Community Tourism as Activism

The social media flier that I created for our ongoing GofundMe fundraising campaign. More info and link at bottom of post.

TOURISM: The activity, practice, and promotion of touring, especially for pleasure.

COMMUNITY TOURISM: Sharing of a local community with visitors for the sustainable benefit of that local community. The invited visitors contribute economically to the community, while experiencing the local customs, food, lifestyle, sets of beliefs, etc. Both visitors and locals are left with the feeling that they have enhanced the life of the other in a positive way.

ACTIVISM: The practice of action and involvement as a means of achieving goals.

ACTIVISM AS IT RELATES TO COMMUNITY TOURISM: Tour guides and tourists (travelers, for those of you who loathe to be called a tourist) performing actions and getting involved to benefit local communities, both during and after the visit; Speaking up for, advocating for, and amplifying the voices of the local communities to spread awareness and effect positive change.

Most of you know the types of trips that I guide in Panama, and have been developing since 2010. If not, the above description of “activism as it relates to community tourism” is what I’m all about. I’m going to be making some changes to my website soon to reflect a more significant move in this direction. What are the changes? I will be adding trips lead by local Panamanian, Indigenous, and Black guides, who I have recently been approached to help establish sustainable tourism projects to benefit their communities.

Even prior to the current Movements gaining momentum in the United States (Black Lives Matter, LGTBQ+, Latinx, Indigenous, Refugees, Immigrants) I’ve been brainstorming ways to bring this energy to tourism in Panama, to bring attention to communities that have been historically overlooked by tourism, and are often disenfranchised and somewhat ignored by government resources. The members of these communities, I have experienced, are often the ones with the strongest ties to each other, their culture and traditions. They rely on each other in a way that more privileged communities don’t have to, the latter resulting in a disconnect from one another. As for the former, one reason for this is that they haven’t been infiltrated by heaps of tourists. This is why our upcoming focus is on community tourism, and not simply tourism that takes and doesn’t give back.

How does the ‘activism’ part connect? The activism comes into play in the goals of the tourism activity, or entire trip. The guides who I will be working with and promoting are educators, community organizers and leaders, who are proud of their culture, and they want their guests to experience a truthful representation of what their lives are actually like. They teach about the struggles of their people, as well as their dreams and aspirations. When this is the goal of tourism, the guests make connections to the people, the place, and the history in a unique way. They are often called to action to speak up, advocate, and provide economically for these communities when given the opportunity. This type of tourism helps create these opportunities.

I have found that the guests who have gone on trips with me and trips with my co-organizer for the GoFundMe campaign (flier at the top and info below), Victor, are the people who have donated the most to our fundraiser. They contact me to ask about the communities that they visited. They ask about certain people, their families, and children. They experienced a glimpse into the reality that many people face every day, and that impression never leaves them.

GoFundMe Information: Since the start of the campaign in Mid-March, we (myself and Panamanian organizers who run a non-profit for children and local tour operation) have been distributing food bags to families in need in different areas in and around Panama City, as well as 5 Guna communities in Guna Yala. We have also been able to help other community organizers get donations. There is still much need and we will continue to do this work as long as we can. Please consider making a donation, and/or sharing this to your social media or through email. Every amount makes a difference. Thank you! Click here for GoFundMe campaign.

Follow me on Instagram, and always feel free to contact me. I’d love to hear from you. Stay safe and healthy!

Covid-19 Update

My oh my, it’s been a while since I’ve posted, and the world is completely different! Sweeping changes are on the horizon for the global travel industry. No one is entirely sure what it will look like. I am closely monitoring the developing Covid-19 situation, as it relates to what I am able to offer my guests.

Group unity, all eyes on the horizon, Guna Yala

Alaska: I am still uncertain whether or not I will travel to Alaska this summer to sea kayak guide for Anadyr Adventures, which is currently open for business, offering paddling tours out of Valdez, Alaska. I’ve guided 8 wonderful seasons there and I highly recommend them. If I don’t go this summer, perhaps summer 2021. Feel free to contact me for more info regarding Alaska.

