WildernesStudent

I was sitting here thinking about my WFA class and wondered if it is actually something necessary to take. I mean most people know basic first aid in an event that something might happen but what actually is the percent chance that something serious enough to require WFA training will occur??

 

 

As to why Im writing this I suppose I can admit to being slightly freaked out (try terrified) of this classhaving no knowledge may not be very useful but at least people dont expect you to know how to do things and to take chargeI kinda like stepping back and letting others figure things out. Also, (go ahead and laugh) the idea of a simulation or scenario doesnt exactly thrill me (I was the girl in the bio lab who got excused from dissecting worms!) last time I saw blood I nearly passed out (it wasnt even real blood eitherstage blood actually). I dont knowsomeone tell me its worth it.

 

Have any of you actually had to use this knowledge (and I am not talking about handing out band aids and patching up skinned knees) in a serious situation?

 

Yup...I finally stopped thinking about things I wanted and could do and finally signed up so that I can do them. I am now an Outdoor Ed. Minor (scary huh) and will be taking a minimum of 15 credit hours in classes such as Wilderness First Responder and Environmental Education. I can also take far more then 15 if I want to and take classes such as program management and rock climbing (not sure about that one). Anyways, wish me luck guys...I most likely will need it!

Wellbasically this organization was created by and run by the student at my schoolits been around for like 10 years (not long if you compare it to BSA but good I think considering) those in charge of it the main leadership are seniors there are about eight of them and then all-together about 30 leaders (which are separated between our program and the program for the High school age children which the middle-schoolers can graduate too) Main leadership isnt there to make friends with the kids, but to enforce the rules and take care of all that fun stuff: medical release forms, permission slips for activities, phone numbers of parents, dates and times of activities, activity planning our schedules, who is suspended or not, our finances, laws and regulations etc

 

Basically though, we meet with the kids two hours one day a week after school and then twice a month for extra activities (they have done everything from week long retreats to a night of bowling) a couple years ago the program disappeared (the leadership all graduated and there was not enough staff) it resurfaced only recently (which is why we are financially tight right now as well) and that is where the problems may infact lie.

 

The whole purpose of the program is to develop relationships with the middle-school aged kids in the community and become a positive role model in their lives (most leaders are in the program for four years so the kids you get usually graduate to high school before you leave) This said we dont want to come off as the authoritarian, but there has to be rules and if there are we are the ones that have to enforce them. We go over the basic rules with the kids at the beginning of the year I think they are pretty simple: no cell phones, no inappropriate talk/behavior and listen to us when we tell you to do something.

 

Lol, let me also state that we are not by any means an outdoor program (lord no!) I dont think the worlds ready for us to let them lose yet. Seriously though, they are generally well behaved and we had talked about taking them to experience some of the outdoors (these are inner town kids) I know in the past they had taken some camping before, but from what I heard they basically screamed all night. We had talked about taking them hiking sometimethe question there was how many leaders to take, where to take them and how to establish and keep our authority once we were actually in the middle of the hike (dont go off the path, dont push each other, dont poke each other with sticks, no running ahead, dont pick up that snake it is not a pet, that is poison ivy dont touch it. And dont throw it at each other, dont dump your water out, dont take off your shows, dont step in the creek, dont drink the creek water and the ever so famous GET OFF YOUR CELL PHONE!!)

 

I do know that main leadership at the end of this year will be completely gone and the fear is that even if leadership (such as myself) takes over, the program will once again disappearIts a very heavy job and I personally think that it might be better to have adults in those positions but it isnt up to meif you have any more ideas or tips that would be great!

 

"My understanding from previous posts is that Wildernesstudent is a youth advisor in a non-scouting organization."

 

True enough. I am leader in a non-scouting organization for middle-schoolers.

 

Let me start by stating that as far as medical emergencies go (if it doesnt require an ambulance that is) out hands are tied, all we can do is keep the child quiet (by getting the other kids away from him/her) and call the parents/guardians.

