2009 Paddlefest Landing
-MC.
posted by Manuel Ceja @ 8:10 AM
0 comments
Monday, July 13, 2009
Maiden Voyage of Curicaueri - 2009 Paddlefest
June 27, 2009 was the maiden voyage of both me new kayak, Curicaueri, and me on the Ohio River.
Next up: The Little Miami Scenic River.
I Love Life - It's Grand!
-MC.
posted by Manuel Ceja @ 8:09 AM
0 comments
Monday, July 10, 2006
Touching the Past... Bristlecone Pines and White Mountain
Hi. Bonjour. Hallo. Hola! Espero que todos se encuentren bien.
Last weekend Java and I had the privilege of spending time in another one of California's many beautiful destinations. We visited the White-Inyo Mountain range and climbed White Mountain. However, before we summited White Mountain we had an opportunity to visit a very special place on this planet - We spent time in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.
The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest resides inside the White-Inyo Mountain range which parallels the Sierra Nevada along much of its length. The White-Inyo mountains are from the Sierras by the the Owens Valley, and although they lack the diverse flora and fauna that the Sierra's posses, they are nevertheless majestic; especially with respect to the Bristlecone Pines. Bristlecone Pine trees have a limited range, they are found only in the western United States, primarily in California, but also Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. We visited Schulman Grove, named after the research scientist given credit for discovering and publishing the special nature of these trees. There, at about 10,000 ft we took at short hike and came in direct contact with the world's oldest living known things. Many people are aware of California's impressive giant Sequoias, the largest living things on earth. They are often confused as also being the oldest, but this is not the case. The oldest Sequoia's are about 2,700 years old, in comparison to the eldest Bristlecone which is close to 4,800 years old, they seem young and immature. Many Britslecone's, found to have died about 5,000 years ago, have been found to exceed 5,000 years in age - That represents a historical record of roughly 10,000 years. These living trees which sprang from a small seed long ago, are today, older than much of humanities recorded history. Simply mind blowing!
It is difficult to express the emotion and sentiment of literally touching the past in such an direct, intimate and ultimately profound way. Almost every tree visible in the forest, including those that are shorter than I am tall, are hundreds of years old. For me, the experience of resting my hands on the roots, trunks, and branches of trees that in the future within their rings, will record our present (my lifetime) as an ephemerally brief period of its past, is humbling beyond description.
It may seem like hyperbole, but the Bristlecones have a presence that radiates the wisdom of nature through their collective history. Even felled trees, which died thousands of years ago, and lie silent on the hillsides, speak loudly as irrefutable testaments to they prior grandeur. They are all like sages of the natural world; sentinels of earths passage through time. I first learned of the Bristlecone Pines several years ago, and from the moment I did I vowed to see them in person - I am so very glad I kept that I kept that promise. I only wish I had done it sooner. Having stood in their presence will always be a unique and indelible privilege.
White Mountain -- Depending on your point of view climbing White Mountain is either an extremely strenuous Day hike or an super simple climb. As it turns out, it was both to various persons that attempted the summit last weekend, for some it was an insurmountable challenge. The hike started with an early rise at 4 AM, and after gathering our things, and an hour long, off-road drive, we arrived at the trail-head at an elevation of about 11500 ft. From there we followed the broad, mostly accessible, trail to the peak. The trail in fact as a road that leads to highest research laboratory in the US. The laboratory includes an astronomical observatory, and a weather research station at the peak.
The trail-head is above the treeline, and at first glance the landscape seemed barren and lifeless, but during the hike closer inspection revealed that this was not the case. Except for the peak itself, the plateaus, saddles and hillsides were teeming with life: On the approach to the peak we found numerous tiny blue butterflies the size of the nail on your pinky finger. Seen also, were various species of ants, many spiders, and large critters like chipmunks and marmots. In addition, the terrain was carpeted with tiny alpine flowers with shades of pink, lavender, canary-yellow, and sky-blue. The rocks themselves had an abundance of life in the form of decades-old growth of lichens and delicate mosses.
At about 200 ft elevation below the peak, the trail became impassable due to the snow-pack, this required scrambling up unstable talus and scree to the top. Once at the top we were rewarded with an impressive 360 degree panorama, with visibility in excess of 150 miles The Eastern face of the Sierra Nevada, almost in its entirety, was visible from the peak; all the way from past Lake Tahoe to the north, to the Mojave dessert to the south. The total hike/climb was 15 miles round trip with just under 3000 ft of elevation gain, and a maximum elevation of 14, 242 ft, the third highest peak in California, and 13th highest in the lower 48 United States.