Day trip to the Face of Columbia Glacier

Panama: As of today (May 27th) Panama’s borders remain closed to international travelers. I am hoping to be able to offer trips during my normal season, starting in December 2020 and into the 2021 season. I will be posting new and exciting trip offerings (new destinations in Panama) soon. Stay tuned! Panama has been handling the pandemic with strict quarantines and other safety precautions. I will base my operation decisions with the health of my guests and the communities that we visit as top priority, as well as following the CDC and other travel advisory recommendations. Panama will be an excellent destination to visit when we are safely able to do so, and I hope that you consider joining me on an adventure there! I believe strongly in community-based tourism, and many of the areas where I operate are being devastated by the lack of income from the disappearance of tourism. These communities will certainly benefit from the income boost once tourism starts up again. Plus, we all miss being together!

Kayaks ready to paddle, Guna Yala

SPECIAL UPDATE: My most popular trip in Panama, that I co-lead with my dear friend and yoga instructor, Leigh Lubin (YogaCurrents), is the Yoga/Kayak Retreat, a 9-day all-inclusive trip that explores both Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Panama. We are excited to be offering this trip for the 4th time: January 16-24, 2021. Let me know if you are interested. Who knows what will happen, but we reluctantly had to turn people down last year due to its popularity.

Fresh coconut water, Yoga/Kayak Retreat (2019)

Mother-Daughter quality hammock time, Yoga/Kayak Retreat (2019)

Opportunity to Give: Do you want to support families in need in Panama? You can still make a difference in these communities without leaving your couch. Contribute to the delivery of food and other necessities to vulnerable communities by making a donation to this GoFundMe Campaign that I established in March, in collaboration with a non-profit organization in Panama City that provides programs for underserved youth, LocalinPTY Kids Program. Victor, the founder of this program also operates LocalinPTY Tours, which offers tourists a unique experience getting to know locals in a neighborhood previously run-down and neglected by tourists. These are examples of community-based tourism at its’ best. Along with Victor, I have an active team of Panamanian community organizers who I send 100% of the donations to. Thus far, we have provided for hundreds of families, and hope to continue! Gracias:) If you don’t use Instagram and would like more information about these organizations, please let me know. They have rave reviews from those who have participated.

A family in Panama is happy to receive food donations during Covid-19 Lockdown

I invite you to check out my trips, get inspired by photos and videos, and start dreaming of your next adventure. Please don’t hesitate to contact me regarding trips, or just to say hello. Follow me on Instagram to stay up-to-date and get travel inspiration. Stay safe. Stay healthy. Take care of one another.

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SEE YOU SOON VALDEZ, ALASKA: 8 Things a Sea Kayak Guide Gets Excited For (For her 8th Season)

One of my favorite places on Earth, the face of Columbia Glacier, Prince William Sound

Although currently finishing up the guiding season in Panama, my thoughts are starting to wander north; to a wild land of calving glaciers, glistening icebergs, bobbing Sea Otters, soaring Bald Eagles, enticing ice caves, midnight “sunsets”, and extravagant dance parties with the other Anadyr Adventures sea kayaking guides. They say that a guide’s 8th season is her best!

Sea Otters always delight

When writing about Alaska it’s all too easy to enumerate the state’s exceptional qualities, spitting out superlatives left and right. I’ll leave that for David Attenborough (sounds better in his charming accent anyway). Having returned for so many seasons as a sea kayak guide for Anadyr Adventures, it’s the subtle things that I most look forward to; special moments that I wake up excited for. Without further ado and in no particular order: What I am MOST excited about:

Yipeeeeeeee, Columbia Bay

1) The precise moment at the start of an ocean kayaking tour in Prince William Sound when our water taxi gets “on step” (the boat speeds up enough to climb on top of the water. . and we’re off!). This is almost a daily occurrence for me and my heart still races with anticipatory excitement for what the day will bring. It is the moment that we leave the Valdez small boat harbor behind and we are all about to experience the magic of eastern Prince William Sound.

Getting “on step” in Prince William Sound

2) We’ve spotted a whale. I repeat a whale has been spotted! Could be a glimmering dorsal fin in the distance. . maybe the dissipating mist from its breath. Maybe a slight disturbance on the surface of the water. Maybe everyone saw it, or just one of us. It’s as if our breathing simultaneously pauses, and heart rates accelerate as we wait in silence for what comes next. . .

