b. What is the primary activity (or activities) of your expedition (i.e. rock climbing, packrafting and hiking, etc.)? backpacking/hiking

Transcription

1 I. Grant Summary a. Expedition name: Down the Rabbit Hole: Hiking the Wonderland Trail b. What is the primary activity (or activities) of your expedition (i.e. rock climbing, packrafting and hiking, etc.)? backpacking/hiking c. Briefly describe the objective(s) of your expedition: The objective of our expedition is to explore the unique terrain that embodies and surrounds Mt. Rainier. As it is very difficult/impossible to climb Mt. Rainier without proper certification or a designated guide, we decided that circumnavigating Mt. Rainier would give us a similar experience while also allowing us to delve into a challenging trail built for backpacking. The main goal of our trip is to find a balance between the cyclical journey of the trail and the stop-and-go experience of multiple elevation climbs. Each day we will either be ascending or descending little peaks, while on a big picture scale we are making our way around Mt. Rainier. As this trail is frequented much less often than say, thru-hiking trails, we hope to fully delve into the wilderness and limit our interactions with outside people/forces. My expedition partner and I are both avid nature photographers; one of our other main goals for this trip is to capture the essence of dwelling in the wilderness and embracing the bare essentials that so many people take for granted in daily life. The idea of photographing our trip is not to provide us with personal memories but to provide us with a sort of non-tangible explanation as to how important the wilderness is to the both of us, and how essential experiences like this one can have an impact on the preservation of such wildernesses.

2 Ideal-Logic 1/12/17, 8:35 AM d. Describe the location of the expedition: The trail we have chosen circumnavigates Mt. Rainier in Mt. Rainier National Park, WA. We are doing it in late July/early August so most of the snowpack will have melted. We expect no harsh conditions in this location. Attach an area overview map. overview map w_ campsites.png (606KB, 725x636px) Uploaded Dec 30, :57pm by Mary Murphy Screen Shot at...png (729KB, 593x596px) Uploaded Dec 30, :58pm by Mary Murphy profile map1.png (104KB, 1095x485px) Uploaded Jan 1, :12am by Mary Murphy profile map2.png (132KB, 1269x482px) Uploaded Jan 1, :12am by Mary Murphy e. Expedition dates: July 25-Aug 09, 2017 July 25-26: driving time Page 3 of 9

3 Ideal-Logic 1/12/17, 8:35 AM July 27: pick up permit and drop off food caches (1st day in field) July 28-August 8: 12 days in field August 9: drive back to CC 17 total days, 12 in backcountry f. Number of days in the backcountry: 12 g. Describe the wilderness character of your expedition (100 words or less): The Wonderland Trail is 93 miles long and completely encircles Mt. Rainier. The Wonderland Trail has been voted one of the "100 Best Trails in the Nation" for ten years in a row. It is one of the only backpacking trails in Washington and not only circumnavigates Mt. Rainier but also travels through the Cascade Range. There is a wide variety of both valleys and high-elevation climbs, and also a wide variety of warm weather and glacial peaks. The Wonderland Trail is the perfect destination for a wonder of outdoor experience. The trail s average elevation is around 3800ft, with its lowest point at 2330ft and highest point at 6245ft. Each day there is an elevation gain or descent of at least 1000ft. We have planned to have two re-rations at pre-designated food and fuel caches (which unfortunately means stepping off the trail and into the ranger stations at Longmire and Mowich Lake). We aim to limit our interaction with the nonwilderness as much as possible. h. Funding request, per person, in $USD: $ II. Participant Qualifications a. Participants' Graduation Date Mary Murphy Planned Graduation May 2018 Jack Buettner Planned Graduation May 2018 b. Medical Certifications Jack Buettner- WFR certification exp. Jan Mary Murphy- CPR & First Aid (exp. 2020), enrolled for WRF cert. Jan 9-18, 2017 (exp. Jan 2019) c. Additional Certifications No additional certifications needed for this expedition. d. Training Plan No additional training or skills is needed for this expedition. III. Expedition Plan a. Land Management The land on the Wonderland Trail is managed by Mt. Rainier National Park. There is a Wilderness Permit required to be obtained for each group, of which there is no cost. This year, Mt. Rainier National Park is not allowing for reservations so all permits are issued on a first-come, first-serve basis. We plan to arrive a day early in our schedule in order to obtain the permit first thing in the morning. If our travel dates for each wilderness campground are taken and we are not able to get a permit for our original itinerary, we plan to reverse our itinerary and hike the trail counterclockwise (our itinerary is currently planned clockwise). We will likely be issued a permit to begin with as we will be at the ranger station first thing in the morning but reversing our itinerary is simple and acts as our Plan B. When we Page 4 of 9