Life is special - I love it, and hope you do too!
-Manuel
P.S. After having seen it myself I feel compelled to mention: If you have not yet seen An Inconvenient Truth, go see it Now. It is a powerful film, that will undoubtedly inspire you to be an activist for change. Educate yourself and take action --> http://climatecrisis.org/
P.P.S. Congratulations to the Newly Weds: Michael & Patricia Moreno - June 17, 2006. Thanks for allowing me to be part of your wedding party.
Last weekend Java and I had the privilege of spending time in another one of California's many beautiful destinations. We visited the White-Inyo Mountain range and climbed White Mountain. However, before we summited White Mountain we had an opportunity to visit a very special place on this planet - We spent time in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.
The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest resides inside the White-Inyo Mountain range which parallels the Sierra Nevada along much of its length. The White-Inyo mountains are from the Sierras by the the Owens Valley, and although they lack the diverse flora and fauna that the Sierra's posses, they are nevertheless majestic; especially with respect to the Bristlecone Pines. Bristlecone Pine trees have a limited range, they are found only in the western United States, primarily in California, but also Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. We visited Schulman Grove, named after the research scientist given credit for discovering and publishing the special nature of these trees. There, at about 10,000 ft we took at short hike and came in direct contact with the world's oldest living known things. Many people are aware of California's impressive giant Sequoias, the largest living things on earth. They are often confused as also being the oldest, but this is not the case. The oldest Sequoia's are about 2,700 years old, in comparison to the eldest Bristlecone which is close to 4,800 years old, they seem young and immature. Many Britslecone's, found to have died about 5,000 years ago, have been found to exceed 5,000 years in age - That represents a historical record of roughly 10,000 years. These living trees which sprang from a small seed long ago, are today, older than much of humanities recorded history. Simply mind blowing!
It is difficult to express the emotion and sentiment of literally touching the past in such an direct, intimate and ultimately profound way. Almost every tree visible in the forest, including those that are shorter than I am tall, are hundreds of years old. For me, the experience of resting my hands on the roots, trunks, and branches of trees that in the future within their rings, will record our present (my lifetime) as an ephemerally brief period of its past, is humbling beyond description.
It may seem like hyperbole, but the Bristlecones have a presence that radiates the wisdom of nature through their collective history. Even felled trees, which died thousands of years ago, and lie silent on the hillsides, speak loudly as irrefutable testaments to they prior grandeur. They are all like sages of the natural world; sentinels of earths passage through time. I first learned of the Bristlecone Pines several years ago, and from the moment I did I vowed to see them in person - I am so very glad I kept that I kept that promise. I only wish I had done it sooner. Having stood in their presence will always be a unique and indelible privilege.
White Mountain -- Depending on your point of view climbing White Mountain is either an extremely strenuous Day hike or an super simple climb. As it turns out, it was both to various persons that attempted the summit last weekend, for some it was an insurmountable challenge. The hike started with an early rise at 4 AM, and after gathering our things, and an hour long, off-road drive, we arrived at the trail-head at an elevation of about 11500 ft. From there we followed the broad, mostly accessible, trail to the peak. The trail in fact as a road that leads to highest research laboratory in the US. The laboratory includes an astronomical observatory, and a weather research station at the peak.
The trail-head is above the treeline, and at first glance the landscape seemed barren and lifeless, but during the hike closer inspection revealed that this was not the case. Except for the peak itself, the plateaus, saddles and hillsides were teeming with life: On the approach to the peak we found numerous tiny blue butterflies the size of the nail on your pinky finger. Seen also, were various species of ants, many spiders, and large critters like chipmunks and marmots. In addition, the terrain was carpeted with tiny alpine flowers with shades of pink, lavender, canary-yellow, and sky-blue. The rocks themselves had an abundance of life in the form of decades-old growth of lichens and delicate mosses.
At about 200 ft elevation below the peak, the trail became impassable due to the snow-pack, this required scrambling up unstable talus and scree to the top. Once at the top we were rewarded with an impressive 360 degree panorama, with visibility in excess of 150 miles The Eastern face of the Sierra Nevada, almost in its entirety, was visible from the peak; all the way from past Lake Tahoe to the north, to the Mojave dessert to the south. The total hike/climb was 15 miles round trip with just under 3000 ft of elevation gain, and a maximum elevation of 14, 242 ft, the third highest peak in California, and 13th highest in the lower 48 United States.
