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AdventureBuddies' Newsletter

Welcome AdventureBuddies,

Happy Memorial Day!
This newsletter is LONG.  Please use the Contents (titles) to the left to scroll to what interests you.

- Recently I made a rookie mistake leading a Sierra Club hike.  
  (See what makes a good hike leader)
- Stay cool & safe (See Beat the Heat)
- Do you know about Farro?  (See Ecology Cooking section)
- Veterinary Advice from my sister (see Pet Corner)


Beat the Heat

Anyone who has taken basic or Wilderness First Aid  knows the dangers of heat and dehydration.  At the end of this newsletter is a long but important article on heat and heat related conditions.


Events & Seminars

Events & Seminars

Please see side bar to the left for a list of upcoming events - or you can check the calendar

Next POLES for Hikers seminar (with practice hike) is Sun, June 13. 


What makes a good hike? AND What makes a good hike leader?

What makes a good hike? AND What makes a good hike leader?

Leaves of 3, leave them be - do you know what Poison Oak looks like in the trail?  Do you call it so your buddies don't get swipped in the face or legs? 
Do you call "Low Branch" so your buddies don't get bashed in the head?

Even seasoned leaders can make ARM's (aggregious rookie mistakes)  This got me re-thinking - what makes a good leader and what constitutes a good hike?  I quip that "any hike is a good hike,"  but some of my buddies' comments surprised me about what THEY thought made a good hike.

I  would like your input to help create 2 articles (that I'll share with AdventureBuddies).  Please email your thoughts to Seminar@AdventureBuddies.NET


Ecology Cooking: Ancient grain

I buy in bulk, store my grains in glass containers and focus on healthy eating.  Imagine my surprise when I learned of a healthy, delicious grain I'd never heard of!

Farro!  an ancient, nutritious & graceful grain believed to have sustained the Roman legions, (earliest evidence around 17,000 BCE).  Much as I'm not fond of "recipes" and like to experiment (I love this NYT article on cooking types), I started with a recipe.  I bought some Farro in bulk from Monterey Market and loosely followed this recipe. It's not cheap but, like quinoa,  it's now a staple in our home.

Farro
1 c farro
8 c water
½ c + 1 T olive oil
2 T butter
¼ c shallots
2/3 c dry red wine
2 c ch broth
2 T Parm
Soak farro in cold water 20 mins; drain, rinse. Bring 8 c water to boil, add ½ c oil and farro. Simmer 20, drain, rinse. Melt 1 T butter with 1 T oil, add shallots 1 min, add farro and wine, etc. About 14 mins total. Stir in cheese and 1 T butter, s & p.  Also - look on Epicurious.com for other ideas.


Quote & Flower

Quote & Flower

This lovely flower is a Clarkia. 
In one of my books, it's called Farewell to Spring; in another book it's called Herald of Summer.

So what really makes a splendid hike?  Here's one ingredient:  
"Happiness equals
reality minus
expectations."  ~ Tom Magliozzi  


Pet Corner, Bathing Cats

Pet Corner, Bathing Cats

Dale M. Paley, DVM
Why do I bathe my cats?
Advantages of bathing cats are numerous (especially if you have even mild allergies to our furry buddies).

Bathing:
1) keeps coat shiny & clean,
2) massages the underlying skin, removes dead undercoat & stimulates blood supply & nutrients to the skin and fur,
3) significantly cuts down on allergens on the cat’s haircoat,
4) allows for better visualization of any problems (or parasites like fleas or ticks) with the skin or hair,
5) cuts down on the hair ingested by the cat decreasing incidence of hairballs.

The key is to start when they are young and make it a normal part of their life so they don't associate bathing with stress.
Preparation is also key.  Have towels ready, be organized to reduce time, effort & stress.  Both my cats go outside and I bathe them approximately once a month.

Make sure the shampoo you use is approved for use on cats  Specifically don't use flea shampoos as they tend to be irritating.

Photo: My cat Christy as a kitten.
Skin & bones, she was rescued out of a dumpster so you can be sure she is used to bathing. This happy kitty purrs so loud it sounds like a roar.

Dale Paley, DVM


Survive the Heat!

From Howard of the Hayward Hiking Club:
“Even for experienced hikers it's worthwhile to review and relearn the physiology of dehydration and the necessary precautions we all should take in hot weather and during vigorous exercise. We tend to overlook educating and warning newer hikers about this important topic. The situation gets dangerous when the temps rise rapidly during the day to levels above what was expected.