4 Ideal-Logic 1/12/17, 8:35 AM receive the permit, they will let us know if there are any important weather conditions/fire bans. We also plan on researching this closer to our expedition date. (Currently, there are no fire bans in Mt. Rainier Nat'l Park, although last year a fire ban was issued June 30-Sept 30.) b. LNT Principles Yes Empty While hiking the Wonderland Trail, we will follow the Leave No Trace (LNT) guidelines (outlined in brief below). We will be camping at designated sites along the trail, so not to create additional disturbances. We will pack out all waste, which will be kept away from animals in our bear canisters or critter hangs. We will repackage foods before leaving, so that our waste is at a minimum while hiking. We will follow the park s guidelines regarding human waste and will bring both a trowel and wag bags. We don t anticipate having any other LNT concerns, as we will not start fires and will always be respectful passersby to both animals and other hikers. 1. Plan Ahead and Prepare (we have planned this trip thoroughly and have the necessary skills, gear, and knowledge to ensure a successful trip). 2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces (see above paragraph for where we will be camping). 3. Dispose of Waste property (we will be packing out all food/toilet waste). 4. Leave what you Find (the only thing we will be taking from the trail is the beautiful views! we will not remove anything from nature/the trail). 5. Minimize Campfire Impacts 6. Respect Wildlife (if/when we encounter wildlife on the trail, we will respect it and not disturb it in any way i.e. proximity, loudness, etc.) 7. Be Considerate of Others (if/when we encounter other hikers, we will be considerate and respectful). c. Cultural Considerations No d. Re-Ration Plans Yes NOLS recommends for comfort and safety that long distance backpackers pack no more than four days worth of food at a time. In keeping with this as well as the Ritt Kellogg Memorial Fund s requirement of having 12 consecutive days in the backcountry, we have decided to place two re-rations along our 12-day journey. We will place these two rerations, at caches designated by the National Park Service, on the day before we embark on the trail (7/27/17). The first re-ration will be placed at Longmire Wilderness Information Center, to be picked up on 7/31/17 our fourth day on the trail. The second re-ration will be placed at the Mowich Lake Campground Ranger Station, to be picked up on 8/5/17 our ninth day on the trail. Along with the necessary food (four breakfasts, dinners, and lunches), we will also place two fuel bottles at each food cache. This plan will allow us to keep our packs light and ensure that we have enough food throughout our time on the Wonderland Trail. It is important to note that while obtaining the re-rations we won t be entering any towns, merely picking up the deposited food and fuel. This will allow our hike to be fluid, stay in line with the backcountry requirement, and overall make for a more enjoyable trip. e. Expedition Itinerary Trip Itinerary.pdf (45KB) Uploaded Jan 5, :43am by Mary Murphy Trip Itinerary.pdf (6MB) Uploaded Jan 9, :46pm by Mary Murphy f. Equipment List Equipment List.pdf (77KB) Uploaded Jan 9, :20pm by Mary Murphy Appendix A Appendix B Page 5 of 9