My heart skipped a beat!

3) Client’s reactions (sometimes silent awe, more often gasps of varying intensities) to a slightly elevated vista of the iceberg-dotted Columbia Bay, where we have just been paddling at sea level. After gazing up at majestic icebergs from our kayak seats we are now treated to a vast expanse of ice and water below us. It’s lunchtime and we have crested a hill called The Mojave. During this 5-minute climb I tell the clients No matter what, do not look to your right! (where the view is) Wait until we’re at the top. Trust me, it’s worth it. It always is.

View from above, Columbia Bay

Lunchtime on The Mojave, Columbia Bay

4) The Secret Passage. If I divulge too much info. . well, then it wouldn’t be the Secret Passage, now would it? I’ll allow this much; getting to paddle through this magical passageway in Heather Bay (on a Columbia Glacier day tour or overnight trip)  involves impeccable timing by the guide.

This is what impeccable timing allows, The Secret Passage

5) Jump shots! After telling people that I am a professional jump-shot photographer, I am met with enthusiastic consent or nervous acquiescence. Either way no one has ever regretted a jump shot. It goes without saying that watching people zoom in on faces in a jump-shot photo elicits just as much delight as the photo itself.

Spreading the glacial love, Shoup Glacier

Family jump-shot, Columbia Bay

Jump-shot AND bear hat, Columbia Bay

6) When clients walk away and give me the silent treatment. It’s one of the best feelings in the world. You just go ahead and take a moment to take this all in.

Breathe and take it all in, Shoup Glacier

We paddled, we hiked, and now we sit silently in awe, Glacier Island

A moment of silent awe, Columbia Bay

7) Paddles in the air. Put your hands where I can see them, ma’am. Gets me every time. Just lights my heart right up:) Sometimes it’s solicited, but it’s the best when it happens naturally.

KC is stoked! Columbia Bay, Prince William Sound

Get them up in the air, Heather Bay

Put your hands where I can see them! Valdez Port

8) Last, but definitely not least: Celebrating the spectacularly unique and wonderful Anadyr guides (we cleverly call ourselves the Anadamily). The friends and co-workers who I have shared multiple seasons with in Valdez are like family. This family grows every season. Sure, we work hard, but we play even harder. And we dress up and dance to Elvis Crespo’s “Suavemente” (best music video ever). . and we cook fried chicken and kimchi waffles (yea, they’re delicious). . and we party on a deck with the most amazing view in town. . and we gallivant in search of adventure in our breathtaking Valdez. They are the most fun and weirdest (in the best way) group of individuals who I have ever had the pleasure of spending time with, as well as the most open-hearted and open-minded. (Seasonal guides are all a bit weird, aren’t they?) The love, passion, and playfulness that the guides (and staff. . I’m not leaving out the water taxi captains and office staff!) put into each and every kayaking trip to make it memorable for guests are sincerely inspiring. This is what I look forward to.

Best view in town, Anadyr Adventures

Caitlin: Lovely Lady of the Office and talented musician

Ice brings all kinds of contentment, Kayak Guide Sami, Prince William Sound

Sami & Bagel: Town’s best-looking couple

Kayak guides are oh so weird, Valdez

Cuddle Puddle to keep warm near Denali

Weird: This is what I’m talking about:)

Enjoying our “backyard”, Robe Lake

“We eat dinner every night”

Scott: Friend, manager, and boat captain since my beginnings

Because I’m sure you’re curiosity has been piqued. . .

Tommy’s famous chicken and kimchi waffles

Well there you have it. Still excited after all these years, and looking forward to what lucky season #8 has in store for me, the Anadamily, and all of my future kayaking guests. If you or someone you know wants to experience the beauty and wonder of Prince William Sound with me or one of the aforementioned wonderful kayaking guides in Valdez, Alaska contact me. I’d love to hear from you. Let me know which one you’d be most excited about!