Life is special - I love it, and hope you do too!
-Manuel
P.S. After having seen it myself I feel compelled to mention: If you have not yet seen An Inconvenient Truth, go see it Now. It is a powerful film, that will undoubtedly inspire you to be an activist for change. Educate yourself and take action --> http://climatecrisis.org/
P.P.S. Congratulations to the Newly Weds: Michael & Patricia Moreno - June 17, 2006. Thanks for allowing me to be part of your wedding party.
posted by Manuel Ceja @ 4:59 AM
0 comments
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Fun On The Trail...
Hi everyone.
It has been a very long time since I've made time to
share what I've been up. Although I've been a bit
silent about my activities, that's no indication that
I've slowed down. Instead, perhaps the opposite is
true.
Ever since my return from Argentina and Brazil, I've
continued my daily runs and other workouts; my weekend
backpacking, kayaking, running, and very recently a
daily commute to work on my bicycle.
I've now section hiked greater that 90% of the
Backbone Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains, a
roughly 70 mile trail running from Point Mugu in
Ventura County to Will Rodgers State park in Pacific
Palisades, in LA County.
The terrain is varied, there are stretches of
undulating rolling hilltops, arid boulder fields,
rugged sandstone formations; ubiquitous chaparral,
flowers; a wide diversity of insects, small reptiles,
song birds, predatory birds; creeks, streams, and
springs.
Its natural to think that in an area as heavily
populated as LA that there is any area where you can
get away and find seclusion, and tranquility, but
indeed, there is plenty - Ive experienced it first
hand. No doubt some of the pictures, I've attached
will convey that sentiment.
Other fun activities I've had a chance to do have been
to spend a weekend snowboarding in Mammoth, in May, no
less. It was particularly since I got to board solo,
even though it was meant to be a group trip - Thanks
Michael! J/k.
I've also had the opportunity to visit the backcountry
trails of the Sespe Wilderness. Keep in mind that for
as much time, and as many miles as I've traveled in
the Sespe, I have yet to re-trace my steps. On two
separate trips Java and I visited the Willet Hot
Springs and the Sespe Hot Springs. It's a pretty
amazing thing to hike 10 or 20 miles, through rough
country; steep grades, large elevation changes and
swift current creek crossings; to then spread out and
relax in water that is geothermally heated.
Hopefully you too have had a chance to get out and
explore the world. So until we get a chance to
talk... I wish you lot's of peace and happiness. I
love life, and hope you do too!
-Manny
posted by Manuel Ceja @ 10:38 AM
0 comments
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Final South American Exploration - Rio de Janiero
Hi everyone - Several weeks ago I promised to share about the final leg Armando, Steve and I spent in South America. Here goes...
After resolving some minor Visa issues we departed Foz de Iguazu, via Sao Paolo to Rio de Janiero. Once there we experienced many of the icons and cultural characteristics the Rio is known for.
Each day there we spent large portions of our day at the beach, all of which are beautiful - We visited Leme, Copacobana, Ipanema, Leblon, and Sao Conrado. We spent time finding and enjoying a large variety of foods and food sources, such as Maracaju (Passion Fruit) Acai, Guarana, and of course the local cuisine, Cachorros Quentes, Frijoladas, several "Tenedor Libre" restaurants, "Al Peso" restaurants, and some great Churrascarias.
Going to Rio would likely be incomplete with out visiting its most visible attraction - Cristo Redentor. It was nice enough that we visited it twice, the first time the day we arrive and again two days later. The first time we rode up and walked down, while the second time around we did the opposite, and walked up and rode down. The views from el Cristo, situated on a peak in the Tujica National Forest above Rio, which provides incomparable views of the immense city of Rio de Janiero.
On our second visit to el Cristo we met Anne-Christine, a Swiss national, who is making a solo year long, trip around the world. Together we explored Downtown; acquainted ourselves with the subway and bus systems, discovered dessert pizzas, and filled churros. In fact Anne was kind enough to show me the finer side of life in Rio, with a personalized, guided tour of the Copacabana Palace, an elegant upscale hotel on it's namesakes beach. Thanks again for the tour Anne ;-)
We also had an opportunity to experience Carnival - The very best and most succinct way of describing it is: More people that you can imagine, drinking more beer than you can possible think us, listening to Samba at full blast, and all gathered impossibly closely together along the beaches and streets of Rio.
