The Trek Report

Hacienda Entrance Gate Off Almaden Road

Ok, so it wasn’t Page 1…but we have to start somewhere.

Two and a half weeks ago in the Saturday paper, in a small feature called “3 Things to Do Today, 3 Things to Do Tomorrow” our Almaden Quicksilver Hike was posted.  Awesome!

Needless to say, the hits on the website were off the charts and the phone calls came in steadily (while we were out teaching Lifeguard Training of course).  We ended up with two fantastic hikers and some great exposure for our outdoor adventure company.

The Hike

Almaden Quicksilver is an incredible place to hike.  Although it can be crowded at times, I can’t pass up leading trips there because of the scenery, local history, and varied albeit challenging terrain.  I took out two avid hikers from Almaden into a section of the park they had not explored before.  We took in the views of the Diablo Range, Mt. Umunhum and the Almaden Air Force Base, as well as remnants of the English mining camp.

Our party of three tackled the 4.5 mile historic route faster than expected, which left us wanting more, so I promised a solid half- day next time.  (which by the way is the Upper Steven’s Creek trip in December)

We always love a small group on all of our trips for the social factor, but know that we rarely cancel–in fact, I’ve been known to hike by myself (or with my dogs or son) on an empty trip.  So…don’t be shy…come join us!

Remnants from a Mining Camp of 1800 People

Largest Mercury Mine in US in Our Backyard

Nothing to do with shock, other than you don't want to experience it here at 12,000'

I’m shocked!

No, not emotional shock.  Nor are we talking about electric shock.  This is a serious medical condition that affects the entire body and can be the result of almost any trauma or illness.  Which is why I’m writing about it .

“Shock is inadequate perfusion, a condition that results when the brain and other body cells are not getting a sufficient flow of oxygenated blood.  It can occur from a great variety of injuries and illnesses, including blood loss, dehydration, a heart attack, spinal cord damage, and a severe allergic reaction.  Whatever the cause, most shock patients share similar signs and symptoms.”  (Tilton, Backcountry First Aid, 2007)

So, essentially the body is shutting itself down to keep oxygenated blood in the heart, lungs, and brain.

Here’s what to look for:

• Change in level of consciousness
• Rapid, weak pulse
• Restlessness and irritability
• Pale, cool, and clammy skin

Here’s what to do:

• Get medical help!  Or begin your evacuation plan
• Treat the cause (e.g. severe bleeding)
• Calm the patient
• Have them lie down and elevate their legs 6-12 inches if there is no sign of spinal injury
• Keep them comfortable and monitor vitals continuously

If your patient slips into unconsciousness, decompensatory shock may be settling in, and a rapid evacuation is necessary.

Stay tuned for Part IV…

Practicing a full patient check on the flanks of Mt. Shasta

A hiker falls down in the woods…

Pre-Assessment

“Is the scene safe?”

That’s the mantra repeated many dozens of times in any Red Cross course and Wilderness and Remote First Aid is no different.  The subsequent steps include checking the patient, calling for help (if available), and providing care—thus forming the Red Cross emergency action steps: CHECK—CALL—CARE.

The Wilderness Medicine Institute recommends a slightly different, yet valuable a five step process, recently documented in Backpacker Magazine.  The best part is it rhymes!  To remember the steps, you need to put your hand up to your forehead as if viewing something from a distance. This signifies keeping a safe space between you and the potentially dangerous situation, and it also reminds you of the five steps (one for each finger on your forehead.)

Here are the steps to run through mentally—or out loud if you’re so inclined:

#1: I’m Number 1!  (Protect yourself first)

#2: What happened to you? (look for the mechanism of injury)

#3: No germs on me! (Put your gloves on!)

#4: Are there any more? (Patients, that is)

#5: Are you dead or alive?(Get a general impression of the patient.  E.g. are you about to perform CPR or put a band-aid on them?)

Paul Peltzoldt, founder of the National Outdoor Leadership School has some additional advice: “sit down and smoke a cigarette if you get in a tough situation, and that’s pretty darn good counsel for any situation where things come flying at you quickly.”  (Tom Reed, NOLS)  Bear in mind that he said this in the sixties and neither I nor NOLS are encouraging smoking—but you get the concept: calm down, slow down, and think.

Primary Assessment
This should be similar to what you have learned in CPR

Greet the patient, identify yourself and your level of training, and gain consent to help them.  Have another responder stabilize the patient’s head/spine while you continue.  If the patient can speak, find out their chief complaint.  The ABCDE steps in the Primary Assessment are designed to check for life-threatening conditions.  If at any time you find one of such conditions, stop and treat it.  Here are the Red Cross steps:

• A–Check airway.  A patient who can speak has an open airway, is breathing and has a pulse
• B–Assess breathing.  If the patient is not breathing, immediately begin rescue breathing or CPR
• C–Assess circulation.  Check for a pulse in a child.  Then, for an adult  and child, perform a quick scan for severe bleeding.  If you find severe bleeding, immediately expose the wound and use direct pressure to control the bleeding.
• D–Look for disability as a result of damage to the spinal cord.  If you suspect a spinal injury, keep a hand on the patient’s head or ask someone else to take control of the patient’s head and tell the patient to remain still.
• E–Assess the threat of the environment and expose any injuries.  Look for exposure to extreme environmental conditions but, if necessary, you may expose part of the patient’s skin to assess the damage and to give care.
• If there are no life-threats, continue with the secondary assessment and SAMPLE history.

Stay tuned for secondary assessment…

This weekend I began a host of new online marketing strategies–beginning with a needs assessment of our participants.  The results so far are informative and will play a big role in the way we, South Bay Trekking Company continue to expand, plan new trips and activities, and ultimately be a one-stop-shop for outdoor recreation in San Jose.

I posted the link to the survey, please take it!  We started with 31 company t-shirts to give away, and are down to a few left, and will then send out some Black Diamond carabiner keychains.

Survey aside, we love receiving feedback from our participants at any time.  Let us know how we can get you outdoors!  A few things you’ll see from us in the not-too-distant future will be outdoors programs for kids and families.  Speaking of which, here’s a picture of my four month old Assistant Guide, Stuart…

Happy Trails!

It was a warm one on this Father’s Day hike at Pinnacles–but crystal clear and no crowds–score!