Don't Leave Home Without Your Brain

7/25/2019 Don't Leave Home Without Your Brain

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Don't Leave Home Without Your BrainSince you can't dial for help in the mountains, some far-too-busy rescuerangers have some advice Don't leave home !ithout your brain"

By #ar$ %en$ins

&o one ever thin$s anything !ill happen"& (he comment belongs to Scott

Bir$enfield, a climbing ranger in the %enny La$e area of )rand (eton ational*ar$, Wyoming" His voice sounds tired and scratchy as he recounts the eventsof the day" Last evening, a hi$er slipped in a high talus field and fell +feet" His partner !ent for help" Sometime before midnight Bir$enfield got thecall, and as in , cases before, he methodically as$ed the .uestions" Who/What/ Where/ When/ 0s he allergic to anything/ What !as his mental condition!hen you left/ Was he bleeding/ 0s he !arm/

%ust after midnight, Bir$enfield !o$e up 1limbing 2anger %im Springer" 0n amatter of minutes, Springer !as heading up the trail prepared to save a man'slife"

0n 3ust under t!o hours, after hi$ing seven or so miles in the dar$ andgaining more than 4, feet elevation !hile carrying a heavy pac$, Springerfound the hi$er huddled ne5t to a fire" Springer made a thorough chec$ for

in3uries--one bro$en an$le, the other badly sprained" He splinted the man'san$les, elevated his legs, reported bac$ to Bir$enfield !ith a !al$ie-tal$ie,then !aited for sunrise" 6 helicopter rescue !as planned for morning"

&o mountain sense !hatsoever,& says Springer, e5hausted" He's no! bac$ onthe porch of the 2escue 1ache, a small cabin from !hich rescues in )rand(eton ational *ar$ are mounted" He's still in his flight suit" (he sun isup, the chopper is gone, and another hapless hi$er is on his !ay to thehospital" &So many people 3ust don't respect the mountains" (hey don't $no!that they can die out here"& He stretches his long, !eary frame into the!armth of the sun" &*ersonally, 0 thin$ the problem is !e've lost theapprenticeship period"&

Bir$enfield is inside the cabin reshelving the rescue e.uipment--litter, bo5splint, bandages, carabiners--but he can hear us tal$ing" &0 agree

completely,& he shouts"

Springer says that once upon a time people !ho climbed or traveled in thebac$country learned their craft from !ilderness veterans" 0t !as understoodthat to move through the mountains safely re.uired special s$ills, and thatac.uiring those s$ills too$ years of rigorous training"

&7ther people made mista$es and someho! survived and you learned from them"You didn't need to ma$e all the mista$es yourself,& he e5plains" &o! peoplego blasting into the mountains lac$ing not only the most basic s$ills, butalso the right gear" 6nd if they do have the gear, seems li$e about half thetime they don't have a clue ho! to use it"&

Springer !ould be incredulous if he didn't see it so often" He and the restof the (eton climbing rangers ris$ their lives each summer rescuing people

!ho, in most cases, have made mista$es the rangers attribute to arrogance andignorance"

&Don't go out, !ithout" (hat's the rule,& advises Springer" &(hat goes forboth e.uipment and good 3udgment" 0 see hi$ers out for a day and they don'teven have a pac$" Half of those !ho do are carrying a boo$ bag or a fannypac$" (hat's 3un$" You !ant to go for a hi$e in the mountains/ You carry areal pac$ and enough inside so you don't die if you have to spend the nightout"&

Bir$enfield steps out onto the porch" #ount (ee!inot, li$e some massive,subterranean animal, bursts through the s$in of the prairie directly in frontof the cabin" Hands in poc$ets, he nods" &#y personal thing is a hat" 6 bigthic$ hat that suc$s do!n over the bac$ of my nec$ and under my chin"&

&Hat, heavy fleece 3ac$et, !aterproof shell 3ac$et, long 3ohns, light!eightmittens, !ater bottle, lighter or !aterproof matches" (hat's the minimum to

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Don't Leave Home Without Your Braincarry,& adds Springer" &6ll of !hich is of course practically useless if youlac$ good 3udgment"&