I was pleased to discover that Rio has some great artist, and I was thrilled to have purchased my first original paintings. Each night we were there, artists had their work on display along Copacabana and I saw two pieces that caught my eye and that I was compelled to purchase. I met the artist, Leila Ullman, both are oil on canvas, which I've since had framed and have proudly hanging in my house.
The morning of our last day in Rio I was lucky enough to discovered yet another activity that I intend to pursue further - Hang Gliding. I convinced Steve to take to the air above Rio, and with the help of our friends the Sores family, we signed up for some flights and launched from about 1700 ft, and glided down to the beach at Sao Conrado. If you have ever thought of hang gliding, you absolutely must try it! It is not scary whatsoever; instead it is perfectly tranquil, completely peaceful, and exhilarating, all at the same time.
Although thoroughly enjoyable, the our visit to South America was far too short and only left me eager to discover other parts of the world - Something I hope to make happen soon, and frequently!
I love life, and hope you do too!
-Manny
After resolving some minor Visa issues we departed Foz de Iguazu, via Sao Paolo to Rio de Janiero. Once there we experienced many of the icons and cultural characteristics the Rio is known for.
Each day there we spent large portions of our day at the beach, all of which are beautiful - We visited Leme, Copacobana, Ipanema, Leblon, and Sao Conrado. We spent time finding and enjoying a large variety of foods and food sources, such as Maracaju (Passion Fruit) Acai, Guarana, and of course the local cuisine, Cachorros Quentes, Frijoladas, several "Tenedor Libre" restaurants, "Al Peso" restaurants, and some great Churrascarias.
Going to Rio would likely be incomplete with out visiting its most visible attraction - Cristo Redentor. It was nice enough that we visited it twice, the first time the day we arrive and again two days later. The first time we rode up and walked down, while the second time around we did the opposite, and walked up and rode down. The views from el Cristo, situated on a peak in the Tujica National Forest above Rio, which provides incomparable views of the immense city of Rio de Janiero.
On our second visit to el Cristo we met Anne-Christine, a Swiss national, who is making a solo year long, trip around the world. Together we explored Downtown; acquainted ourselves with the subway and bus systems, discovered dessert pizzas, and filled churros. In fact Anne was kind enough to show me the finer side of life in Rio, with a personalized, guided tour of the Copacabana Palace, an elegant upscale hotel on it's namesakes beach. Thanks again for the tour Anne ;-)
We also had an opportunity to experience Carnival - The very best and most succinct way of describing it is: More people that you can imagine, drinking more beer than you can possible think us, listening to Samba at full blast, and all gathered impossibly closely together along the beaches and streets of Rio.
I was pleased to discover that Rio has some great artist, and I was thrilled to have purchased my first original paintings. Each night we were there, artists had their work on display along Copacabana and I saw two pieces that caught my eye and that I was compelled to purchase. I met the artist, Leila Ullman, both are oil on canvas, which I've since had framed and have proudly hanging in my house.
The morning of our last day in Rio I was lucky enough to discovered yet another activity that I intend to pursue further - Hang Gliding. I convinced Steve to take to the air above Rio, and with the help of our friends the Sores family, we signed up for some flights and launched from about 1700 ft, and glided down to the beach at Sao Conrado. If you have ever thought of hang gliding, you absolutely must try it! It is not scary whatsoever; instead it is perfectly tranquil, completely peaceful, and exhilarating, all at the same time.
Although thoroughly enjoyable, the our visit to South America was far too short and only left me eager to discover other parts of the world - Something I hope to make happen soon, and frequently!
I love life, and hope you do too!
-Manny
posted by Manuel Ceja @ 4:40 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
A Sub-Tropical Exploration: Las Cataratas de Iguazu
Hi. I hope all is well with you.
The last time I wrote I shared a bit about time
Armando, Steve, and I spent in Buenos Aires, during
our trip to Argentina, however BA was not the only
place we visited. After spending several days in BA
we made our way to Puerto de Iguazu, a small town
located just West of the Iguazu National Park, our
primary distination.