Steller Sea Lions as our kayaking chaperones, Glacier Island

Along with day trips to the area’s many glaciers and wildlife viewing hot-spots, there are wilderness lodge, mothership (sailboat), and overnight camping kayaking tours available. Check out the options here, or visit Anadyr Adventures. We also offer ACA accredited (American Canoe Association) Levels 1 and 2 Coastal Kayaking courses, which are a safe and fun way to develop kayaking skills. . in one of the most spectacular places on Earth.

Contemplating life, Columbia Bay, Prince William Sound

Paddling to Shoup Glacier, Prince William Sound

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post. Subscribe and stay tuned for an upcoming blog about my recent 24,000,000 centimeter kayaking expedition in Guna Yala, Panama (aka San Blas Islands) to the Colombian border! Join me and Her Odyssey for a wild Caribbean adventure. You don’t want to miss it!

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SAY HELLO TO YOUR NEW KAYAK INSTRUCTORS IN VALDEZ, ALASKA

Beautiful day to hit the water in Kachemak Bay, Homer, Alaska

I’m a kayak instructor now!

Along with 4 of my kayak guide work mates, I’ve been sworn in as an official Level 2 ACA (American Canoe Association) sea kayak instructor. Our swearing-in ceremony involved many cold dunks in Kachemak Bay near Homer, Alaska. Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of these frigid dunks. Just take my word for it. Brrrr. Good thing I packed enough warm layers to last me a month for our 4-day course. Having 3 sleeping bags helped too:)

The ACA is the leading organization in the U.S. for all things paddle sports. Whether you are looking to get certified as an instructor, or simply want to learn and develop skills (canoe, sea kayak, SUP, raft, white water kayak, surfski, rescue, adaptive paddling), check them out here.

I’d also like to give a special shout-out to Levi Hogan, our wonderful instructor and new paddling friend. Levi and his wife operate Turnagain Kayak (located in Hope, AK), who specialize in outfitting groups for paddling in South Central Alaska, as well as kayak instruction. Levi is a BCU (British Canoe Union) 5 Star Sea Kayak Leader and ACA Level 4 Open Water Coastal Kayak Instructor Trainer. . . he’s kind of a big deal. For those of you who don’t know what the stars or acronyms mean, essentially Levi is a badass kayaker and loves to share his skills and knowledge with others in the courses that he offers. I highly recommend him as an instructor.

View from our campsite on Right Beach, Kachemak Bay, Homer, Alaska

Aidan and Jared making lunch on a sunny day, Kachemak Bay, Homer, Alaska

We only have a little bit of gear. . . Homer, Alaska

Five of us returning guides for Anadyr Adventures (Valdez) piled into a company van and took off on a fun road trip to Homer. It’s impressive that we didn’t end up killing each other in the van. Just kidding (?). We love each other. We spent 4 days with Levi camped at Right Beach in Halibut Cove (Kachemak Bay, less than an hour water taxi from Homer), working on refining paddling skills and teaching each other. Forward, sweep, reverse sweep, draw, sculling draw, low brace recovery, T-rescue, self rescue, towing, scoop rescue, Hand-of-God rescue. . . these are all paddling strokes and skills that we practiced and taught to each other. We also taught each other about paddling topics, such as cold water immersion, communication and signaling devices, weather and tides, and paddle and kayak design. Good stuff!

 

On the drive to Homer, Alaska

Black-Legged Kittiwakes fly around Gull Rocks, Kachemak Bay, Homer, Alaska

I’m super excited to practice and teach to others the paddling skills that I’ve been developing over the past decade. As much time as I’ve spent playing and working on the water as a sea kayak guide, it’s great to take the time to slow down and go back to practicing and refining foundational paddling skills, such as the forward stroke. After this course, I feel better equipped to teach the subtleties of these foundational skills to beginner paddlers.

