Spring update

For those who've expressed interest in my blog from work, thank you.  I know work is slow and it was while at work that I did most of my planning for the Appalachian Trail.

I will admitt over the winter I slowed down my hiking considerably.  I did get out, just not as often.  My most hiked trail was Dog Lake in Big Cottonwood Canyon.  It's quick and easy without a lot of avalanch danger.  Another hiked trail is the upper Millcreek road.  I do like Millcreek however it does get over run by doggie poo bags.  Please when you walk you pup remember to take the waste with you.  There are some things I will pack out, like campfire trash and candy wrappers.

My plans for the up coming hiking season is to thru-hike the Tahoe Rim Trail [TRT].  I'll get back up to Anderson Pass, this time with cool weather gear to finish King's Peak.  There are a few lakes in the Uinta's I want to get back to including Four Lakes Basin (south slope), Naturalist Basin (south slope), and Red Castle (north slope).  I'm not much of a fisherman, though I grew up fishing.  These lakes are remarkably stunning and will be worth the nine plus mile hike in.

The TRT is a quick 2 week hike with 3 resupply points wrapping around the mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe CA/NV.  At 165 miles some of it shares tread with the Pacific Crest Trail on the western side.  I first read about the TRT in Backpacker Magazine a few years back.  For it's short length it makes a nice, don't quit the job thru-hike.

I wanted to hike the TRT last year however, the temporary position I took at work made me hang the plans up for a season.  I'll say cyber-hiking isn't like tread on treadway, I managed.  I'll also say the position stretched me in ways of interacting in a training environment pushed this flip flopping intor/extrovert around in good ways.

I'll be digging up some links for the side bar, updating the photo slideshows too.  I may not do a GPS tracker except for a select few for saftey.  My tab pages are also getting a work over too.

As for now, look at the weather, toss on another layer, and hike on.

Appalachian Trail Journey

This link takes you to my album on flicker for the Appalachian Trail Journey.

By preyingjaws on Flickr. Just follow this link to see and comment on this album: https://www.flickr.com/gp/preyingjaws/7JwD42

Fire Prevention

rdc_TPFT_DSC_2520_20091104, originally uploaded by preyingjaws.

The last several weeks have not been tops for one of the nation's refinery of oil. They suffered several set backs in regards to fires. Thankfully, few if anyone were injured in the fires which were quickly contained & controlled. The most recent fire damaged some homes in a Woodscross neighborhood which were damaged due to being within an unknown blast zone.

I'd hate to think about the fire damage done had teams not been on location. I know when I hear the local fire units roll out, they heading out for damage control. Seldom do the brigades arrive in time to stop the spread of immediate damage.

The day of the Woodscross fire the Wasatch Camera Club had the opportunity to experience the training that went to use earlier that day at another facility. The above image is taken at the training facility.

Before going out to the location one of the firemen (a club member) briefed us. He said the local fire brigades will not enter the facility under their chief's command, they will take up defensive positions outside the property, and follow instructions as directed by the facility's team if their help is requested in the facility. He went on to say the company's fire brigade is staffed by employee volunteers who train regularly and who are on a rotating on call duty roster. They have teams on scene literally within seconds verses minutes if they relied on an outside source.

As I set up my camera gear in the designated viewer area I thought back to my own fire fighting training with Mercy Ships. It was train, train, and train some more. Review the materials list, know the lay out of the ship/facility, know the gear, concentrate on the task at hand, etc.

Not only do I remember the physical aspect of it I also remember the preparation of it. The best way to put out a fire is not to let it start. Most of our would be fires were because of an over loaded power transformer 220v stepped down to 110v. These transformers would overheat, sizzle producing acidic smoke, and blow a circuit breaker. We'd keep our eyes and noses on the look out for overloaded transformers.

The designer's of the m.v. Africa Mercy took the lessons learned, the safety requirements, and implemented them. I haven't been to the m.v. Africa Mercy but I have seen her design, talked with the engineers, and those involved in the project. I know that our old ship issues were addressed. I'd say she's a very safe ship from that aspect.

As we head into this year's holiday season, as we pull out our decorations, as we pull out the memories of years gone by, please remember fire safety is more then not playing with matches. Fire safety begins by inspecting electrical cords and connections. Fire safety includes resisting the temptation to overload a circuit. Fire safety includes making sure flammables are away from the flames and heat source when a flame is lit or a heat source turned on. Fire safety begins with common sense.

I live in a multifamily community, not a rack and stack as some apartments are but, still I share a common wall with 2 other families. I'd hate to loose out because of a simple over sight by one of my neighbors. Even more so I'd hate for them to loose out because of me.

As we head into a season of lights, jolly, and good times please remember...

Fire safety begins with prevention.

Prevention means using common sense.