On the morning of June 22nd, the Bitterroot National Forest wilderness intern crew hiked up the Sweeney Ridge Trail. We hiked up in a quite literal sense: gaining 1,800 feet in the first 2 miles, and then 500 in the last half mile. They were long 7 miles, during which we Silkied and crosscutted our way toward the campsite at Duffy Lake.
Wilderness FR Training continued
Our Wilderness First Responder Training stretched us. We were required to respond to various situations, all crazier than we will ever have to deal with (hopefully). The very first day we jumped into life threats such as punctured lungs and arterial bleeds. I learned about many traumatic injuries that I had no idea were even possible.
First 8 days Prepared and Ready
The first week as Wilderness Ranger Interns was gory, stressful, and hugely educational. I wrapped moist gauze about the avulsed eye of a grizzly-mauled man, at once knowing that his chest trauma, a flail chest, two or more ribs broken in two or more places, was the more life threatening of his worries. Thankfully, after all the appropriate dressings were applied and trauma treated, Jeff stood up, ripped the rubbery dangling eyeball off, rubbed out the fake blood from the grizzly claws, and waited by the fire pit as we finished the scenario to critique our patient care. This training has never been tested in the 8 years of the SBFC, but nevertheless, prepared we are.