Gorgeous May sunset over Kachemak Bay, Homer, Alaska

Paddle with certified instructors

. . . Which brings me to Valdez, Alaska. There are two sea kayaking companies in this beautiful coastal town. One is Anadyr Adventures, for which I am going into my 7th guiding season. Anadyr has been in operation since 1989, and is the leading tour operator when it comes to kayaking. In addition to myself, this year Anadyr welcomes back 4 returning guides, of which 3 are returning for their 4th season! That’s pretty impressive. I’m not going to say anything negative about the other kayak company, as we have a friendly and professional relationship. However, they tend to have almost all-new kayak guides each year. This says a lot about Anadyr and the level of experience, commitment, and passion that the guides have. There is a reason that we keep coming back to paddle in Prince William Sound with the same company. Simply put, we love it! For Anadyr guides, especially myself, kayak guiding is a lot more than just a summer job. Paddling is a huge part of our lives. We do it for work. We do it for fun. We talk about it all the time. And most of us are planning on continuing to work towards higher-level kayak skills and instructor certifications. So, come join us. Come paddle with certified kayak instructors in one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places in the world! Check out these amazing kayak camping itineraries for an unforgettable Alaskan adventure. We’ll see you on the water.

We like to eat good. . . Alaska salmon with a tarragon butter sauce

LIVE THE DREAM IN 2018: GLAMPING IN ALASKA (& Panama)!

Glamping it up at Shoup Glacier

GLAMP IT UP IN 2018! Read on for my favorite glamping gear.

Glamping: the activity of camping with some of the comforts and luxuries of home. 

Okay, glamping may not be quite as cozy as a hotel room in Fairbanks. . . but it still makes you want to jump up and down for joy!

Jumping up & down for joy in Fairbanks, Alaska

When I talk with people about the trips that I guide in Alaska and Panama, there are those who automatically envision “roughing it in the wilderness” as a miserable experience; cramped tents, sleeping and sitting on the hard ground, instant mashed potatoes every night and plain oatmeal every morning, bugs flying in their face while they’re trying to eat, standing out in the rain, etc. I completely agree with them. That sounds like a horrible way to spend a vacation. Don’t sign me up for that! (However, if this sounds like fun to you I can certainly arrange for it. Although, I’ll be dining on Alaskan salmon while you’re stuffing yourself with those instant mashies.)

Spacious 4-person tent for 2 people

Dinner: Fresh salmon with a tarragon lemon butter sauce

Glamping at its best!

S’mores pancakes with real maple syrup

However, a trip with me is oh the contrary to the bare bones misery that may have scarred your memory from a Boy or Girl Scouts trip when you were a teenager. If you haven’t done much camping (or it’s been a while), fear not! The advances in glamping equipment have brought camping trips to a whole new level of comfort and ease. A trip does not go by without guests exclaiming to me how surprised they are in the equipment that allows a level of luxury they didn’t think possible on camping trips, especially sea kayaking trips when everything has to fit into the kayaks. Actually, it’s this very fact that we’re packing into kayaks that allows us to bring along such luxuries as the following list. It’s amazing what you can squeeze into a kayak. Tables, chairs, stoves, oh my! I love showing people the wonderful items that I use to enhance their experience. Here are ileneinakayak glamping must-haves. Scroll to bottom for links of the following products.

My Top Ten Glamping Essentials for Alaska

1. Screen House Shelter – A 4-walled bug-netting structure with a water-resistant ceiling allows us to be protected from pesky insects, without sacrificing the gorgeous view. It’s the living room of the great outdoors. (Shown in photo at top)
2. Camp chairs – Your butt shall not make contact with the cold or wet ground,  nor shall you struggle to lift yourself from the ground!
3. Roll-a-Table – One of the greatest glamping innovations; a firm and sturdy table with detachable legs that rolls into a neat bundle with a handle. It only takes about 1 minute to set up and break down.
4. A kitchen with all the bells and whistles – I don’t skimp on my kitchen, as this is where the magic happens:) I love having a single-burner camp stove (MSR Whisperlite), which boils water very quickly, and a two-burner stove to cook on. I cook with a full set of pots and pans, cooking utensils, plates, bowls, cups, cutlery, cutting boards, sharp knives, sponge, dish soap, and yes, even napkins. There’s not much that I can’t do in this outdoor kitchen. I would not consider a trip in Alaska to be complete without dishing up wild Alaskan seafood.
   

