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Show THE ZEPHYR/DEC-JAN 2008 themselves in blizzards. Ill skip most of our journey--- it was mainly slog, slog. On the third day we arrived at an unknown crest that we later named Deadend Peak and looked out into heavy snowfall hoping to find a landmark. None, just wind driving snow. I finally figured it out; we were on a north edge of Death Canyon. Get down to the bottom of Death, the only choice. Taking our time, trying our best to not give any excuses for snow slides (That's what we called them, not avalanches), avoiding cliffs and outcrops, we reached the canyon’s floor. We slogged on in gathering darkness, finally reaching the lake at the mouth of the canyon, tested the ice. Good enough. We skied a beeline track on snow layered over ice, to the ranch at the outlet. Rockefeller property. When one of the Rockefellers gave most of his holdings in upper Jackson Hole to the federal government as a gift, with the proviso that it be an extension of National Park lands, he held back two or three pieces for his family. This was one of them. The ranch headquarters building we now entered faced one of the most gorgeous views in all of Teton county, but we didn’t look back. The door was unlocked, as is, or was, the custom in remote regions. We found firewood, built a fire, laid back and enjoyed survival. 83 NORTH MAIN ST. MOAB, UTAH 84532 It had been a dumb journey, could have turned out really bad. In mountains one has to (435) 259-5154 know the territory, or take care in the learning, and that’s not all, there are social niceties. When leaving a remote cabin or house be sure to replenish kindling and firewood that was there on your arrival; clean up thoroughly; close door tightly. Nobody wants invasions by squirrels, mice or porcupines. Also, when you come to an inhabited dwelling way off on the outskirts of society, you drop in to say hello. Once, on a ski solo, I passed a house that I knew was inhabited, but kept going. Jackson Hole complaint network caught up with me in no time. Frances Judge, wife of Teton Park’s Chief Ranger bawled me out for that. She was right, I had no defense. This book is the “story” of - I’m not talking about tolerance or any other shape or form of condescension; y ‘ eas : I'm ta Iking about recognition. That animal lives, has its own life cycle, so do I. And we are different. Moab, not a “history” of the place. There's a difference. Tor oye Hue Geena : ry tends to bog down in the minutia of events...Telling stories, on the other hand, still conveys the truth of historical events, but without the stress and clutter of academic anxiety we 800-700-2859 Recently, looking back, I see that I have had dozens of perfect moments while meeting another animal and I am in an alert and open mood. These are short, quick experiences that stop me cold, realization of the shape and style and alert instincts of that animal, how different that life is from mine. I’m not talking about tolerance or any other shape or form of condescension; I’m talking about recognition. That animal lives, has its own life cycle, so do J. And we are different. www.backofbeyondbooks.com ai } backobey@cillink.ne DOOM OVERFLOW PARIS. It’s amazing that a dog, even a wolf or a coyote, has the ability to accept a human as a member of the pack. Think of it, our standing on two legs most of the time, our height making it necessary for the other animal to look high up to check out our eyes, windows to our souls. Our ears are static and weird, our muzzles indistinct, nearly absent, and yet Oct. 25 re o_o ct. 25 flicting damage to to a major report rate of extinction Gating 3S WHAa fer di di — The nufar pepe ation is living ae its means an ee the environment that could pass points of no return, according being issued today by the United Nations. Climate change, the of species, and the challenge of feeding a growing population the other animal accepts us, even allows us to be Alpha. Other animals aren't as accom- —_— are ; among the threats in putting humanity at risk, according to the United Nations its fourth Global Envi | Outlook since 1997 modating, recognizing humans as dangerous creatures to be avoided. Most animals are unknown to us or we subject them to sentimental recognition. Now I’m remembering a canoe sweeping down the Upper Yellowstone river, brother Donald and Olaus and me. Ahead of us is a grizzly leisurely swimming the river and we are bearing down on him and no amount of back-paddling will do a damn thing to avoid that bear and the current has us in its grip, too late to shift into another strand of current. Then the bear notices us, knows we were more than a drifting log. The bear shifts from a quiet swim across the Environment Program in its fourth NY TIMES Global Environmental Outlook since : river to a sudden surge, “taking”, as Olaus later said, “half the river with him.” That was a perfect moment, accepting with a kind of awe, differences and dangers. My few experiences with Trumpeter Swans come closest to complete immersion in the otherness of everything, and I have tried, in the on-line journal SwansCommentary to express those moments, the universe taking on the appearance of diversity and danger and eons of time. We are latecomers to those eons, and the startling fact is that we are one among many, many other creatures, most of whom are living among us without our even knowing about them. They generally don’t know us either. Some are friendly, some poisonous, some deadly. Only today I learned that it is the little larval form of Chiggers that bites me and gives me a terrible dermatitis. I'd always assumed it was the adult female laying eggs in skin who, when viewed by an electron microscope, looks like a ferocious heavy-armored dinosaur with formidable biting apparatus. That's all, a sudden stop, a chill of recognition, another being immersed as we all are in layers of deep mystery. Then life gets going again. Back to the Am peace era I angry that ° a didn’t happen. about that? Wilderness Medicine of Utah was established in 1993 to teach medical principles for a backcountry environment where there is no medical help available. Certain injuries and illnesses are common to backcountry sports and activities. Many of these popular activities include hiking, skiing, rock climbing, mountain biking, and whitewater river running. Wilderness Medicine of Utah offers programs to train and prepare you in prevention, management, and evacuation techniques for medical problems in the backcountry. These courses are certification programs to foster continued learning. Absolutely. EE Back to the peace era that didn’t happen. Am I angry about that? Absolutely. The War Against Fascism was Hell. Millions of people died, innocents and “enemy combatants,” only to be superceded by a Cold War turned hot and it stayed that way. Now we eat the bitter truths. However, running the risk of being teased for unwarranted optimism, after about fifty years of being told that I am a pessimist refusing to look on the bright side, I say this: being with protesters, with ae and talking with people who might agree and might not, and listening, that’s where things happen. Time and time again you see a little gain here, an upset there; maybe another tiny step a day later, or else something so ridiculously hypocritic and savagely tunnel-visioned that you have to laugh, and a good laugh is a perfect moment too. Do these tiny little personal happenings add up? I believe they do, in the grand, and mainly unrecognized account of our species’ history on this planet. We just have to keep on doing the right thing. Will peace and justice prevail in time? No one can answer that question. In this world of mystery and uncertainty, SI, SE PUEDE. (WE CAN DOT). Say it, my friends, say it out loud. Who knows, it might give you a perfect moment. Our instructors are all certified with the Advanced Wilderness Life Support (AWLS) certificate or with a WFR certificate. They come from the University of Utah School of Medicine or have years of experience with Wilderness Medicine of Utah. i ve All profits from our courses are donated to the University of Utah School of Medicine to be used for research, education, and student activities which contribute to the growth and development of wilderness medicine. 2008 COURSE December 3-15 SLC March 10-15 Ogden April 28-Mav 3 Moab pee oe ey. June 9-14 SLC SCHEDULE February Mav 4-9 MOAB March 17-22 SLC 12-17 Sprinedal os ay ee epee e November 10-15 Springdale h www.wmuta Org |