 

I would think as far as telling them what they should do in case of an emergency wouldn't be an issue...all they have to do is listen to us, which we made very clear at the beginning of the year (easier said then done!).

 

The problem was that the children wouldn't get out of the way and wouldn't listen to what we were telling them and in the process caused their hurt friend to panic and us to get really irritated...it doesn't seem like this should be an issue, we had 9 leaders and about 20 kids but it was. This not listening bug lasted the rest of the eavening (they would not play games, they would not break into their small groups, they would not put away their cells phoens...which btw they know they can't have)

 

Leadership, no doubt, will be talking it over in our weekly meeting as well as going back over the policies with us leaders and then we will have to go over the rules with the kids again as well. I just hope that this incident didnt show the kids that they dont have to listen to us and that we cant do anything if they dont listen. otherwise the rest of the year is going to be lots of fun.

 

We did end up suspending two children (I think it was) But we dont like to use suspension to threaten them with. I do know that unless they improve drastically there will be no hiking!

 

Tell me though, what are SPL & PL's? Are they children in the troop who are in a leadership positions like helpers? Because what we have discovered is if you get one of these kids on your side they will more then help you convince their peers! This might be something we could look intomaking different kids the helpers for a specific day they could make sure their friends obeyed the rules, encourage them to play the games and help out when we divide into small groupshmm.

 

 

We had a situation tonight that really aggravated everyone, an accident occurred and as we tried to deal with the situation like we were supposed to (two leaders take care of the injured person while everyone else gets the other kids away from the immediate area) the kids WOULD NOT listen!! It didnt matter what we said or did they were not listening and it made us realize that in reality we cant really do anything if they dont. We can suspend thembut that is supposed to be the last measure and what are we supposed to do, suspend all of them? Its one thing to tell the kids on the first day I am an authority its a complete other thing acting on itsome days they dont question us and others you have to fight for itit just seems to me there should be another way of handling it.

 

Hmm, according to one of my friends the Red Cross Lifeguard Certification program requires a candidate be at least 15 years old at class start, that they be able to swim 500 yards continuously (That's twenty lengths of a regular 25-yard pool). and be able to retrieve a 10 pound weight from a depth of 9 feet.

 

Now the requirements from the American Lifeguard Association are as follows (Found it at http://www.americanlifeguard.com/lifeguarding.htm) I know a couple people who have been certified by themthey break the training into what kind of Lifeguarding you want to do (deep water, shallow water, beach lifeguard, water park lifeguard etc..) Check out the requirements for the beach lifeguardthey look pretty crazy to me.

Here are their requirements for regualar pool lifegaurd (Deep water)

-Swim 300 yards continuously, using these strokes in the following order:

-100 yards of front crawl using rhythmic breathing and a stabilizing, propellant kick. Rhythmic breathing can be performed either by breathing to the side or to the front.100 yards of breaststroke using a pull, breathe, kick and glide sequence.100 yards of either the front crawl or breaststroke. The 100 yards may be a combination of front crawl and breaststroke. Starting in the water, swim 20 yards using front crawl or breaststroke, surface dive 7- 10 feet, retrieve a 10-pound object, return to the surface, swim 20 yards back to the starting point with the object and exit the water without using a ladder or steps, within 1 minute, 40 seconds.

Also, correct me if Im wrongbut wouldnt the BSA lifeguard include life-saving techniques, and if it did, wouldnt that count for something??

 

I would think the BSA would be harder then the regualer Red Cross certification because most people who take that are only becoming lifeguards at pools where they have flotation devices (that are fun to play with btw and are usually near a phone...wouldn't the BSA lifegaurding thing be for everything you guys do like canoing, swimming in a lake or for that matter if someone happens to fall into the water by accident?