   Fresh Prince William Sound prawns

   

   Look at the size of that prawn!
5. French Press – To make the finest cup of coffee that you’ll ever enjoy gazing at a glacier.
6. Thermos – I’m talking about a stainless steel 8-cup thermos, that allows piping hot tea and hot chocolate (and mid-day coffee) to be served up in an instant, 12 hours after I’ve boiled the water. I worship the thermos for dish washing too.  Have you ever tried washing bacon grease from a plate using glacier water? Exasperating!
7. Self-inflating sleeping pads – A far cry from the thin foam pads of yore. These fill up with air on their own, insulate you from cold ground, as well as provide cushy comfort for a well-deserved sleep after a day of paddling.
8. Roomy tents – If you come on a trip with a friend or your sweetheart, you’ll get a spacious 4-person tent. Solo? You’ll luxuriate in a 2-person tent. This gives you enough space for you and your gear.
   

   Home for the night

   

   Campsite in Heather Bay
9. Rain tarps – No, I will not have you standing out in the rain! I bring along a number of different sizes of tarps, and can set them up quickly during lunch and rest breaks. If it rains, I’ll keep you dry out there!
10. Soft food coolers – These allow me the ability to pack all of my food in an organized fashion. From glass jars of sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and capers to fresh Prince William Sound prawns and salmon, and cartons of Half-and-Half, these coolers protect what’s inside and keep things cool.

Breakfast of cheesy eggs with a view

This is glamping!

Trust me. . . it’ll all fit

Muffins hot out of the backcountry oven

Fresh-caught Salmon in Heather Bay

This Salmon was in the water 10 minutes prior to this photo

Packing it all in, Columbia Bay

Lunch time on the roll-a-table!

Make mine an espresso!

Check out my kitchen

There you have it. . . glamping like a pro in Alaska! Stay dry, stay cozy, stay comfortable, stay well-rested, well-fed, and well-caffeinated in style.

Here’s a few photos of glamping in the Caribbean in Panama. A lot of the trips there involve the addition of a motorized boat that accompanies us, which opens up the glamping possibilities beyond your wildest dreams! Take a look:

Tent with a tropial view

Perfecto

Ice cold Balboa, a Panamanian favorite

Look at all those fresh veggies and fruit

“We’d like a table on the water, por favor.”

Let’s go snorkeling

Tropical lunch

A typical breakfast spread

Inspired to come glamping with me? Contact me. I’d love to hear from you. What are your favorite glamping essentials?

Links for glamping gear

No, I’m not sponsored by these companies (although I wouldn’t say no to that). These are all items and companies that I have used as an outdoor enthusiast and professional sea kayak guide for many years. There are lots of other great options out there, and I will continue to search for and test out (then inform you about) new products and companies, especially those who can say “Made in USA, and who implement Earth-friendly practices. Please share your knowledge/suggestions in this regard. The following are simply what I trust and recommend.

1. REI Screen House Shelter
2. REI Flexlite Camp Chair and Camp Time Roll-a-Stool (Made in USA! Camp Time also sells brand new blemished bargains)
3. Camp Time Roll-a-Table (Made in USA!)
   

   I am in love with this!

4. Glamping kitchen: GSI: Cookware, Stoves, Utensils, Dinnerware, & Camp Furniture, MSR: Tents, Stoves, Cookware, and Water Treatment, and Coleman: Pretty much all things camping (I love this Fold-and-Go Stove)
5. French press: GSI Portable JavaPress
6. Thermos: Stanley Stainless Steel Thermoses
7. Sleeping pads: Therm-a-Rest Sleeping Pads
8. Tents: Mountain Hardware Tents and MSR Tents
9. Rain tarps: I use the Mountain Equipment Co-op Scout Tarp for an emergency, lunch, and rest break tarp. It is a Canadian company. The best heavy-duty rain tarp that I ever had the pleasure of using on a 3-week sea kayaking expedition in Haida Gwaii (aka Queen Charlotte Islands, B.C., Canada) is the La Caverne from another Canadian company called Chlorophylle. When I contacted the company wanting to purchase one for myself (Sept 2017), I was told that they were only shipping to Canada. If you can find a Canadian address, this tarp is well worth it! I guess Canada knows their rain tarps, eh?
10. Soft food coolers: NRS soft food coolers

Here is an article that I enjoyed entitled 10 Must-Haves From Brands That Make the Earth a Better Place.

