Moab, Utah

Wow, has it really been 3 months since my last blog?! I must be having too much fun in residency! This year has really flew by fast! I only have 5 more weeks left. I have 2 vacations during these last few weeks, and the first one is to Moab... here is my story:

Far far away from residency and the beach and home, I have found myself in the midst of a ton of red rock formations. The stress and fast pace of residency seemed to be a million mile away, 783 miles to be exact. Why did I come? AWLS! Advanced Wilderness Life Support course. This course taught me how to do wilderness patient assessment, treatment, and rescue. A short list of topics are: avalanche, climbing, altitude sickness, infections, burns, lighting, drowning, fractures/dislocations, bites and stings, water disinfection, hypo/hyperthermia, frostbites, ENT, and lots of hands on wilderness scenarios...

Our teachers consist of 3 ER docs in the special forces in the Army, a couple of docs who are professional rescuers, and other Wilderness Medical Society members. We learned in the classroom and out in the field. We also had a few evening sessions taught by various experts... one of note is Greg Child, who is a world expert climber and mountaineer. He did a presentation of his climb on K2 in 1990. Imagine being on 28000 feet climbing without ropes or oxygen! He is definitely of a different genetic make up than I.


A picture of K2, bordering Pakistan and China... the 2nd tallest peak in the world.

Pictures of Arches National Park:
So, of course, when I am not in class, this is where I am... I hiked 12.5 miles in Arches the first day and then few more the other days, and end with 3 hours of hike in the Fiery Furnance on my last day there. Here are some pictures...

The Landscape Arch, longest one, longer than the football field and only about 6 feet thick at the thinnest spot. Kept going on this hike took me to the Partition Arch that gave me 2 beautiful window views to the vally below.

Walking on top of a 'fin'... these verticle sheet of red rock are called fins... the tops of these fins are made of sand stone and the base layer is something harder and less water penetrable. So, as water travel from top to bottom through the middle of the sand stone, it gets collected at the bottom and eventually erode away a 'puddle' of sand stone forming an Arch.

The Delicate Arch: unofficial symbol of Utah. It is very tall!

Driving around, I found and will name this one the Whale Rock! And my camp.

Petroglyphs, or rock art, are found in various places on the canyon walls. Some are of styles that are consistant with time periods between 5,500 BC to 1,880 AD. Here I am point to a picture of a woman giving birth...

More rock art and a pair of dinosaur foot tracks... interesting?!

Continue on... here is a Mesa Arch at Canyonlands, and Double Arch at Arches.

"Islands in the Sky" at Canyonlands National Park.

Biking at Slickrock Trail:

In between, I did at 12.7 mile bike ride in Slickrock Trail... This is what is posted at the trailhead: "The Slickrock Trail is physically demanding and technically difficult. Although the main trail is 'only' about 12.7 miles long (out and back to the trailhead), you should allow 4 to 5 hours to complete the trail. Riders should also be aware that there is no bike route more challenging in the entire Moab area. Injuries are fairly common here; unfortunately, some of them have been quite serious. The Slickrock Trail is to be approached with respect."

Coolest offroad vehicle! Ever!

Me and the snowcapped LaSal mountains behind me; also the Colorado River...

My Action Shots...

Hiking inside the Fiery Furnace at Arches. I named this the "Thumb Up" rock... you see it?

Wedged in the crack...

Surprise Arch and the Goggle Arch... just right around the corner of this hike...

Lastly, we cannot leave without talking about this Cryptobiotic Soil... These little bumps are made up of cyanobacteria, fungus and other micro-organisms. It creates a structure to hold water and moister and produces nitrogen fixation so the plants can grow in the desert sand. Without it, there would be no obvious life. So, don't step on it! This patch probably is about 250 years old!

So, I hope you've enjoyed my pictures... I am determined to learn more about wilderness rescue and my role as the medical provider. Stay tuned...

Atlanta, Georgia

Hi all, I haven't posted a note on here for quite a while! After my last rotation in medical school, I took about a 5 week vacation. Graduated on 6/5, went to Vegas, then to Georgia. I have here a few pictures of my time in Georgia. I met up with a few people that I went to Costa Rica with and got to spend lot of quality time with a few people. I must admit, I really enjoyed Atlanta. I really enjoyed hanging out with Clint, Carla and Hannah out on the porch. I really enjoyed hiking the Tallulah Gorge with Clint and Deborah. I really enjoyed eating Chef Brantley's wonderful meal. I really enjoyed floating down the Broad River in our kayaks with Clint, Hannah, and Liz :) Ahhh, good times...

Hannah and my colorful creations

Lunch with Ryan at the Ted's Montana Grill... my first Buffalo Burger

Hiking the Tallulah Gorge loop with Deborah and Clint

Yum... good Southern BBQ

What else can I say? Nothing like them boiled p-nuts...

Clint's backyard... lots of wonderful relaxing hangouts on this porch overlooking a foresty backyard. Good times rolling...

Kayaking on the Broad River with Hannah, Liz, Clint... so nice, lots of wonderful memories and pictures in my head... too bad I didn't have a dry bag to carry my camera in to show you pictures of Hannah and Liz fliping over in the kayaks :) We had a great time did we, girls?!

Chef Brantley's Creation: "Bohemian Gourmet"

Talk and Bite
Baby leek with chicken salad
Mini burger
Sushi Tuna roll


The Main Deal
Ocean delight, Orange Ruffie
Pan sheared with olive oil, lightly season, and topped with a thin crisp crab cake.

West meets East Green Beans
Fresh green beans blanched in a southern season boil and finished off in a pan with roasted sesame seeds and olive oil.

From the Earth, mixed Baby Potatoes
Roasted baby potatoes, red & yellow bell peppers, garlic, green onions, and mush rooms covered with olive oil and seasons cooked to a roasted light brown.

The Sweat Things of Life
Key Lime Mango tart
Mini Chocolate cake covered in a dark chocolate Ganache
Bohemian Split Banana, mango, and pineapple cooked down in a brown sugar, butter sauce, topped with ice-cream and a mini fried sneaker.


Expresso