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I was just wondering if anyone could tell me how the heck to get orange clay out of clothes? No matter when or where I go hiking I always end up falling and my clothes are starting to turn orange (my old hiking boots are permanently dyed orange!) even my jeans are starting to get stained. Thanks!

Who is Davey Crockett?

 

 

Seriously though, we talked a lot about this in my philosophy class too. Kids really arent what they used to be for several reasons. I know they have classified my generations parents as helicopter parents because they are always there making sure that everything is ok and always handle everything and if you get into a mess are always there bailing you out (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv52oVIcUKk watch 5:37 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyVwY5b6-1g ). With parents handling your every need responsibility has hit an ultimate low, if it hasnt flown out the window all together. This might be due to the way the past generations were raised by their parents, making them learn responsibility the hard way (you made your bed now go lie in it!) and therefore they want their kids and grand-kids to have a better time of it. It used to be if you want that horse go rope it and train it yourself now there is no imitative to become responsible or a leader, kids are handed things and if they dont stand up and take it, they know eventually that someone (most likely an adult raised by the break you own horse generation) will either take the reigns and hand it to them or take the lead themselves and all they will have to do is follow.

 

Besides that there is a lack of perseverance and commitment when it comes to things. kids are just lazier. There are more opportunities out there to do things as well so instead of joining a troop and following the scout law, working on merit badges (which takes effort as well as commitment) they can simply go to camp for one summer and do the same activities (http://www.aave.com/). Kids dont know the value of a job well done and could frankly care less as long as they get to have fun and can stop when they want too. Kids get bored easier (why shouldnt they when from age 6-10 and even younger their parents have been chauffeuring them around to one activity to the next instead of letting them just play and entertain themselves?) It has become common for kids to try something and quit when they get bored (back to the lack of commitment) and try something knew. Society encourages this try something new! not a bad message, but along the way they neglected to teach them about commitment. Because of this kids sign up for several, clubs and sports teams at a time and quit half way through the season or perhaps only go to meetings, never the events or vice versa. Being bored wont kill you(at least it didnt used too) now days kids seem to think they should (and thanks to some parents) deserve to be entertained all the time, its an expectation and when you dont meet it and actually expect them to work for something they get bored fast.

 

Tv and movies have a lot to do with how the youth today act as well. It has become the norm for youth depicted in movies and TV shows to have a blatant disregard and well frankly apathetic attitude toward rules, while depicting adults as complete idiots who make the rules because they dont know how to have fun or purposely want to ruin the fun of the teens around them (check out these trailers: this one shows the typical idiot father http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urm5rfdD59o and this one extorts the be different message despite the fact the main character is a deviant:

)

 

Adventure and excitement arent depicted the same way either infact it is amazing how often they boarder the line of stupiditythat is if they dont cross it. Adventure now must either a). Break some sort of rule, b). Have some sort of risk or c). Both. The problem with movies is that they dont show the reality of what can happen and when they do (like in reality TV shows such as Scarred: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1556075&vid=141075 or Jackass:

) it is depicted as heroic and only encourages others to do it (after all he did crack a few vertebrae jumping of that cliff. but dude he made a come backhes a hero!!. I say hes an idiot.) Yet, despite how stupid some of these things are youth do them anyway and come up with quite a few stupid stunts of their own and other people watch them and copy them. However, as kids to get bored faster new better stunts must be created and it seems more often then not better is defined as greater risk (according to the

National Injury Prevention Foundation in the year 2000, 50,000 children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for skateboard-related injuriesand despite what this foundation thinks, it isnt because they just werent wearing helmets).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVZQIV010hM notice the beginning of the show where they tell you not to try any of the following stunts that got these people on TV)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmJdQWuVqmM, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkYKdnAyXe4,

 

Kids arent concerned with their futures only what they can do and have fun in the present the fact that the present can have long-term effects on the future doesnt occur to them and with the response of kids will be kids! the maturity rate of American youth has extended into the early and mid-twenties.

