As we enter the midpoint of the Wilderness Institute, we have been in the process of juggling many variables that we prepared for but would rather not address.
We have needed to repair broken snowshoes and a brand new tent pole that snapped in half within the first hour of the trip. We have staff who are feeling strong and others that developed signs of colds and fatigue. Unfortunately, two of our seniors have exited the field due to upper respiratory issues. All parties have been informed and the students are resting nicely in Salida.
On Monday, Matt Whorton and John Regentin exited the field via exit point 1 on the map. As the group crossed this junction point, we ran into a hiker with her two dogs. Alice graciously agreed to drive Matt and John to Salida, but first she took them to her house and made them lunch. They met her husband Dave, who used to work for the Colorado State Park system and all enjoyed a nice meal of lasagna. They have a beautiful view of the Shavano range from their back deck. Matt and John were dropped off at the Gateway hotel in downtown Salida. On Tuesday, John was in the process of heading up to the Angel of Shavano Trailhead to break trail and move supplies in from the other direction in order to rendezvous with the group on Wednesday. However, just before securing a ride, a call came in from Kris stating that another student need to exit due to a similar upper respiratory issue.
John was able to connect with a non-profit agency in town called Neighbor to Neighbor that provides a taxi service for those who do not have transportation or are unable to drive. Essentially this agency works with the elderly and disabled residents of Salida and helps them with their shopping and medical needs. Connie, the director of Neighbor to Neighbor, immediately agreed to pick John up at the hotel and drive him to meet Gary and Chuck Steiner and the student that needed to exit point 1. Within one hour, everyone was back in the hotel resting.
On Wednesday, John heads back onto the Colorado Trail via the Angel of Shavano trailhead while the group will continue to move south with the anticipation everyone will meet at Squaw Creek. Eli Helmuth will join the group on Thursday and will begin the mountain course. We are one day behind on our itinerary, but the group is motivated to get back on course. They had a much needed rest day today and a number of great debriefs and discussions. The two seniors are set to take care of themselves for the next few days until the group exits.
John Regentin
Assistant Dean of College Life
Director of Experiential Education
A Perspective from Matt Whorton ’08, a health sciences major from Orono, Maine:
Here I am sitting in a hotel room pounding down hot tea and vitamin C. Outside, a new cold front has just pushed through and a fresh snow is beginning to fall. You would think that a warm room with a bed and a toilet is just the place you would want to be but I can’t stop thinking of my 22 classmates who are about 10 miles away digging in on the side of a dark mountain, cold--and having the experience of their lives.
The decision to pull myself out of the field was not an easy one, but a necessary one. I was struck with a fever, hacking cough and sore muscles and joints straight up until I was sitting on a plane heading for Colorado Springs. The thoughts of entering the field were strong on my mind as I sat shivering in Denver International. Should I admit defeat and back out now? Should I suck it up and commit? The decision I made was based on my past 3 years in the GRAB program. With my body full of Advil and my fever reduced, I arrive in Colorado Springs and began changing into my mountaineering clothes without hesitation. With the support of my classmates, we loaded the gear onto the buses and drove the two hours into the mountains. With Regentin’s last call for the bus and my decision to “sleep it off” I committed to WI 08.
Now we all know that I am writing this from a hotel room and not a tent. So where did my commitment end? Well, my commitment did not end. If there is one “golden nugget” of reasoning that I could pass down to the younger GRABbers it is that you always need to look holistically at any situation. No problem has only two clear solutions with only two clear consequences. Every decision you make and its consequences need to be thought out well before action is taken. What I stress the most is that you must make calls based on the team and not yourself. Here I was, a senior leader in the program getting my gear, food and clothes dispersed amongst the staff because I was about to slump over into a snow bank (and being completely fine with that). The last thing I wanted to do was have others carry my weight when the going became tough, but it was right thing to do. I had to look at myself as the problem, and while my body was falling to pieces around me, my mind was still focused. A teammate is struggling, his energy is gone, and we still have two miles to go, as a facilitator, the call is easy: split the weight, monitor and continue on. I just happened to be the struggling teammate.
Even finding myself safely in my sleeping bag and feeling “OK” that night I knew a decision needed to be made. Staying committed to the group, it was obvious that my current status put an overall burden on the team and while I wanted to stay with the group, they needed to put their best foot forward. With this in mind, and the nearby road, I made the call to walk out while I was still in a condition to do so. It was not an easy one but one that was required for the overall positive momentum of the group.
In the end, food was dispersed, gear was packed, hugs were given and tears were shed; I moved out and the group moved forward. When you are required to make a call, do so looking at the group as a whole, not at what you want to do yourself. That way, when all is said and done you can sit back and know that at no time did you turn your back on your teammates. Every choice you make commits you further to the success of your team.
