Wilderness First Aid Class & update

The Wilderness First Aid class being taught by Deb Ajango of SafetyEd is in full swing today. This youth group is from Overland Summers, enjoying an amazing, varied program in Alaska. After several days of backpacking, they have two days of Wilderness First Aid here at AMS in Talkeetna, then we'll see them again in a week or so for ice climbing on the Matanuska Glacier. Here are some pictures of them learning to properly clean a wound, using pig to study the layers of skin, fascia, muscle and bone. They are also learning splinting techniques today. One of our interns from APU, Dusty Eroh, is assisting Deb with instruction.

We are still waiting to find out when Rob, Forest, Dean, Rex, Jeremiah, Yury, Ed and Marcio will be back to Base Camp. We are guessing it will be tomorrow morning. The team will come back to AMS and enjoy some watermelon and other snacks while they unpack their gear. Usually the teams will get together for a farewell dinner the evening of their return. After a good night (or two) of rest here in Talkeetna, they'll head back to Anchorage for flights home. We'll keep you posted here as soon as we have any clues. We'll be helping them with lodging in Talkeetna and shuttles to Anchorage. If you are helping a climber with flight arrangements, wait to make any changes until you've talked with them, as some climbers prefer to enjoy their extra time in Alaska as a bonus, and it really helps their transition home.

Cheers from sunny Talkeetna,
Julia