 

I personally think there is only one way to conquer this. Whether you change your uniforms or advertise more it doesnt change the fact that once kids join the BSA (or any organization or sport for that matter) they will have put out effort (they will actually have to work for something) Kids dont sit at home and say I should join the Boy scouts of America because I can learn to become a leader! most likely, they see a commercial during video game breaks and think heythey get to climb stuff! but once they actually get into the organization and realize that there is expectation and that behind all the fun things they get to do there is a purpose that requires commitment and strong work ethic they lose interest and walk out. What it takes arent parents who say welltry it, have fun and when you get tired you can quit, what it takes are parents with higher expectations that say No, you may not quit, you signed up and made a commitment and you are not going to just quit because its gotten hard, you are going to keep at it, because I know you can do it. While they are still young kids need to learn the importance of working hardthe expectations of our parents and society (unfortunately) has plummeted while the expectation of the BSA remains the same. Perhaps kids are even scared of expectation. All I know is that kids need to stop being taught that everyone is a winner and that they can do anything and be anything because they are special! and be taught to work hard, to commit to what they are doing, and above all else to remember that the present does effect the future. I personally believe that there is nothing better then the feeling of a job well done when you know youve worked hard for something (didnt just scrape by) and you got it not because it was handed to you but because you deserved it.

Everywhere you look our society is changing to fit the next generation (including education and workwatch the very fist movies I posted on here about what corporate America is doingI couldnt even believe it and its my generation!) Responsibility, commitment, work ethic, planning for the future and the way these things all used to be perceived have all been throw out of the window. The BSA does not need to change (and I am not talking about changing uniforms here). If you do you will start to lose some of the key elements of what the organization was founded on and kids need to learn it from somewhere. I personally believe that the kids who are now actually in the organization showing interest need to be focused on more then everthey are the future too at least we will have some hope.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hmm actually, I think the best method would be to rub myself in steak or something and then set a trap like...dig a huge pit, cover it with leaves or something and then once I caught it I could tame it and keep it forever and ever!

 

Me and my crazy trap making skills...but I swear it'll work...I mean it did on the movie! hehe jk.

Wow, crazy story.

Yeah, you know after this happened to me (before the cat became common knowledge around campus) I talked to a couple other people who had done the same thing (gone hiking alone) and had at the very least felt like they were being watched by something. The scary part was that these two other people were also girls. When we asked the guys (who often go hiking by themselves) they just shrugged and said they hadn't noticed anything. Then I noticed how the guys behave in the woods might have something to do with it...they are loud, they are constantly going off the path, making noises etc...We girls just walked quietly a long making us seem less of a threat then our 6 ft, well-built guy friends.

 

I would very much like to know what the animal was thinking because it was spotted on campus (around some of the dorms and out in the open) I think the scariest animals are the ones that 1). Have the potential to become dangerous and 2). Not afraid of humans.

 

Hmm...Anyone know what you should do if you happen to look up from the path and see a cat staring at you? ( I'm guesing it's not here kitty, kitty, kitty!)

 

Random question:

What is it that boy scouts learn, WFR or basic first aid...then again I suppose you wouldn't be teaching 12 year olds WFR would you...but then again would eagle scouts only have to know basic first aid? hmmm...

The only reason I am considering taking one of these classes now is because our school offers both. However, the WFA class is two weeks long (I believemaybe longer) and when you complete it you are Wilderness First Responder certified (you get a laminated card and everything!) as well as a CPR cardthere are no prerequisites so I wouldnt have to take the basic first aid class and I defiantly dont want to pay to take both (the WFA class costs $550 as well as the regular $500 dollar fee for the class).

 

I dont really know anything about the Good Samaritan law but I do know that at the camp I worked at even if you were a certified EMT you couldnt touch anyoneit didnt matter if they were choking right in front of youthe camp had its own medic and we werent supposed to give the campers anything so much as a band aid (we couldnt even give them first aid kits) It really bugged a lot of us counselors too (some even knew advanced first aid stuff) because with a camp of 500-800 kids and a staff of at least 30 people more then one person should be able to give medical attention. I do know that the reason we couldnt was because we were contract boundwhatever that means.

