friend died October 28, 2010, at the age of 17, after a long span of declining health. He is survived by his companion and friend, Allan Dreyer, and Allan’s wife Lisa, who live in Tacoma. They plan to spread Damian’s ashes in the national park he loved so much.
POSTED BY KEVIN BACHER AT 4:42 PM 0 COMMENTS LINKS TO THIS POST
LABELS: ALLAN DREYER, DAMIAN

MOUNT RAINIER VOLUNTEERS