Field Notes
Everything I Need to Know (About life in New York) I Learned at NOLS
By Howard Tomb, Wind River Wilderness '76, and author of the oft-cited finer points of Expedition Behavior
onions, maybe sausage. Artichokes, if you’re determined to be outlandish. Not chicken wings. Not French fries. Do not mention shrimp or pineapple, even in jest. The same with bagels and coffee: they should not come in jalapeno or hazelnut any more than tents should come in zebra stripes or tomato red. Keep a positive attitude. In a tent in a snowstorm or a crowded queue for a soldout show, a few cheerful words herald the leader and raise spirits all around. In a tight spot, hostility and resignation mark the dead weight—somebody who won’t get invited next time—and stain what could be a memorable moment. Not to get all Zen, but the weather and the wait are part of the experience. You didn’t know it snowed in the mountains? Or that Lady Gaga was popular? Go back to your Xbox in the suburbs. Leave a small footprint. The woods, like the city streets, are open to the public. By which I mean thoughtless Neanderthals. They honk their horns and shout before dawn, park in bus stops and leave ugly, durable things behind to mar the landscape. We can’t do much about Trump Tower, but we can and should dispose of some other unsightly leftovers. Discarded plastic bags, for example, blow into trees and get stuck there for years like rotten fruit. Retrieving them from high branches is nearly impossible, so grab them off the sidewalk before takeoff. After minimizing the noise and garbage, the wise citydweller also leaves a small Urban Legends emotional footprint. The Life in a metropolis just translates to having more NOLSies within crowds that make an envireach, even if it’s not always over a twiggy fire. Not surprisingly, ronment urban can generate many of NOLS’ 200,000+ graduates live in urban environments. friction, impatience and even It’s also no surprise our alumni like to connect, get outdoors and hostility, which can lead to network with fellow NOLS adventurers. comments about intelligence, One way our energetic grads connect is through our informal parentage and body cavities. alumni chapters. Several large cities have active alumni groups Resisting the temptation to shepherded by enthusiastic local volunteers and supported by respond in kind marks the NOLS’ alumni department. true urban sophisticate, the NOLS NYC Group: The Big Apple’s sidewalks, subways, parks, one without a broken nose, and cubicles are teeming with NOLS graduates. A troika of alumni who calms, rather than involunteers organize paddle days, day hiking adventures, pub cites, the mob. socials, holiday parties, ski trips, and a large annual reunion.
The experienced adventurer knows that fully enjoying the picture-postcard wilderness takes teamwork, practical skills, and the right attitude. My NOLS expeditions and subsequent climbs of Denali and Elbrus helped me learn this vital lesson, which has served me well in my almost 30 years in the urban wilderness of New York City. In fact, I’ve found comfort and satisfaction in both places by following many of the same rules of expedition behavior: Stay flexible. Legions of NOLS campers have learned a basic lesson on their first day in the mountains: conditions can change dramatically in minutes. Having the right clothing on hand is crucial, since getting wet or cold can mean hours of discomfort. The weather in New York is relatively predictable, but public transportation is not. Subway not running? No taxis to be found? The greenhorn will be forced to travel on foot and arrive late. The veteran may hail a limo or gypsy cab—and settle on a price before taking a seat. Study the masters and learn. You’re not the first person to load a backpack, read a topo map or climb a 5.7, so don’t try starting from scratch or inventing your own methods. That’s how “Into the Wild” turned ugly. Instead, emulate the experts until you qualify as one yourself. The same rule holds true when ordering pizza in New York. Consider the age-old toppings: cheese, tomatoes, olives,
No matter where you wander after your NOLS course, there’s likely to be a selection of interesting, outdoor-oriented grads near you. Subscribe to NOLS’ online social networks and alumni e-lists (nols.edu/alumni/contact/listservices.php) to keep up with NOLS in your community.
Learn to recognize the flora, fauna, and microbes.
The fast pace of New York isn’t so very different from life on an expedition. Courtesy of Gwen Phillips
wise the sucker who plays three-card Monte or shops in Times Square. Newcomers to New York have to learn from experience and keen observation until someone writes a decent field guide to hustlers and junkies. A couple of hints to get you started: The guy with the runny nose who needs $12 from you right now so he can fix his car and visit his dying mother in Jersey probably can’t show you a car, registration, insurance, driver’s license, car keys, library card, or picture of his mother. And you might have some unpleasant surprises during a “date” with a deep-voiced woman on a darkened street. I treasure outdoor memories like gems: topping a rocky pass to look down on a perfectly un-peopled valley and its glacial lake, cooking dinner for my friends in a 90,000-square-mile kitchen whose fixtures include Cook Inlet and half the Alaska Range. And those memories are rivaled by New York stardust: a Richard Serra show at the Modern that deprived me of the power of speech, scallop sushi under the expectant gaze of Yasuda-san, Central Park at midnight in the hush of winter. From where I sit now, I think any road can lead to adventure—or disaster—depending on our own attitudes and behavior. I took my first steps toward mastering those at NOLS in 1976. I’m walking still.
We pity the outdoor adventurer who doesn’t know poison ivy when he sees it. Like-
Fall 2011
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