 

So, I've been wantinng to take a first aid class for a while now but have successfully put it off successfully put it off. However, it has come to my attention that most summer camps require some sort of first aid knowledge and Ive even found some that pay based on how much first aid experience you have had. Now, at the camp I am working at this summer I dont need to know anything (even if I did know stuff I wouldnt be allowed to use it) but as I have the opportunity to take a course I was wondering which would be better. Wilderness first aid or regular first aid and CPR.

I noticed a lot of people on here were certified in some sort of first aid so what do you suggest?

 

Someone once told me that part of being a good hiker is being able to read the woods around you and being able to interpret and act on it based on your instincts. Now, I would like to know whether this is true or not especially considering something that happened a while a go that still has me thinking.

 

I feel perfectly safe in our woods. Its true, and though a few others have warned me that this is dangerous thinking, I feel as though nothing could ever happen in our woodsmy woods. Now, I dont hike by myself anymore but I used to a lotI like being surrounded by nature (call me new-agy if you want to but I think it speaks to us sometimes) One day I started on a hike on the same trail I always took (at that point I was hiking the same trail by myself about once a day) and something was wrong. I couldnt put my finger on it but something was defiantly different. There was tension in the air and the farther down the path I walked the worse it got. I found my destination (a nice little spot with a small waterfall by a creek) but didnt stay for very long because even though in that place I always felt safe and peaceful, that day it wasnt. My first instinct was GO BACKFAST!! But I couldnt understand why. I left and headed down the path and that is when I realized what was different about my woods.

 

It was the middle of the afternoon, the sun was shiningnot a storm cloud in the sky but the woods were silent. I didnt hear a bird, or a squirrel or even a flyit was as if everything had died. Now, I have experienced that kind of silence beforeusually before a very big storm like a tornado but as it was sunny outside I was starting to get even more concerned. I walked down the path a bit and that is when I started to realize that I could hear one other thingsomething like faint breathing or slight footsteps, though I couldnt pin point it and that is when I recognized the other feelingthe feeling of being watched. My first instinct was panic the second was curiosity and the third was to take a deep breath and calmly head back the way I had come. I noticed that when I stopped walking whatever that noise was also stoppedI couldnt see anything but I could hear it, though faintly. It was then that I recognized the feeling of not only being watched but being stalked.

Now, at that time I was not familiar with the animals native to the North GA woods but for some reason the first thing that popped into my mind was some kind of catwild cat. I have a house cat, Ive watched it play and stalk little animals in the yard and to be honest I would rather meet a bear any day. Now, I am not a calm person by nature. (oh noI can panic quite well) but my first instinct in this situation was this: running = dying, remain calm no matter what! This in itself shocked me because thinking rationally is not something I usually doI wanted to book it out of there! I kept track of how close I was getting back toward campus wondering how far an animal would actually go to people and noticed that once I crossed one of the creeks (which put a creek of about 12 feet between me and the side of the woods I thought the noise was coming from) I still felt watched but not stalked.

Two days later I found out that a cougar had been spotted in our woods.

 

Now my question is this. Had anyone had anything similar to this? After I told my friends about this they simply believed I had gotten spooked out there by myself (one of my guy friends even took me and another friend out there in the dark to prove there was nothing therethere wasnt at least that time). Is it possible to read the woods or was it just a one time coincidenceafter all, as my friends were kind enough to point out, besides for the noise I thought I heard I never actually saw anythingmost of it was based on what I was feeling. I dont knowI dont go hiking alone as much more, at least that is what I got out of my little adventure. I just wondered what you might think of this story.

 

I'll have to check out some of those sources.