The Iguazu Falls, by volume of water, and length of
falls are the largest in the world. The falls extend
over two miles in length and fall an average of 270
ft. Impressive as the statistics may sound witnessing
them in person is something quite remarkable - At
their most powerful imagine the falls as a furious,
white, foamy wall of crushing water, then multiply it
a thousand times. Even then, the power of the falls
is very much underestimated - They are simply,
impressive beyond words.
The falls are located in between the banks of the
Iguazu River, which is on the Northen border between
Brazil and Argentina. On either side of the river is
a National Park, providing protection for and access
to the falls. In additiona to the falls and the
river, the parks consist of large areas of
sub-tropical rain forests. While there we pouring
rains, although only mild temperatures and modest
humidity.
In addition to the falls both parks hold a wide
variety of wildlife, such as large insects, such as
beatles, ants, butterflies; various birds such as
Toucans, and parrots; mammals such as Coati, monkeys;
and we were told Jaguars - In both our daytime, and
my nocturnal hikes, only the Jaguar (thankfully),
eluded me.
If you ever have an opportunity to visit the Iguazu
Falls, take advantage of it. Note however, that the
falls are best "experienced" from Argentinian side,
while they are best "viewed" from the Brazilian side
- We were fortunate to get a first hand perspective
from both sides.
After many days spent in Argentina learning about its
cultural and natural heritage we crossed over into
Brazil and continued our travels to the beach adorned
megalopolis of Rio de Janiero. As eager, as I may be
to share about Rio, it's late and it will have to wait
for another day (night). Until then take care and
stay safe.
I love life, and hope you do too!
-Manny
posted by Manuel Ceja @ 3:51 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Buenos Aires, Argentina: Plaza de San Martin - English Tower
posted by Manuel Ceja @ 1:24 AM
0 comments
An Urban Exploration: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Hi everyone I hope you are doing well.
Its been almost two weeks since I've returned from my too short visit South America and thought I'd share a thought about my travels. The best way to describe was: Surprising.
The first part of our trip was to the capital city of Argentina, Buenos Aires (BA). If you've not been to BA my best description is to compare it to a mixture of San Francisco, and New York City - A very,hip, sophisticated, cosmopolitan, young, metropolitan town - In short, a fun place to visit.
What was originally meant to be a larger group turned into a small group of three which consisted of my brother Armando, his friend Steve, and of course me. From the moment we arrived, until the moment we left, our travels were full of surprises; most very pleasant.
Some characteristics of Argentinos that I've brought back with me are their overwhelming sense of national pride, and their love of food and drink. Some specific items that come to mind are the their Parrilladas, Fracturas, Empanandas, Pizzas, Chimichuri; Cafe (coffee), Yerba Mate (tea), Quilmes (beer) and Malbec (wine).
BA is walking town; and walk we did. Together, and me separately, we walked to Recoleta, El Centro, San Telmo, Palermo, Boca, Nuevo Palermo, Puerto Madero - Pretty much everywhere. Our walks were interrupted only by our need to eat and hydrate - Although it was the end of their summer it was still very hot, although only mildly humid.
I had a chance to visit many city parks, the botanical gardens, the planetarium, the zoo, and other points of architectural, artistic, and cultural interest. We went to a Tango show, which is a Must See, we visited a small river town, Tigre, Northwest of BA on the banks of the Rio Plata. All these destinations and interests only skimmed the surface of what the city has to offer and I certainly left wanting more.
For now I'm left satisfied with the introduction to Argentinian life, but I do plan to return someday, and visit much more remote locations such as Patagonia, Anaconugua, Torres del Paine, Tierra del Fuego and other destinations.
In reality our introduction to Argentina on started in BA, while in reality it ended in El Puerto de Iguazu, but that will have to wait for another night, and another email For now I will only add: I love life and hope you do too!
-Manny
Its been almost two weeks since I've returned from my too short visit South America and thought I'd share a thought about my travels. The best way to describe was: Surprising.
The first part of our trip was to the capital city of Argentina, Buenos Aires (BA). If you've not been to BA my best description is to compare it to a mixture of San Francisco, and New York City - A very,hip, sophisticated, cosmopolitan, young, metropolitan town - In short, a fun place to visit.
What was originally meant to be a larger group turned into a small group of three which consisted of my brother Armando, his friend Steve, and of course me. From the moment we arrived, until the moment we left, our travels were full of surprises; most very pleasant.