5 Ideal-Logic 1/12/17, 8:35 AM g. Food List Day-By-Day Meals.pdf (112KB) Uploaded Jan 5, :16am by Mary Murphy Appendix C Food Storage Wild mice and other small rodents frequently get into the food storage cache areas at the ranger stations in Mt. Rainier National Park. In order to prevent any wildlife tampering with our food caches, per recommendation by the rangers, we will be storing our food in 5-gallon plastic buckets with sealable lids. In terms of food storage on the trail, we will be following the backcountry rule of having our cooking area at least 100 ft. away from our sleeping area, and our stored food also 100 ft. away from both our sleeping and cooking area. This creates a sort of triangle. In terms of protecting food from wildlife in the wilderness, we will be using one of our packs and a rope to create a "bear/critter hang". IV. Risk Management a. Travel As we as expedition partners are traveling to the trailhead via car, we are driving together to/from CC. In order to mitigate risk, we intend to obey all traffic laws as well as National Park laws/requirements. We plan to switch off driving every three hours to remain alert and stay safe on the road. We also plan to do most of our driving during the day whenever possible, again to make the drive as safe as possible. We will also be adhering to LNT principles on our way to the trail, and when we are camping on BLM land. b. Objective Hazards 1. Mt. Rainier is an active volcano. While this is by far the most dangerous hazard, it is also the least likely. (The last estimated eruption was over 1,000 years ago, according to nps.gov.) 2. While we do not expect Mt. Rainier's volcanic characteristics to effect the weather, it is possible. Glacial floods and mud floods known as lahars are possible and can occur without warning. These floods adhere to the laws of gravity and flow downward. 3. Another more likely hazard besides weather is heat exhaustion and altitude sickness. The trail enters a high-alpine area and is composed of strenuous elevation gains/losses. See how we will address each hazard below. 1. In the case of a volcanic eruption, we will follow the evacuation protocol that the Mt. Rainier National Park Rangers issue to us when we receive our permit. (Without knowing the national parks protocol currently, we plan to hike down into a sub-alpine, low elevation area away from any glaciers and proceed to evacuate to the nearest ranger station/town.) 2. In the case of either flood, we will climb to a point of high elevation. The likelihood of these events are low and their impacts are usually minimal. The likelihood is even lower since we are hiking the trail in the driest month of the year. 3. We have planned our itinerary according to daily mileage and average elevation gain; we have dispersed days with high elevation gain but less mileage in between days with much lower elevation gain but more mileage. Throughout the trip, we plan to hydrate frequently. On more strenuous days, we plan to stop more frequently in order to snack/increase our caloric intake. c. Subjective Hazards 1. As a pair of friends who have known each other since our first year at CC, and not only participated on ORC trips together but have led trips together and explored the wilderness together on personal trips, we know each other and each other's strengths and weaknesses very well. We are both comfortable making decisions and compromising when need be. While we both have roughly the same amount of experience, its not all experiences that we have shared together. We each bring something different to the table. We do not anticipate any hazards in terms of dynamics between us. Page 6 of 9

6 Ideal-Logic 1/12/17, 8:35 AM 2. The only serious health concern on this trip would be Mary's allergy to Benadryl (an antihistamine). Both Jack and Mary are fully aware of her allergy and the type of allergic reaction she could have (non life-threatening). The chances of an allergic reaction are minimal. 1. If the group dynamics shift for any unforeseeable reason, we have agreed that we will sit down and talk through the issue/decision until both parties are happy with the compromise/result. In order to mitigate arguments rising out of differences in opinion, we have decided on having nightly discourses in which we recap the day (what went well, what we are looking forward to, etc.). 2. In order to ensure Mary doesn't have an allergic reaction she will simply not take Benadryl, and will take a nondiphenhydramine antihistamine instead (if she for some reason has an allergic reaction to something in the field). d. Emergency Preparedness We are both Wilderness First Responders and will be carrying basic wilderness first aid kits, should any injuries or illnesses occur. This certification enables us to treat most injuries that could occur while long distance backpacking, primarily sprains/breaks and common hiking illnesses (namely dehydration). To minimize risk, Mary and I plan to hike only during the day to avoid accidents caused by darkness. We have also created a full schedule that allows us to hike at an enjoyable pace without having to push ourselves beyond reasonable limits. Regarding food and water intake, as well as bathroom use, we plan to continue to use the skills we have developed as leaders that is constantly communicating, so that we can assess not only ourselves, but also each other. Should a situation call for an evacuation, we have designated the closest ranger stations and/or points of contact for each day of hiking. They are: White River Ranger Station (Days 1 and 2), Paradise Ranger Station (Day 3), Longmire Wilderness Information Center (Days 4 and 5), Lake George Patrol Cabin (Day 6), Denman Falls Patrol Cabin (Day 7), Golden Lakes Patrol Cabin (Day 8), Mowich Lake Ranger Station (Days 9 and 10), Mystic Lake Patrol Cabin (Day 11), Sunrise Ranger Station (Day 12). Cell service on the trail is questionable. If we need to evacuate, we will plan to move to one of these points or assess if the closest road (there are several that border and intersect the trail) will give us access to cell phone service. e. Emergency Resources Mt. Rainier National Park White River Ranger Station (360) Longmire Wilderness Information Center (360) Sunrise Ranger Station (360) *Other listed ranger stations did not have an individual phone number. St. Elizabeth Hospital ~ 50 mins from Summerland 1455 Battersby Ave, Enumclaw, WA (360) Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital ~ 90 mins from Summerland 2811 Tieton Dr, Yakima, WA (509) Should cell service not be available in the case of an non-life-threatening emergency, we will move to the closest point of contact, as outlined above. In the case of a life-threatening emergency, we will use the SAT phone to call out and reach help, communicating with them the severity of the injury/emergency/etc. Page 7 of 9

