BLOG #88. MISCELLANEOUS

                                                                                      MISCELLANEOUS
​

1. YOU CAN SAVE A FOREST.  Three times last year, at three different lakes, I came upon campfires smoldering from the weekends. I always carry a dozen plastic grocery bags. They hold about 1.5 gallons of water.   They are also great for cleaning up others trash. With the USFS budget cuts, the job we enthusiast inherited, is simple, to full on maintenance work. There will always be slobs in the mountains. But the feeling one gets from cleaning a high mountain lake, is good for one’s soul. Besides, when a family comes along a clean area, they will never know who cleaned it up, but your work will be appreciated. 
2. THINGS HAPPEN…BE PREPARED.    https://www.inlandnwroutes.com/medical-information.html  Under RESOURCES, click on MEDICAL INFORMATION, then scroll down to MEDICAL INFORMATION CARD. This card should be filled out and carried in your pack. If an emergency occurs, rescue and hospital personnel have a fast way to determine their choices of action, in your treatment. As a leaders, we need to know who we can call in case of an emergency. I broke my heel bone skiing once.. At the Aid Room I simply handed the patroller my card. That way I could concentrate on my foot. It’s a simple way of getting faster aid.
3. EVERY HIKER, EXCEPT GRANDMA OR GRAMPS, should carry their own packs. The 13 ESSENTIALS can and have saved lives. If a person wanders off and can’t find their way back, they will need a few things to survive. And most important, they need to know how to use these items.  
4. DOG TICKS ARE OUT.  If you hike, you must take action to ensure you don’t get infected. Ticks are everywhere, and have been for 93,000,000 years. If you brush off a tick crawling up your pant leg, when you get home, strip completely outside, and do a full body search. Then toss your hiking clothes into a dryer for 10 minutes. If by chance you get one imbedded in your skin, consult our WILDLIFE section under RESOURCES.  DO NOT JUST PULL IT OUT. If it leaves a part inside your wound, you could get infected.

We hope this hiking season will be good for all of us. Get out early in the season so as not to have to put up with the heat.


If any of you have tips on any aspect of enjoying Nature, feel free to send us your suggestions. 
Did you know, you can start a fire with a plastic bottle of water?
That and so much more are in RESOURCES and HINTS.




Thank You all for reading and using our free, local website,


Chic          David




InlandNWRoutes.com