I think our problem is that we are not overly safety minded we are usually the opposite so when things do get bad they are worse then they need to be because no one knows how to handle the situation.

I've hiked in the rain before (by accident and on purpose) I usually check the weather when I get up (and still end up dressing wrong on a daily basis...I call it a gift) but if it's not cold outside and not raining hard I'm not going to melt, so I don't worry about it.

 

I def. Understand about the electricity in the air! That and there are warnings when a storm is coming. I've lived through enough Tornados for one thing to know some of the sighns of bad storms and I've watched them come in a matter of seconds and I mean seconds...I think it has something to do with the mountains. But yeah, I don't like lightning at all, this morning it came through the speakers of our appartments PA system and zapped down to the floor messed with the speakers too because we could actually 'hear'the lightning...so it had me thinking if we aren't even safe in our house what about when you are outside. (needless to say I stayed inside all day...got lots of sleep though)

So, I am sitting here in my dorm room and theres a massive thunderstorm outside. Lots of fun lighting, infact it keeps hitting the building (makes popping noises when it does). We were supposed to go hiking this morning, but didnt on account that we were all to lazy to get up, but if we had gone we would have still been out there during the storm and thats when this little question popped into my head. What do you do when it is lighting and you are hiking? I mean rain is fine I willingly go hiking in the rain (cause I am just strange like that) but lighting is another story. Does the BSA have a specific protocol for this? I mean what do you do when you are hiking and out of nowhere there comes a thunderstorm (I know youre supposed to check weather conditions before you leave but for the sake of the question lets pretend that the weather man is wrong).

25 miles?

It would take us all weekend to do that lol. Yeah, I think that is just a bit ambitious (what my friends would call dangerously optimistic). If we find the trail (big if, if you have to park elsewhere) we probably would go a few miles since the most we've hiked is 8 miles tops and that is just with water not packs...I won't say we would get lost but if the trail isn't obvious (not that we need the little wooden arrows that read 'trail this way' even though the trail is made of gravel and there are trash bins every few feet...and tiny speakers behind the trees making squirrel noises) we might just take a 'scenic route' which probably isn't a good idea (though I might add the people who work for Search and Rescue in this area are VERY nice and have lots of fun equipment ). I, personally, would find just as much of a thrill as sleeping in the woods around campus (which is what we originally had planned to do)I mean we've taken 'scenic routes' around here so we probably have no business on the AT lol maybe we should leave that to people who know what they are doing or at least until we get organized.

 

Also...we're going to have to buy a tent (for some reason that one fourth inch of material adds to my safety meter) not sure where we'll buy one but if anyone had any tips on that too I would be very thankful (last time I went camping I was in a one and a half person tent with two other people and lots of luggage...none wanted the door open because animals might get in so we kept it shut and well it didn't let the oxygen in either lol...oh and if anyone wants to hear it I have a funny story about how we learned why you use tent pegs and why the tarp goes under the tent not over it especially when it is raining...trial and error hehe)Anyways, going to bed...school night

 

Oh and P.S.

If anyone on here works for Search and Rescue in Northeast GA, you guys are GREAT!!! Seriously!

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I think I might get those movies...anyone ever seen Without A Paddle? hehe, here are some links:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbl7bs0uA7Q

 

oh, and these two if you're interested...funny movie

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXzBLhTpNvU ("I saw how to do this on the discovery chanel!!"...famous last words, it's like when my friends...you don't have to worry until they tell you they know exactly what they're doing)

 

("go ahead lie to me, I'm not the onen who's going to drown.") http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh9qafAuWRI

 

 

funny movie.

 

 

What happens if I don't wear a wetsuit?

 

Oh, and another question. Someone informed me that if one does happen to fall into the water they're supposed to go down the river feet first so that they can push off of rocks...now I have a bad knee, if I attempt to do that my knee will dislocate itself and then I will only have one leg to work with... (not a very nice thought)but in all honesty how high are the chances of someone falling in the water for very long...i mean aren't the guides there to get you out immediatly? Lol, I suppose it is a slightly stupid question...

