Late Post Nov 6&7, 2010

Late Post
November 6&7, 2010
AWESOME WEEKEND

AN AHA MOMENT CONCERNING THE BLOG

The rescue was of the most interest to folks so it ended up on the EARLY POST this week. The events on the LATE POST all took place on Saturday.

OLD RAG CELEBRITY NEWS
Mark Sanford and his son were on the mountain Saturday. The following link has more information:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2010/11/rs-_sanford.html

The next two pictures where taken Saturday morning and will help folks have a sense for the progress of the seasonal changes.




This is a picture of of a tractioned femur splint. Notice the tensioned rope at the bottom of picture. Before the picture was taken there was a responder holding the patient from behind in order to provide back tension. Alternatively one could use another line or webbing to back tension the patient to another immovable object.

.

On this day our training also called for us to practice off trail navigation.

.

.

The following picture is of an old cement warning post on what is now an over-grown fire road that would never be followed by hikers looking for the trail but at one time obviously did just that.

At one point we found a puddle covered in ice and we wanted to get a picture. Folks expect that it may be windy and cold on top of Old Rag from now until well into Spring 2011.

A great off-trail view point.

A view of the Saddle Trail, Sunset Walls and the Western Summit.

Slabs that are not impacted by human traffic can develop the most wondrous moss gardens.

This is a picture deep in an Old Rag gully a long ways from any trail.

AHA MOMENT CONCERNING THE BLOG

Mutual of Omaha has a great site dedicated to the Aha moment found at:
http://www.ahamoment.com/

I use this blog for a lot of purposes:

• A personal photo diary
  
• A journal for family and friends
  
• An Old Rag outreach site
  
• A means to learn about new technology
  
• A means to exercise my creative side
• And lots of other reasons

I have been struggling with how to post on subjects that awkwardly fit within the focus of the main theme of Old Rag Mountain Patrols. This morning I had an AHA Moment as to how to do that.

I am going to create another blog or blogs with slightly different focus. Old Rag Mountain Ascetic could be an example. Anything that is more philosophical or spiritual in nature will have its writing on that blog. When appropriate I will build cross linkages between the blogs. This way I can keep the writing of the Old Rag Mountain Patrols focused yet still write about other subjects.

Once I thought of this solution it was so perfect and so easy to do I wondered why I was too dim-witted not to have come up with it right away. Oh well that is probably often how it is with Aha moments.

Personal Journal Reminders

mostly for me to remember the day months and years from now.

This was the day after I did something embarrassingly stupid:

.

To use an analogy, I was purposely causing and riding in avalanches of self indulgent emotion. No avalanche of emotion was too big. On one level, this is fine when the only bruises and pain are being caused to yourself or a willing partner. It is totally irresponsible when well meaning bystanders or unwilling participants become embroiled. On the plus side the catharsis provided immense amounts of self awareness and allowed me to escape a very powerful crush vortex. On the downside I probably cost myself a friend and may have hurt someone I truly care for in a very soulful way. I pray that I am wrong on both counts. We are not given operator manuals in regards to our bodies, conscious persons or spirits and there are times when On-The-Job -Training leaves much to be desired.

.

Thank goodness for good ORMS friends who were willing to help with my psychic healing. A mountain rescue of a different sort.

.

.

Memorable lines from the day:

.

"You did not press send did you??!!!" A.R.

(said with a touch of mischievous anticipatory schadenfreude)

.

"I am not gay or anything.... but that Oprah and Ricky Martin interview had me in tears. " R.L.

.

Upon finding a perfect fifteen foot house sized bouldering boulder miles from anywhere. "Oh I can not wait until I tell Chad about this one. I just know he is going to come out here and break his leg!" J.T.