Some characteristics of Argentinos that I've brought back with me are their overwhelming sense of national pride, and their love of food and drink. Some specific items that come to mind are the their Parrilladas, Fracturas, Empanandas, Pizzas, Chimichuri; Cafe (coffee), Yerba Mate (tea), Quilmes (beer) and Malbec (wine).
BA is walking town; and walk we did. Together, and me separately, we walked to Recoleta, El Centro, San Telmo, Palermo, Boca, Nuevo Palermo, Puerto Madero - Pretty much everywhere. Our walks were interrupted only by our need to eat and hydrate - Although it was the end of their summer it was still very hot, although only mildly humid.
I had a chance to visit many city parks, the botanical gardens, the planetarium, the zoo, and other points of architectural, artistic, and cultural interest. We went to a Tango show, which is a Must See, we visited a small river town, Tigre, Northwest of BA on the banks of the Rio Plata. All these destinations and interests only skimmed the surface of what the city has to offer and I certainly left wanting more.
For now I'm left satisfied with the introduction to Argentinian life, but I do plan to return someday, and visit much more remote locations such as Patagonia, Anaconugua, Torres del Paine, Tierra del Fuego and other destinations.
In reality our introduction to Argentina on started in BA, while in reality it ended in El Puerto de Iguazu, but that will have to wait for another night, and another email For now I will only add: I love life and hope you do too!
-Manny
posted by Manuel Ceja @ 1:21 AM
1 comments
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Avalanche Course in the Sierra's
Hi. Since I already started the day of on a good note with a long run, I thought I'd take a time out of my morning to catch up with some recent adventures I've been wanting to share.
About a month ago I took a trip to the southern end of the Northern Sierras, in other words the Central Sierra's! I made the voyage north to complete an avalanche course. Because I intend to continue to explore back-country winter landscapes I wanted to be better able to evaluate the hazards associated with travel across snow-laden trails and mountain sides. Having successfully completed the two day course i am extremely happy I invested the time to learn about avalanche safety.
The bottom line in winter activities is - You DO NOT want to get caught in an avalanche. If this is not immediately intuitive, which I hope it is, this email will hopefully provide some amount of enlightenment.
The course consisted of two very long days, of classroom instruction and field work. Most of our time was spent outdoors, putting into practice the skills and knowledge that we reviewed in the classroom. Our timing for the course was perfect - it has snowed heavily the week before, and established just the right conditions that we were there to explore. In fact were were made aware of the sad news that a well known experienced Ski Patrol person had perished from injuries sustained after being caught in an avalanche three days earlier. This of course made the class that much more poignant.
Most of the participants in the course were members of The Outdoors Club (www.outdoorsclub.org), myself included, although none of us had previously met, so it was fun to get to know everyone. The class was taught by Kurt Wedberg, well known Alpinist and Guide/Owner of Sierra Mountaineering International (www.sierramountaineering.com), as well of two of his staff. In total there were about 18 participants in the class, which was held in the city of Bishop.
Day 1 was classroom work, which started bright and early at 7AM, and consisted of studying the science of weather, snow, snow pack formation, avalanche terrain, avalanche triggers, trip and travel planning, search and rescue equipment, and methods. After we had learned most of the theory we took a trip outside of town, up into the mountains to about 9500 ft elevation. There we simulated burials, and practiced our search and rescue techniques with our avalanche transceivers, probes and shovels - See picture. I'm the one in the orange jacket.
After the field work we return the classroom, and delved back into the science and theory of avalanche avoidance, back-country medical care, and trip planning for the following day. Day 2 was all held outdoors, in the hills surrounding Mammoth Lakes. Like the day before class started at 7AM, which made for a very early morning start, since it took about an hour to drive to Mammoth from Bishop. However, one nice thing about making the early morning drive, was watching the sun come up and watching the eastern face of the Sierras light up with a warm Golden glow - It was very beautiful.
Day 2 consisted of a back-country trek through avalanche territory, and all the knowledge we learned the day before was put into practice. In fact, we did have to a real life rescue, when a person fell into a hole in the snow pack and had to be extracted - We were fortunate that he was not hurt; the attached picture shows the about 12 ft deep pit we eventually dug.
By most accounts the trip we made was very modest, less than six miles total with about 1600 ft of elevation gain. However, we had plenty of group dynamics to contend with, even after split into three smaller groups, issues such as poor equipment, pace, and even some health issues. That said, we did manage to work through our issues and safely made our summit.