Thanks for reading. Please share this blog with anyone who might like it. Or maybe you’ve been trying to convince your partner or friends to come camping with you, but haven’t been successful yet. This is the perfect article to nudge them in the direction of glamping enlightenment:) Glamp on!

Delighted to indulge in yogurt

The good life in the kitchen tent

 

 

 

NOLS WILDERNESS FIRST RESPONDER, AT YOUR SERVICE

Before I launch into who and what NOLS is. . . enjoy some photos of friends, clients, and me over the years (they go as far back as 2008, when I was but a wee one) in beautiful and remote places, partaking in what my mom would consider dangerous activities. Ok, she would think only some of them were dangerous. Now when you look at these, I want you to imagine “What could possibly go wrong?” (Absolutely nothing went wrong in any of these, by the way. . . except for one of them. More on that later. But I still want you to imagine, just to get in the mood for this blog;)

Haines, Alaska

Misdup, Guna Yala, Caribbean, Panama

Some island, Guna Yala, Caribbean, Panama

Aaron, bless his heart, Skaha, Penticton, British Columbia, Canada

Somewhere snowy in British Columbia, Canada

Underneath the Root Glacier, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska

Misdup, Guna Yala, Caribbean, Panama

Some island, Guna Yala, Caribbean, Panama

Misdup, Guna Yala, Caribbean, Panama

Columbia Bay, Prince William Sound, Alaska

Lago Serrano, Patagonia, Chile

Somewhere icy in British Columbia, Canada

Rio Serrano, Patagonia, Chile

Worthington Glacier, Valdez, Alaska

Somewhere snowy in British Columbia, Canada

Somewhere rocky in Canada or the U.S.

Quadra Island, British Columbia, Canada

If you’re like my mom (or grandma) you’re probably feeling a bit nervous looking at some of these photos, even though I already assured you that nothing went wrong in any of them (except for that one. . more on that later). But if you are feeling nervous, that’s good! That means you followed directions and thought “What could possibly go wrong?” The truth is that any number of things could have gone awry in any of these photos. Some of them involved awfully sharp objects. . . some mighty long falls. . . some coooold water. But another truth is that there’s a lot of fun to be had in amazing and remote (or not so remote, nor so amazing) places. I’m not gonna stop doing this stuff! However, there are many ways that I, as a professional guide, can commit to mitigate the risks and consequences if something were to go awry. One of these ways is to educate myself in the wonderful ways of wilderness medical training.

And now there’s this:

What ya got goin’ on there, Naomi? Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Now for a little background: NOLS stands for National Outdoor Leadership School. Founded in Wyoming in 1965, it is a global nonprofit wilderness school that educates students around the world in leadership, wilderness skills, and risk management. You can participate in courses anywhere from 6 days Canyoneering in Utah, to 135 days in Patagonia. Rock climbing, sailing, backpacking, ski touring, sea kayaking, mountaineering, ice climbing. . . the list goes on.

(Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten to get back to that one photo.)

This is not an ad, even though it sure does look like one

I participated in a 3-month NOLS Semester Program in 2008 in Patagonia, Chile. Prior to embarking on consecutive month-long remote mountaineering and sea kayaking expeditions, we started off with a ten-day (80-hour) Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Course to learn the best practices for responding to medical situations (and emergencies) in a wilderness setting. For most of that program, we were more than a days travel to definitive care (and that would be if the horses could gallop!). A WFR course teaches students invaluable skills in how to prevent, determine, and take care of almost any medical situation “in the field” with the limited resources available (think of you with a med kit the size of a loaf of bread, ski poles, ice axes, and sleeping bags in lieu of a hospital filled with doctors, unlimited medical supplies, crutches, and a hospital bed). I’ll never forget the lesson on how to relieve testicular torsion. Unfortunately, no photo available. Yikes!