Bir$enfield grins" Springer smiles sorro!fully" (hey both stare up at(ee!inot, !hich looms over us, portentous and foreboding"

(he ne5t morning my climbing partner Dino and 0 are hammering up a path on#ount (ee!inot in da!n's purple half-light, going through all the &!hat-ifs"&&What if it sno!s/& as$s Dino"&0t's supposed to,& 0 say" &We can bail into the east face gully"&&What if the roc$fall is bad/& he presses on"&Same thing"&&What if it's too tough/&&6ccording to the topo !e should be able to bac$ off onto a number ofhori9ontal ledges"&&You brought !ater/& he as$s"&(!o .uarts" You got food/&&*lenty" #ittens/& &7ne for each hand,& 0 tell him"&Headlamp/&&Yup" You/&

We do this all the !ay to the base of the climb" (his process, the verbalevaluation of potential pitfalls and the subse.uent analysis of appropriateresponses, is standard operating procedure for mountaineers" 6s !e uncoil therope, it begins to sno! in small hard pellets--the $ind that bounce off theroc$s as if they !ere alive" We decide to try t!o pitches, one apiece" 0f itgets !orse, !e'll turn tail, race out, and find ourselves a !arm co!boy bar"

0n sno! and sleet, t!o pitches are done, then a mercurial sun suddenly shovesaside the clouds" We $eep moving, s!iftly" 0t's a long scramble" Sun and thensno! and then sun again" We brea$ for a three-minute lunch of blueberrybagels, during !hich 0 tell Dino about my cautionary conversation !ith theclimbing rangers" 6fter a series of !ic$ed pitches and ripping at the roc$,!e're not-so-suddenly on the summit"

6 party is leaving as !e arrive" (he s$y is blac$ and ugly" (he storm that

thre! a fa$e punch this morning has returned for a real fight" We'll eat ahandful of #:#s and snap a fe! hero photos, then !aste no time heading do!nthe mountain"

(he storm hits !hen !e're + feet belo! the summit, !ith ;, more to gobefore !e reach the trailhead" (he first !hirling, sno!y punch melts on theroc$s, then free9es" (he second punch is a stiff uppercut" 0t slams up the!all into our faces and dumps an inch of po!der on the iced roc$s" 0n mereminutes the mountain has changed from familiar and traversable to a dar$,)othic, one-misstep-means-death sheer face"

We catch up to the party that left the summit before us" (hey are stranded"0nstantly, li$e the moment a car spins out of control on ice, it's clear thatthe situation is serious" 6 !oman from <rance, a man from S!it9erland andthree 6mericans are soa$ed and shivering" 6ll but one in the party are in

3eans" (!o are in snea$ers" 0t's almost dar$ and still sno!ing, and the routethey hi$ed up !hen the mendacious mountain !as benign is no! slic$ as glassand impossible to descend" (hey are clinging to sloping roc$s !ith thousandsof feet belo! their souls" 7nly one of them carries a bac$pac$, and he's notthe leader"

(he man !ho guided them is !earing 3eans, bas$etball snea$ers, and a!indbrea$er" one have mittens" (hey have rental ice a5es but don't $no! ho!to use them" o rope, no climbing gear, no e5tra clothes" 7ne of the6mericans is !andering aimlessly along the slippery ledge mumbling tohimself"

Dino immediately ta$es charge" 6fter setting up the ropes, !e put ourharnesses on t!o of the hi$ers" Dino hastily teaches them ho! to rappel,repeating everything in <rench" (he <rench !oman's hands are !et and stiff

from the cold" 0 give her one of my gloves and she pulls her sleeve over herother hand"

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Don't Leave Home Without Your Brain

We rappel do!n, dropping through the s$y, s$idding on the roc$s, dangling and3er$ing on the ropes in the lambent, arbitrary storm" 7n the ne5t ledge !eset up another anchor" (his time, Dino decides to lo!er t!o people at a timethe full length of our ropes, = feet--it's faster and safer" We are racingagainst nightfall, and it's still sno!ing intensely" We bac$ four people do!n

into space before the ropes get stuc$" Without a harness, Dino .uic$lyfashions a rappel belt from a lump of slings, slides do!n the rope, anddislodges the fro9en $not"