We have needed to repair broken snowshoes and a brand new tent pole that snapped in half within the first hour of the trip. We have staff who are feeling strong and others that developed signs of colds and fatigue. Unfortunately, two of our seniors have exited the field due to upper respiratory issues. All parties have been informed and the students are resting nicely in Salida.
On Monday, Matt Whorton and John Regentin exited the field via exit point 1 on the map. As the group crossed this junction point, we ran into a hiker with her two dogs. Alice graciously agreed to drive Matt and John to Salida, but first she took them to her house and made them lunch. They met her husband Dave, who used to work for the Colorado State Park system and all enjoyed a nice meal of lasagna. They have a beautiful view of the Shavano range from their back deck. Matt and John were dropped off at the Gateway hotel in downtown Salida. On Tuesday, John was in the process of heading up to the Angel of Shavano Trailhead to break trail and move supplies in from the other direction in order to rendezvous with the group on Wednesday. However, just before securing a ride, a call came in from Kris stating that another student need to exit due to a similar upper respiratory issue.
John was able to connect with a non-profit agency in town called Neighbor to Neighbor that provides a taxi service for those who do not have transportation or are unable to drive. Essentially this agency works with the elderly and disabled residents of Salida and helps them with their shopping and medical needs. Connie, the director of Neighbor to Neighbor, immediately agreed to pick John up at the hotel and drive him to meet Gary and Chuck Steiner and the student that needed to exit point 1. Within one hour, everyone was back in the hotel resting.
On Wednesday, John heads back onto the Colorado Trail via the Angel of Shavano trailhead while the group will continue to move south with the anticipation everyone will meet at Squaw Creek. Eli Helmuth will join the group on Thursday and will begin the mountain course. We are one day behind on our itinerary, but the group is motivated to get back on course. They had a much needed rest day today and a number of great debriefs and discussions. The two seniors are set to take care of themselves for the next few days until the group exits.
John Regentin
Assistant Dean of College Life
Director of Experiential Education
A Perspective from Matt Whorton ’08, a health sciences major from Orono, Maine:
Here I am sitting in a hotel room pounding down hot tea and vitamin C. Outside, a new cold front has just pushed through and a fresh snow is beginning to fall. You would think that a warm room with a bed and a toilet is just the place you would want to be but I can’t stop thinking of my 22 classmates who are about 10 miles away digging in on the side of a dark mountain, cold--and having the experience of their lives.
The decision to pull myself out of the field was not an easy one, but a necessary one. I was struck with a fever, hacking cough and sore muscles and joints straight up until I was sitting on a plane heading for Colorado Springs. The thoughts of entering the field were strong on my mind as I sat shivering in Denver International. Should I admit defeat and back out now? Should I suck it up and commit? The decision I made was based on my past 3 years in the GRAB program. With my body full of Advil and my fever reduced, I arrive in Colorado Springs and began changing into my mountaineering clothes without hesitation. With the support of my classmates, we loaded the gear onto the buses and drove the two hours into the mountains. With Regentin’s last call for the bus and my decision to “sleep it off” I committed to WI 08.
Now we all know that I am writing this from a hotel room and not a tent. So where did my commitment end? Well, my commitment did not end. If there is one “golden nugget” of reasoning that I could pass down to the younger GRABbers it is that you always need to look holistically at any situation. No problem has only two clear solutions with only two clear consequences. Every decision you make and its consequences need to be thought out well before action is taken. What I stress the most is that you must make calls based on the team and not yourself. Here I was, a senior leader in the program getting my gear, food and clothes dispersed amongst the staff because I was about to slump over into a snow bank (and being completely fine with that). The last thing I wanted to do was have others carry my weight when the going became tough, but it was right thing to do. I had to look at myself as the problem, and while my body was falling to pieces around me, my mind was still focused. A teammate is struggling, his energy is gone, and we still have two miles to go, as a facilitator, the call is easy: split the weight, monitor and continue on. I just happened to be the struggling teammate.
Even finding myself safely in my sleeping bag and feeling “OK” that night I knew a decision needed to be made. Staying committed to the group, it was obvious that my current status put an overall burden on the team and while I wanted to stay with the group, they needed to put their best foot forward. With this in mind, and the nearby road, I made the call to walk out while I was still in a condition to do so. It was not an easy one but one that was required for the overall positive momentum of the group.
In the end, food was dispersed, gear was packed, hugs were given and tears were shed; I moved out and the group moved forward. When you are required to make a call, do so looking at the group as a whole, not at what you want to do yourself. That way, when all is said and done you can sit back and know that at no time did you turn your back on your teammates. Every choice you make commits you further to the success of your team.
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