Yeah, sorry, a wetsuit is not something I just have in the back of my closet and i'm not to keen on buying one for a couple of trips. What else could I wear instead...def. not cotton right? What shoes should I wear?

Hmm, so I thought I'd let you all know what's going down.

 

We're going white water rafting next month (hopefully it will be about ten degrees warmer)

We are attempting the class 3 and 4 rapids so no canoe

and we are going with our oc club and a professional guide (it's very relieving giving all the responsibility over to someone else let them make the mistakes and I can sit back and look completley innocent)

 

Now, we are still planning to go again this summer, I know a couple people wanted to start out with class 5 rapids (which is next to class 6 which are the ones with the skull on the signs....a little to close for me but hay I am wilderness adventure woman...i can do anything!! at least this will give us some experience, and if I don't fall out of the raft I will consider it a good sign (that is a very big if)

 

so, think about me in the coming weeks. I'll have to tell you guys about it when I get back (that is if I come back and I am being completely serious...some how having a guide just makes everything seem more dangerous...well look, I just woke up to reality!). Who knows, maybe one of ya'll will be out there while I am.

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Do you honestly need to know all that for a weekend camping trip? From what I gathered we'd take food like hot dogs (other then that most likely cold stuff, after all it will be July) some water (boil the rest) and one tent for the ladies, the guys want to sleep under the stars ( and on on top of all the bugs). Not to worried about to bears (in fact I wouldn't mind seeing a small one), though I suppose it wouldn't take to much work to tie the food up in a tree or something (the guys do like playing with rope). It's not really a concrete thing...but I do know we are going camping somewhere and that was one of the options.(This message has been edited by WildernesStudent)

So quite a few of us are going to be around over the summer and have wanted to do something exciting/adventurous. Someone suggested hiking the GA part and maybe even a bit of the TN part of the Appalachian Trail. Apparently the GA part takes only about three days. I was wondering if anyone had done this before and what it was like? Surprisingly this plan was met with approval and lots of excitement (the guys even offered to carry all the stuff so we ladies wouldnt have to carry anything). We would probably go some weekend (Friday morning till Sunday afternoon) during June and July (note to self: BUG REPELENT) and take our time, see ho far we can get without killing ourselves. We are not hard-core hikers and from what I know none of us have gone backpacking before. Ive been looking at http://www.appalachiantrail.org for some information and it looks like they tell you almost everything you need to know including a list on what to bring and even provide shelters for sleeping a long the trail (unfortunately no bathroomsick) but Im all for getting tips, especially if anyones done anything like this before.

 

Thanks!

 

GernBlansten

 

Really? Please do tell.

 

I guess I could also add here that when I was around 8 years old I was at the country club with some family and friends and decided that I wanted to be in the deep end with the older kids (for some reason it never occured to me that the deep end is deeper) So before my parents noticed I ran over to the deep end and jumped in....well as you can imagine i found there was no bottom and immediatly began to panic. Thankfully my cousin saw me, swam over and while I was under the water pulled me to the service and carried me back to the shallow end out of the pool and to my parents (who I might add were not happy at all...I wasn't allowed back in the pool the rest of the day) As you can probably guess my cousin was a boy scout (about 14 years old at that time) sence then he's gone on to become an eagle scout too. I don't really know if someone else would have pulled me out of the water that day, but thankfully he was being observant of his younger cousins and didn't panic...otherwise I honestly believe I would have drowned.

 

Lol, a few days later he showed me what poision ivy looked like (which i still remember to this day), got a splinter out of my finger and showed me how to light a fire.

 

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I was surfing some youtube videos when I cam accross this old video, I thought it was pretty cool and wondered what you would think.

 

 

oh, and Happy Easter!! (This message has been edited by WildernesStudent)(This message has been edited by WildernesStudent)