Unfortunately, people usually can't tell when they are becoming dehydrated, and they hold back on drinking or take small sips or are reluctant to ask for extra water.”

Above was in response to a posting on the Hayward Hiking Club email, written by Linda Sugimura. We’re grateful to her for her permission to share with AdventureBuddies.

Staying hydrated is very important to avoid a heat related illness..
If the body production of heat is more than the body heat loss, you are headed for heat illness.
On the minor end of the problem is heat cramps from both water and salt loss. Gentle massage and stretching of the muscles will provide relief. Drinking water, preferably with a pinch of salt per liter (32 oz) added is advised. Heat cramps do not occur in people who are adequately hydrated.

Prolonged sweating may move you to heat exhaustion.   Signs are: headache, dizziness, nausea, rapid breathing, and of course, exhaustion. You may feel cool, goose bumps, or chills. Treatment should include moving to a shady spot and oral rehydration with cool, very slightly salty water. Some experts like electrolyte balanced drinks like Gatorade X, but the drink should be watered down 3 to 4 times for more rapid absorption in a resting person. It takes about 1 hour for the liter (32 oz) to get back into circulation. Heat exhaustion is physically not damaging, but it should be treated aggressively before it progresses to a more serious condition.

The most serious heat illness is heat stroke. There are 2 types. In classic heat stroke, the person is elderly or sick or both. Temperature and humidity are high for several days and the person is dehydrated to the point where the heat mechanism is overwhelmed. They run out of sweat. The skin gets hot, red and dry. They lapse into a coma and if untreated, die.

But more people are being killed by the second variety, exertional heat stroke. The person is usually young, fit and unaccustomed to heat, sweating but producing heat faster than it can be shed. Signs are: sudden and very noticeable alteration in normal mental function: disorientation, irritability, combativeness, bizarre delusions, incoherent speech. Skin is hot and red but wet with sweat. Rapid breathing and rapid heart rates are almost universal. Collapse is imminent.

Quick cooling may be required to save life...The best method is to remove the clothing, covering with wet cotton and vigorously fanning, all of which increases evaporative heat loss. Massaging of arms and legs and ice packs at the neck, groin and armpits increase heat loss. Throwing a person into cold water is less effective and often dangerous since they are difficult to manage and may drown. They should be seen by a doctor right away...even if they seem to have recovered. too much internal heat can cause breakdowns in some body systems that show up later.

Dehydration: Lose more fluids than you take in..It can slow you down.  Symptoms include thirst, dizziness, light headedness, dry or sticky mouth, less urine and darker urine
Prevention: Drink lots of fluids on hot, dry, windy days. Water is the best choice. Loose fitting clothes and a hat. If feeling sick, sit in the shade, drink cool water and even pour some water on your body. How much water to drink depends on your age, sex, level of activity and temperature.
Before activity: 20 oz
During: 3-6 oz every 15 min
After: 2-3 cups of water for every pound of body weight lost
Food: some mentioned they did not eat breakfast or very little before the hike....You MUST eat breakfast and bring snacks and food besides water on our hike.
Hats: are important to wear on our hikes to prevent dehydration and to protect your skin...Sun block does not do it 100% and must be applied evenly every 2 hours for protection.
Sunglasses: with good UVA and UVB protection are a must on our hikes to protect your eyes.....decrease cataract formation.

Linda’s Reminders: In the future I will be reminding you to bring at least 2 bottles of water with your snacks and food , hat and sunglasses and sun block... I will continue to bring my umbrella and will also include some salt and a spray bottle for those who may need it...

Thank you Linda!  Many of you know that I have lymphedema and need to stay cool.   I lead 2Beat the Heat hikes (2-B level, early, in shade, near streams). I carry a long sleeve shirt that I can wet down.  This evaporative cooling system works well for me; what works for you?

jayah


The end

The end

A serene Memorial Day Greeting from the beach
A rousing Memorial Day Greeting to keep you moving and grooving.

Photo:  Russian Thistle on Coastal Trail, Mt. Tam

As always, thanks for getting   ALL  the way down here. 
Happy Trails!  Jayah

AdventureBuddies, Inc. / Box 1302 / Pacifica, CA 94044 / www.AdventureBuddies.NET

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