iain

http://www.skimountaineer.com/CascadeSki/CascadeSnowSitesInfo.html

Clearly Mr. D is sketchy! What is this, 2 for 2 now? In some avalanche courses you will be told if the trees are skiable, it can slide there. However, what is skiable is subjective. Trees do not always equal safety. However, a big stand of old trees can indicate they do not see much activity. Practical experience shows that skiing trees is usually safer than skiing a wide open, wind-loaded bowl such as upper Newton Creek. The base of Newton Creek is filled with dinky little trees and broken big ones, suggesting the slope releases frequently. It's essentially Heather Canyon w/o avalanche control. edit to add: the trees at Newton are incredibly good.

plenty of snow down here in da hood...

Just whatever you decide to do, document it w/the time, and get a witness if you can. If you don't document, it didn't happen. Just remember your knowledge about what is actually happening to the body is minimal. Many people come out of WFR courses thinking they are joe rescuer. Kindof frightening the serious decisions you are making after only 80 hrs of instruction and zero hrs of experience.

Just to add, strict protocols that limit your abilities as a WFR can be to your advantage as a trip leader. For instance, a policy that anyone who has experienced unconciousness must be evac'd makes your course of action very clear, and you can be protected by this. Sometimes it pays to have a pre-determined decision-making process in place, taking the burden of these extremely important decisions off of the individual leader.

Prescription injectables like epinephrine tend to be a particularly hot topic when it comes to scope of practice for WFRs, but it is entirely up to the protocols of the program under which you are operating. Be sure to establish what your boundaries are on spine clearance procedures and document the hell out of everything you do if you decide there is greater threat to life if you don't move someone immediately. The bottom line is to thoroughly understand what your organization's guidelines are, and how you are protected as an employee. The WFR is a solid certification for the job suggested in the original post, and if you are sued, I believe you could be protected to some degree by expert testimony if you follow WFR procedure, but I am NOT a lawyer! If you go outside the often narrow limits of practice set by your program, you're on your own! Even if you cannot do some of the procedures taught in a WFR to your "clients", I'd wager your coworkers would be happy for you to administer epi, for example, if they were asphyxiating. I have certainly given the green light for anyone with a WFR to perform everything taught in that course. Perhaps this is the most likely scenario for which you would be using your WFR skills.

If you plan to use the medical training in a "professional" capacity (mountain rescue, ski patrol, etc) it should be noted that states like Oregon don't recognize a WFR "certification" at all. There are no official guidelines on what a WFR is, and anyone can teach a course and call it a WFR. Many of the things you are taught in your WFR could land you in trouble if you try to do them "on the job". The EMT certification is fully recognized, and standing orders from a medical advisor can be made to establish what is and is not within their scope of practice.

You might send a PM to gaper jeffy at telemarktips.com. He has had this boot for some time now. I believe any boot is "tourable", it's simply a question of priorities and the amount of weight you are willing to tolerate. I have had great tours using Lange Comp 120 racing boots with Freerides, and I guarantee the Adrenalin tours "better" than that setup.

love the dude running over the crevasse while filming!

okaaay

11/16/2005

is that the gorge right now

not if I can make some passive aggressive statement and log off fast enough!

yeah! internet fight!

!!!

A friend of mine was recounting a tale about an old uncle who went on safaris and shot lions and stuff. At one point he shot a lioness, and it had a bunch of cubs. After he shot the lioness he decided he might as well shoot the cubs, so he did so and made hand puppets out of them. Ah crazy uncles.

good job coaxing H.B. out of his undisclosed location marcus hahaha

The days may be short but I live for this weather! I couldn't imagine living here without being into skiing. The winter would drive me insane.

Since you know what lockoffs and typewriters are, why don't you just do them? Do a few one-arm lockoffs and front levers with your ski boots on. Sickness.

Whatever. All ice will be buried in powlicious dumpage. I'm jibbing Professor this winter.

BWAAAAHAHA hope you're climbing harder than 12 these days for that level of shit talking. Did snow in the pockets on churning cause you to take again?

STFU monosport. It's time to ski. Go sample crystal or baker and check back. Or go sulk in a shitty gym with a bunch of other pansies who only know one thing. Wanking.

Probably Opdycke's. He just forgot he needed a partner to belay him, so he tied in, climbed on, and the gear didn't get cleaned.