Once we were at the summit, we dug a snow pit to do snow pack study for strength and stability - We eventually determined that there was only a moderate (which is actually very high) risk of an avalanche - Of course we already knew this, and it was the reason why we were there! The most interest part of the day however came after we had completed our snow pack study, it was at that point that the instructors surprised us with a mock avalanche and tasked to prepare and complete a rescue.
For reasons that I don't recall anymore, I was elected as the leader for the group, and was responsible for coordinating the search and rescue. Although it was only a simulation, we were all nevertheless immediately charged with adrenaline and emotion as we coordinated and completed the search and rescue. As the leader, my mind and heart raced the entire time.
We eventually found and unburied all the avalanche victims, three of which survived, one which did not. Please keep in mind this was just a simulation - No one actually got hurt, but we treated it as if it were a real situation. You can imagine that the exercise turned from thrilling to morbid, before we were complete. The first rescue took about 6 minutes, the second 8 minutes, the third about 12 minutes and the fourth in about 35 minutes after forming a probe line.
Make note of the rescue times, they are critical. If I recall correctly, the survival rate for victims buried in an avalanche for more than 15 minutes drops off to virtually zero. Although bodily injuries or hypothermia are often thought of as the things that kill you in an avalanche; they are not - It's asphyxiation. Some exceptions aside, it is a well established medical fact that after 6 minutes of oxygen deprivation you will sustain irreversible, fatal brain damage. Now go back and reread our rescue times: Pretty somber if you think about it, especially when you think that the rescue consisted of about twenty trained and skilled individuals doing the rescue. [Insert you own emotional response here].
Two of the victims were wearing avalanche beacons, two were not - Want to guess which ones were found the quickest? Yup - good guess, the ones with the avalanche transceivers. Once we had all made it back down to the trail-head we did an hour long critique of the rescue. The rescue instructor had a lot of praise for the group, and said something which was a shock to most of us, me especially: He said that in his fifteen years of doing first-time, group avalanche classes, ours was the best he had ever seen, both the group as a whole and me as the leader.
This immediately floored me. His comments were thoroughly objective, and well calibrated, since he is also the June Mountain Avalanche Search and Rescue Ski Patrol Instructor, but I reflected on all the mistakes I knew I was making, even as I was making them, and thought to myself that in a real life situation, you will be extremely unlikely to have the same favorable conditions we did in our mock exercise.
These realizations of course lead me back to my bottom line conclusion of the class - "You DO NOT want to get caught in an avalanche".
Based on my experience in the class and my personal experience in the back-country, I strongly encourage you to take a similar course, if you intend to spend any time the winter back-country. If you are out and about, it is unlikely you will be able to eliminate the risks, but having this type of knowledge should allow you to make better decisions and plans.
I hope this email doesn't seem depressing, I did not intend be. In the event it is I'll end on a positive note: I love life - It's great! I hope you feel the same.
-Manny
About a month ago I took a trip to the southern end of the Northern Sierras, in other words the Central Sierra's! I made the voyage north to complete an avalanche course. Because I intend to continue to explore back-country winter landscapes I wanted to be better able to evaluate the hazards associated with travel across snow-laden trails and mountain sides. Having successfully completed the two day course i am extremely happy I invested the time to learn about avalanche safety.
The bottom line in winter activities is - You DO NOT want to get caught in an avalanche. If this is not immediately intuitive, which I hope it is, this email will hopefully provide some amount of enlightenment.
The course consisted of two very long days, of classroom instruction and field work. Most of our time was spent outdoors, putting into practice the skills and knowledge that we reviewed in the classroom. Our timing for the course was perfect - it has snowed heavily the week before, and established just the right conditions that we were there to explore. In fact were were made aware of the sad news that a well known experienced Ski Patrol person had perished from injuries sustained after being caught in an avalanche three days earlier. This of course made the class that much more poignant.
Most of the participants in the course were members of The Outdoors Club (www.outdoorsclub.org), myself included, although none of us had previously met, so it was fun to get to know everyone. The class was taught by Kurt Wedberg, well known Alpinist and Guide/Owner of Sierra Mountaineering International (www.sierramountaineering.com), as well of two of his staff. In total there were about 18 participants in the class, which was held in the city of Bishop.