Me on my NOLS course, Somewhere in Patagonia, Chile

I also learned in my WFR course how to make good decisions regarding evacuations and group/risk management. In a wilderness setting I’m dealing with a lot more than simply a client with a belly ache. I’m dealing with the rest of the group, inclement weather, difficult terrain to accomplish a safe evacuation, spotty or non-existent communication with the “outside” world, and limited resources. Questions that WFR course instructors have drilled into my head are 1) Can this person stay on the trip, or do they need to be evacuated? 2) If they need to be evacuated, how and how quickly? I can’t just dial 911 (on my cell that has no service) and wait ten minutes for an ambulance with a team of medical professionals to whisk away my client who is complaining of abdominal pain. I am taught to become a detective to try to solve a medical mystery. However, more importantly, I know that it’s not necessarily essential that I figure out precisely what the cause of the mystery abdominal pain is, but I do need to make a decision and act on it. KC needs to go asap! I need to wrap her in a sleeping bag so she stays warm, keep talking to her to provide comfort and to monitor her, and use my satellite device to contact the office to get a helicopter here right now, as well as make sure that the rest of my group is warm, safe, and not freaking out. (This scenario is a true story, by the way. My co-guide, KC, got evacuated via helicopter from Columbia Bay on the last day of a 5-day sea kayaking trip in Prince William Sound, Alaska. From the moment she first approached me complaining of severe abdominal pain, to the moment that she landed at the hospital in Valdez, about 1.5 hours had passed. Not bad. Plus she got a heli ride over the largest tidewater glacier in the Sound out of it. She was fine, by the way.)

Here is a link to a DeLorme Satellite Communication device, similar to the one that I take on every trip. This is what saved us after it became clear that my VHF radio communication wasn’t going to do the trick. I highly recommend one of these communication devices. It could save your life, or the life of someone who you care about.

My friend, Naomi, checks my pulse during my first WFR Recert. course in Victoria, B.C., Canada

Naomi practicing building splints during our WFR Recert. course in Victoria, B.C., Canada (ex-boyfriends can come in handy)

 

Now that I’ve been guiding professionally since 2010, and have dealt with medical situations, as well as evacuations, I see the value in fostering these decision-making skills. I know that it’s negligent of me to walk away after giving someone a cup of water whose breathing is labored and who is the color of a lobster, sitting directly underneath a bunch of coconuts on a tropical island. I’m a WFR! And along with that comes the responsibility to treat this person to the best of my ability. You never know who (and in what condition) you are going to come across out there.

The splint that earned me my first WFR Recert., Victoria, B.C., Canada

 

To keep up with my skills and to continue honing them, as well as to keep my WFR certification current, I take a NOLS Wilderness Medicine Recertification course (3-day, 24-hour) every two years. These courses are scenario-based, which is the best way to get as much practice as possible responding to medical situations. This past October I completed my 4th course in Salt Lake City, Utah. These courses, often in beautiful locations, are challenging, fun, and a great way to meet others working as outdoor professionals. I highly recommend them. In fact, being a WFR is a requirement for a lot of jobs in the outdoor industry. Even if you don’t work in the outdoor industry, but you spend time in the outdoors (or not even), I still recommend taking a Wilderness Medicine course, or First Aid. There are varying levels of courses, depending on how far you want to take your training.

So get out there and get educated. Visit NOLS and NOLS Wilderness Medicine to learn more and to find courses, as well as for resources to assemble your own adventure medical kit (very important!). NOLS has a lot of other great activities and environmental initiatives going on as well, so check ’em out!

Lenticular Clouds on my NOLS course, Somewhere in Patagonia, Chile

To all of you Ileneinakayak prospective clients, rest (and paddle) assured that I, your guide, will be up-to-date with my wilderness medical training.

Keepin’ it safe! Canadian Rockies, Alberta, Canada

 

Here are some photos from the NOLS Wilderness Medicine website to give you more of an idea of the fun that awaits you on these courses.

NOLS Wilderness Medicine

NOLS Wilderness Medicine

NOLS Wilderness Medicine

NOLS Wilderness Medicine

NOLS Wilderness Medicine

NOLS Wilderness Medicine

My official NOLS WFR Seal of Approval

My official Alaskan Seals of Approval

Oh yea, I almost forgot! The one photo at the beginning of this blog where something actually did go awry is the one with. . . . actually, you have to write in the blog comments which photo you think it is and what you think happened. I’ll mail the winner something cool! Good luck:)