Reaching New Heights
 |
| View of Half Dome from the Mirror Lake Trail |
Hello ProRangers and Park People! My second week in Yosemite was full of new experiences climbing outdoors and snowshoeing for the first time. In addition to reaching new heights on the granite cliffs of Yosemite and snowshoeing through snowy Badger Pass, I organized and updated the basic life support (BLS) bags in the patrol vehicles and continued working on inputting data from the 2019 search and rescue (SAR) incidents. To finish off my week, I hiked the Mist Trail to Nevada Falls where I was rewarded with spectacular views of Half Dome and Yosemite Valley. While hiking is an enjoyable activity during my time off it also serves to familiarize and prepare me for future SAR's during the busy season, where multiple incidents can occur within a single day.
Outfitting BLS Bags
As first responders, Park Rangers wear a variety of hats. This includes the ability to respond to, assess, and provide emergency medical care for those in need. Responding to calls in which emergency medical care may be required necessitates having the right type of gear. For this reason, all of the patrol vehicles within the law enforcement fleet are outfitted with a BLS bag. To ensure the BLS bags are adequately stocked with the necessary equipment, I spent some of my time this week checking, stocking and updating each bag. This process was a great way for me to introduce myself to some of the law enforcement rangers in the Valley and provided insight into the process of increasing my medical ability as a Parkmedic. While most Rangers in the Valley are EMT's, there are a few rangers who have undergone further training to serve as Parkmedic's or paramedic's. The select group of rangers who have undergone this intense training are able to provide care at the advanced life support (ALS) level which is an invaluable skill set in a area where access to hospital care is over two hours away.
 |
| Checking equipment, expiration dates on supplies in all items in the BLS bags. |
 |
| To create uniform BLS bags for each patrol vehicle, I updated tags to indicate where each item was located . |
In addition to outfitting BLS bags for each of the patrol vehicles, I worked my first night shift on the Valley ambulance this week. Along with my ALS partner, I responded to one emergency call in the Valley and transported a patient out of Yosemite. As previously noted, the nearest hospital is almost two hours away. For this reason, we often rendezvous with neighboring EMS agencies who take patients the remainder of the way to the hospital. This first call was a great test of my knowledge and familiarity with roads in Yosemite and will help ensure I can respond to calls anywhere in the Valley come summer.
300 Feet and 3 Pitches Later
On Friday, I had the opportunity to go climbing outdoors for the first time. Although I have climbed in indoor climbing gyms for years, this experience was nothing like what I was accustomed to. Fortunately, my supervisor is an avid climber and very experienced. With his assistance and guidance, I was able to climb Munginella, a 300 foot 3 pitch route adjacent to Yosemite Falls. This experience was a great introduction to outdoor climbing and provided a great stepping stone for climbs in the future. I look forward to learning more about the art of outdoor climbing and applying what I learn to search and rescue training in the coming months.
 |
| View from the base of the Munginella route. |
 |
| View from the second pitch of the Munginella route. |
 |
| View from the top of Munginella route. |
Snowshoeing in Badger Pass
Another first this week was learning how to snowshoe. I joined one of my roommates for a moonlit hike to the the top of Badger pass. The nighttime hike was led by a ranger who provided insight into the rich history of winter sports in Yosemite. From this talk, I learned how winter sports in Yosemite were specifically shaped to ensure visitors could experience the beauty of Yosemite while maintaining natural habitat for native wildlife. Instead of creating vast networks of down hill ski slopes like many other ski areas, the ski area in Yosemite focuses more on creating experiences for visitors through a network of cross country skiing. Through this approach, visitors are able to view the vast wilderness Yosemite has to offer while limiting development and protecting natural habitat.
 |
| Snowshoeing during the nighttime Ranger hike. |
 |
| The full moon provided plenty of light during the hike. |
Looking forward to another eventful week here in Yosemite! Check back next week to see what I have been up to.
Until next time,
No comments:
Post a Comment