With all five lo!ered, Dino deftly scouts the route belo! and leads them offthe face, the entire time reassuring the group that everything !ill be fine"When 0 catch up, he has 3ust choreographed all five across a series of sno!slopes onto a genuine trail" By no!, it is dar$"

Bac$ at camp, they !ant to pay us, but !e refuse" We leave them tocontemplate their multiplicity of errors and timely good fortune"

&(hey made all the classic mista$es,& 0 point out on the hi$e bac$ to thecar"&Wrong clothes, no gear, bad 3udgment,& says Dino"

&Y#0S,& 0 say"

&What/&

0 e5plain that the acronym stands for a condition Springer e5plained to me"0t's endemic in the >nited States, and comes from too many 2ambo movies andnot enough cold bivouacs"

Dino starts guessing" &Young" Young men's illness" Young men's" " " "&

&Young #ale's 0mmortality Syndrome" (he term comes from emergency-roomphysicians, although the rangers said they see it all the time" 0t refers togung-ho guys !ith no fear of dying, males !ho ma$e good soldiers but couldcome do!n from the mountains in body bags"&

(he lights from our headlamps dance on the path ahead of us" (he stars areout, the storm is gone and #ount (ee!inot, li$e all great mountains, remainsunvan.uished" Dino's voice, .uiet and grave, drifts bac$ to me" &(hey couldhave died"&

&o" (hey !ould have died,& 0 tell him"

&What is good 3udgment/& #ar$ #agnuson, the %enny La$e subdistrict ranger,leans bac$ in his chair, loo$s out his cabin !indo! and ponders my .uestion"He has a smooth face that hides a lifetime's !orth of grueling mountaine5periences"

&Well, above all, it's $no!ing !hen to turn around,& he tells me" &(hepeople !ho are most afraid to .uit are the people !ho get hurt" ?veryone's

into goal-setting these days" (hey !a$e up in the morning and say, --0'mgoing to do this"' *roblem is, it's not simple in the mountains" 0t's not3ust up to you" You have to factor in !eather, route finding, altitude" Youhave to be constantly evaluating"&

Bir$enfield, listening from his office in the ne5t room, spea$s over thecrac$le of the !ood-burning stove, &(he goal for hi$ers should 3ust begetting out there, not ma$ing it to a summit or to some la$e miles do!nthe trail" %ust being up in the mountains should be enough"&

&Second, a man's got to $no! his limitations,& continues #agnuson" &#ostpeople spend so little time in the mountains they have no idea !hether theycan comfortably hi$e five or or ; miles in a day" You have to $no! yourbody and recogni9e !hen you should 3ust hang around camp and ta$e it easy"&&(he same thing goes for your party,& adds Bir$enfield, still shuffling

through the mountain of papers on his des$" &You are only as strong as your!ea$est lin$"&

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#agnuson gives a sly smile" He and Bir$enfield have done so many rescues thatthese ma5ims are embedded in them li$e slivers of shrapnel"

&(here's one last item,& says #agnuson as he spins in his chair" &)ood3udgment is a function of responsibility" (his can mean t!o things" 0f you

have the s$ill and e5perience, don't be afraid to assume the leadership roleand ma$e decisions for your group, because you could save their lives" 7n theother hand, if your s$ills are !ea$, you have to have the courage andintelligence to say, @(his is too much for me"'&

Bir$enfield ambles into the door!ay of #agnuson's office" (hey're loo$ing ateach other" 0 can sense that they're both thin$ing the same thing"&2esponsibility really is the bottom line,& chimes Bir$enfield" &*eopleshould be responsible for themselves"&

#agnuson nods" &You'd be ama9ed ho! many fol$s believe it's the par$'sresponsibility to get them out of a mess" (hey $no! !e have a rescue service"(hey $no! !e can get a helicopter" >nder the current system, ta5payers are,in effect, subsidi9ing the rescue of ine5perienced people !ho ta$e undueris$s"& Bir$enfield adds, &(he burden of responsibility should al!ays be on

the hi$er" ?very rescue costs thousands of dollars" (hose fol$s you helpedout yesterday are an e5ample" (hat !asn't a frea$ sno!storm" 0t !asforecasted, and came in 3ust li$e it !as supposed to"&