7 Ideal-Logic 1/12/17, 8:35 AM Portland, OR V. Budget Budget BUDGET_2.pdf (41KB) Uploaded Jan 9, :25pm by Mary Murphy Appendix D Transportation Food and Fuel Maps and Books 0 Communication Device Rental 84 Permits/Fees 80 Gear Rentals 26 Total Funding Request $ Cost Minimization Measures We decided to drive from Colorado Springs to Mt. Ranier National Park instead of paying for airfare as airfare+transportation to the trailhead was more expensive and logistically tricky. (There is no shuttle service to the park from either airport in proximity and neither of us are old enough to rent a car (plus, this would be a more expensive option)). As we were writing this grant in December, round trip plane tickets from Denver to Seattle were $656 per person, which is more than what we have budgeted for fuel for the both of us driving round trip. This saves us nearly $1,000 ($903.90). While driving back from our trip, we will camp on BLM land at night, saving us campsite fees. On the way there, we are stopping at a non-electric campsite for $10 in Macks Creek, ID. We chose to stay at a campsite because is it very close to the highway and will decrease our driving time on the way to the park. (We need to arrive at the park early in order to pick up the permit and drop off our food caches.) In order to be cost-effective with food, food items will be bought in bulk (either at Mountain Mamas or other bulk-food establishments, see food budget for detail) to minimize our food costs. In addition, we will be adhering to a mostly vegan lifestyle on the trail, saving money on canned and cured meats, egg and dairy products. (With the exception of a few packs of jerky for Jack, mainly for caloric purposes.) Also, we will not be purchasing any maps; topo maps and route descriptions will all be configured on CalTopo and printed by us. In terms of minimizing costs, we are also saving money by renting a few needed gear items instead of buying new items for a higher cost. We will be renting a tent, a stove, fuel canisters, and bear canisters. VI. Expedition Agreement Expedition Agreement Page 8 of 9

8 Ideal-Logic 1/12/17, 8:35 AM Expedition Agreement.pdf (97KB) Uploaded Jan 4, :07pm by Mary Murphy Appendix E Page 9 of 9

9 Appendix A- Expedition Itinerary

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17 Appendix B- Equipment List GROUP GEAR: 2-person tent w/footprint EQUIPMENT LIST Cooking/Cleaning: stove (MSR) lightweight cooking pot w/lid lightweight frying pan spatula spoon Dr. Bronner s soap (1 bottle) Small sponge 1 sharp non-folding knife Navigation: Area maps (Caltopo) Elevation maps Compass SAT Phone+ SPOT GPS Device Permit/Permit # Toiletry Kit : Hand sanitizer (1 small bottles) 2 ziploc waste bags/wag-bags Trowel and toilet paper 1 Life Straw Water Filter 1 bottle sodium hypochlorite (water purification) 3 liter MSR dromedary Misc.: ~20ft of utility cord (for the critter hang) OR 2 bear canisters from Gear House (or both) Sunscreen (1 6 oz. bottle should suffice) Cameras with extra camera batteries Travel harmonica INDIVIDUAL GEAR: General: Backpacking pack (~60 liter), rain cover, pack liner 0-20 degree sleeping bag sleeping pad headlamp w/extra batteries/ headlamp hat 2 nalgenes or a 4-liter camelback bladder meal bowl Spoon or spork Toothbrush and toothpaste

18 Head: warm hat sun hat sunglasses Upper body clothing: short sleeve base layer long sleeve base layer insulating jacket extra layer Lower body clothing: 1 pair quick-dry shorts 1 pair hiking pants 1 pair rain pants underwear Feet: hiking boots wool socks FIRST AID KIT CONTENTS: Wound care items: 4x 1 in. bandage strips 3x butterfly closure strips 6x spot bandages 2x triple antibiotic ointments 3x antiseptic wipes 3x alcohol swabs 2x pair of nitrile gloves Bandages: 8x sterile dressings 2x non-adherent sterile dressings 2x conforming gauze bandages 3x knuckle bandages Misc. Wound Care Items: 1 roll medical tape 1x elastic (ACE) bandage 1 4x4 sheet moleskin Medications: 6x ibuprofen 2x aspirin 2x non-diphenhydramine antihistamine (loratadine)

19 2x sting-relief wipes 2x hydrocortisone cream Misc. Equipment: 1x metal splinter forceps 3x safety pins 1x 2in.wide roll of duct tape 1x medial scissors 1x SAM splint 1x CPR Mask SOAP notes

20 Appendix C- Food List

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28 Appendix D- Budget