Day 1 was classroom work, which started bright and early at 7AM, and consisted of studying the science of weather, snow, snow pack formation, avalanche terrain, avalanche triggers, trip and travel planning, search and rescue equipment, and methods. After we had learned most of the theory we took a trip outside of town, up into the mountains to about 9500 ft elevation. There we simulated burials, and practiced our search and rescue techniques with our avalanche transceivers, probes and shovels - See picture. I'm the one in the orange jacket.
After the field work we return the classroom, and delved back into the science and theory of avalanche avoidance, back-country medical care, and trip planning for the following day. Day 2 was all held outdoors, in the hills surrounding Mammoth Lakes. Like the day before class started at 7AM, which made for a very early morning start, since it took about an hour to drive to Mammoth from Bishop. However, one nice thing about making the early morning drive, was watching the sun come up and watching the eastern face of the Sierras light up with a warm Golden glow - It was very beautiful.
Day 2 consisted of a back-country trek through avalanche territory, and all the knowledge we learned the day before was put into practice. In fact, we did have to a real life rescue, when a person fell into a hole in the snow pack and had to be extracted - We were fortunate that he was not hurt; the attached picture shows the about 12 ft deep pit we eventually dug.
By most accounts the trip we made was very modest, less than six miles total with about 1600 ft of elevation gain. However, we had plenty of group dynamics to contend with, even after split into three smaller groups, issues such as poor equipment, pace, and even some health issues. That said, we did manage to work through our issues and safely made our summit.
Once we were at the summit, we dug a snow pit to do snow pack study for strength and stability - We eventually determined that there was only a moderate (which is actually very high) risk of an avalanche - Of course we already knew this, and it was the reason why we were there! The most interest part of the day however came after we had completed our snow pack study, it was at that point that the instructors surprised us with a mock avalanche and tasked to prepare and complete a rescue.
For reasons that I don't recall anymore, I was elected as the leader for the group, and was responsible for coordinating the search and rescue. Although it was only a simulation, we were all nevertheless immediately charged with adrenaline and emotion as we coordinated and completed the search and rescue. As the leader, my mind and heart raced the entire time.
We eventually found and unburied all the avalanche victims, three of which survived, one which did not. Please keep in mind this was just a simulation - No one actually got hurt, but we treated it as if it were a real situation. You can imagine that the exercise turned from thrilling to morbid, before we were complete. The first rescue took about 6 minutes, the second 8 minutes, the third about 12 minutes and the fourth in about 35 minutes after forming a probe line.
Make note of the rescue times, they are critical. If I recall correctly, the survival rate for victims buried in an avalanche for more than 15 minutes drops off to virtually zero. Although bodily injuries or hypothermia are often thought of as the things that kill you in an avalanche; they are not - It's asphyxiation. Some exceptions aside, it is a well established medical fact that after 6 minutes of oxygen deprivation you will sustain irreversible, fatal brain damage. Now go back and reread our rescue times: Pretty somber if you think about it, especially when you think that the rescue consisted of about twenty trained and skilled individuals doing the rescue. [Insert you own emotional response here].
Two of the victims were wearing avalanche beacons, two were not - Want to guess which ones were found the quickest? Yup - good guess, the ones with the avalanche transceivers. Once we had all made it back down to the trail-head we did an hour long critique of the rescue. The rescue instructor had a lot of praise for the group, and said something which was a shock to most of us, me especially: He said that in his fifteen years of doing first-time, group avalanche classes, ours was the best he had ever seen, both the group as a whole and me as the leader.
This immediately floored me. His comments were thoroughly objective, and well calibrated, since he is also the June Mountain Avalanche Search and Rescue Ski Patrol Instructor, but I reflected on all the mistakes I knew I was making, even as I was making them, and thought to myself that in a real life situation, you will be extremely unlikely to have the same favorable conditions we did in our mock exercise.
These realizations of course lead me back to my bottom line conclusion of the class - "You DO NOT want to get caught in an avalanche".
Based on my experience in the class and my personal experience in the back-country, I strongly encourage you to take a similar course, if you intend to spend any time the winter back-country. If you are out and about, it is unlikely you will be able to eliminate the risks, but having this type of knowledge should allow you to make better decisions and plans.
I hope this email doesn't seem depressing, I did not intend be. In the event it is I'll end on a positive note: I love life - It's great! I hope you feel the same.
-Manny
posted by Manuel Ceja @ 3:37 PM
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