#agnuson suddenly loo$s tired" &Sometimes " " " sometimes it seems as ifpeople believe the par$ can compensate for their o!n bad 3udgment"&Bir$enfield's face crin$les" &(here should be a sign at every trailhead@Don't leave home !ithout your brain"'&

#agnuson and Bir$enfield go silent in their cramped offices belo! themagnificent, deceptively mortal )rand (etons" Bir$enfield peers out the!indo!" His eyes are steady" &0 had to do a study of all the bac$countryaccidents in (eton ational *ar$ recently" 6 total of A in3uries anddeaths" (hat's a lot of hurt people" You $no! !hat 0 found/ %ust one, 3ustone, !asn't due to pilot error" 6ll the others--!hether it !as bad 3udgment

or bad planning or lac$ of gear or the !rong gear or not $no!ing ho! to usethe gear or !hatever--all CC !ere a direct result of pilot error"&

2esourcesHigh 6ltitude 0llness and Wellness, by 1harles Houston" 01S Boo$s, *"7" Bo5AA, #errillville, 0 ==-AA EFG ;=-A+4+ A"Hypothermia, <rostbite and 7ther 1old 0n3uries, by Wil$erson, Bangs andHay!ard" (he #ountaineers, S"W" Ilic$itat Way, Suite A, Seattle, W6CF+= EFG ;;+-==;+ 4"#edicine for #ountaineering, by %ames 6" Wil$erson" (he #ountaineers, seeaddress above A"#ountaineering <irst 6id, by Lent9, #acDonald and 1arline" (he #ountaineers,see address above C"Wilderness #edicine, by William <orgey, 01S Boo$s, see address above "

)uide Services6merican 6lpine 0nstitute, ;; 4th St", Bellingham, W6 CF44; E4GA-;;"6ppalachian #ountain 1lub, *"7" Bo5 4CF, )orham, H 4+F E+G =-4A4"1olorado #ountain School, *"7" Bo5 44, +; ?" #oraine, ?stes *ar$, 17F;A E++G ;F-;A;F"?5um #ountain )uides, )rand (eton ational *ar$, *"7" Bo5 ;, #oose, WYF+4 E+AG A++-44CA"0nternational #ountain 1limbing School, #ain Street, 2t" , orth 1on!ay, H+F E+G +;-A="orth Woods Ways, )arrett and 6le5andra 1onover, 2"2" 4, Bo5 ;C 6, )ilford,#? ===+ E4AG CCA-+A4+"

0('S #72? <> WH? Y7>'2? *2?*62?D <72 (H? W72S(

6n e.uipment chec$list for safe hi$ing in the mountains

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You !ant to determine !hat to carry on a dayhi$e under sunny s$ies in themountains/ Here's the one !ay to decide 0f it !ere to suddenly start rainingor sleeting or sno!ing or blo!ing or billo!ing or bli99arding Eas it oftendoesG, and you got lost, could you spend the night out !ith 3ust !hat's inyour pac$/

With that in mind, !hat follo!s is an annotated list for hi$ing in the alpinebac$country" 0t may seem li$e a lot to carry in perfect !eather, but in lessthan perfect conditions it can save your life"

Day pac$ 4, to +, cubic inches, durable, !ith several poc$ets" #usthave !aistbelt for comfort, and foam in the bac$ for use as ground insulationduring an unplanned bivouac"

#ap and compass Ino! ho! to use them or stic$ to !ell-traveled trails"

Headlamp With full set of spare batteries and one spare bulb" 1hec$batteries and bulb before leaving home"

Sunglasses and sunscreen percent >J protection on the glasses, 4; S*< on

the cream" >se both, even !hen it's cloudy"

*oc$et Inife Should have at least one cutting blade, can opener, scissors"Waterproof matchesKlighter 1arry in plastic !aterproof containers"

1andle Short and stubby so it stands easily on its o!n" )ood for lighting afire"

Water Bottle liter minimum si9e"

0odine (ablets or li.uid"

<irst-aid $it Small, but should contain triangular bandage, sterile gau9epad, moles$in, alcohol pads, elastic bandage, aspirin, adhesive bandages,butterfly bandages, athletic tape, Lomotil, antibiotic, antibiotic cream"

<ood 7ne to t!o pounds of carbohydrate-rich calories, such as candy bars,energy bars, crac$ers, and dried fruit"

(* 1arry in a sealable bag pac$ out the paper and bury the poop"

Hat (he best is the &bomber& variety !ith fleece lining and a !aterproofKbreathable shell"

#ittens Light!eight, synthetic"

<leece 3ac$et Heavy-!eight, !indproof fleece is e5cellent" Do!n is uselessif it gets !et" Should have a high collar and several poc$ets"

Waterproof shell, top and bottom 1ompletely !aterproof is essential" #ust be

big enough to !ear over fleece 3ac$et and pants" *ull these on before you'resopping and shivering" 6nd for those !ho don't already $no!, cotton can $illyou if it gets !et" 0t ta$es forever to dry, and the cold, damp materialliterally suc$s a!ay your body's !armth" (hat's !hy 3eans are so dangerous inthe mountains"

Long 3ohns Synthetic, light!eight top and bottom"

#irror <or signaling" *ractice at home !ith a friend so you $no! ho! to useit"

Bivy sac$ (his is a controversial piece of gear for dayhi$ing, but as guide*eter Lev says, &(he one sure !ay of surviving the night is to get out ofthe !eather" With a bivy, you can do that"& <or +4 years, Lev has carried alarge, light!eight t!o-person bivouac sac$"

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Don't Leave Home Without Your BrainD7'( B?17#? 6 S(6(0S(01

Learning basic bac$country s$ills !ill $eep you out of harm's !ay"

Whether you're heading into the high country for a dayhi$e or a !ee$-longadventure, the mountains demand more than 3ust standard camping $no!ledge"

*robably the most fundamental of these prere.uisites is a high degree ofphysical fitness"

&*roper pretrip physical conditioning cannot be stressed too highly,& saysWilliam <orgey, #"D", in his boo$ Wilderness #edicine" &While trying tosurvive e5posure, a ma3or factor is your ability to generate heat, !hich isdirectly related to your ability to produce !or$" (his is achieved throughphysical conditioning " " " not ho! much food one stuffs into one's face"&

6 basic $no!ledge of first aid is also essential" You should be able toproperly manage bleeding, open !ounds, fractures, altitude sic$ness,e5cessive heat Eheatstro$e, heat e5haustionG, e5cessive cold Ehypothermia,frostbiteG dehydration and shoc$" #ost universities, hospitals, and even somecorporations regularly offer first-aid certification courses" Sign up"

0n )rand (eton ational *ar$, the o" cause of bac$country accidents isslipping on sno!" %ust an ordinary, often small fall on a patch of sno! onthe trail can cause a sprained !rist, t!isted $nee, or bro$en leg" (o avoidsuch a calamity, ta$e a sno! course" (here are numerous guide servicesthroughout the country that teach basic sno! travel" 0n any class, you shouldlearn ho! to !al$ on sno! !ith and !ithout an ice a5 and crampons" Specifictechni.ues should include $ic$ing steps, self-arrest, and <rench techni.ue!ith crampons" <or guide services, see page C+"

&*eople often come to the %enny La$e ranger station and as$ !hether they needan ice a5 to travel some trail they've heard is covered !ith sno!,& says2anger %im Springer" &0f they come in !ith their o!n beat-up a5, chances arethey !on't even need it because they already $no! ho! to travel on sno!" 0fthey come in !ithout one, and are planning to rent one in to!n, chances areit !ouldn't do them any good any!ay, and they should simply stay off the

trail"&

?ven !ith all the appropriate s$ills, prevention is still the best form of!ilderness medicine" (he $ey to an in3ury in the bac$country is not to haveone"

Bac$pac$er #aga9ine, #ay CC=M

1opyright CC, 2odale *ress, 0nc" #ay not be reproduced or retransmitted!ithout permission"

(ransmitted KAKC ; EBCmayC=G

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