Jabberwocky
In Remembrance: Christine Fayad Semester in Kenya, Mountain Instructors Course ’75 Christine, a former NOLS instructor from the 1970s, passed away on July 29 due to cancer. She was a loving wife to her husband and best friend Vince, also a former NOLS instructor, and a loving mother to her children Lanner and Tercel.
Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS Often Imitated, Never Duplicated
If you spend any time in remote locations, you need wilderness medicine training. For 21 years, the Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS (WMI) has defined the standards in wilderness medicine training. With a wide range of course and certification opportunities, our graduates travel into the backcountry prepared to act with confidence, make complex decisions, and manage emergencies. To find a course near you, contact us at www.nols.edu/wmi or (866) 831-9001.
Ronald ‘Chris’ Sekul Absaroka Wilderness ‘96 Chris died at his home in Jackson, Miss. on June 11. He is survived by his mother Toni Neely Sekul, father Ronald Sekul and sisters Elizabeth and
Olivia. Chris loved animals, music, martial arts, golf, and scuba diving. He enjoyed touring as a road manager for the New Orleans band Galactic. Edwin ‘Bean’ Bowers River Instructor Course ‘95, former instructor Bean Bowers of Ridgeway, Colo. died in July after a brief battle with cancer. He was only 38. Bean started his career at NOLS in 1995, working over 80 climbing and whitewater weeks in the field. Bean was a respected and well-liked instructor. He is survived by his wife, Helen.
Branch Notes
Thomas Plotkin Semester in India ‘11 Thomas Plotkin, 20, of Minnetonka, Minn., died near Munsiari, India after falling from a trail on his NOLS India course. He was an impressive student athlete and a young man with great compassion. He was on the course as a junior at the University of Iowa, where he was studying international business. His coursemates honored him Sept. 29, and a memorial will be held in his honor at a later date.
Featured course:
Wilderness Medicine Expeditions for Medical Professionals
Skiing in the Tetons February 26–March 4, 2012, Driggs, ID This expedition offers an unparalleled opportunity for medical professionals who want to learn practical, hands-on wilderness medicine education, and earn CEU’s while exploring the stunning Teton Wilderness in winter. Experience the realities of wilderness medicine and decision-making on a true wilderness expedition. nols.edu/wildmedexpeditions
• All of that epic snow will be great for winter participants. We have added another 12-day, age 23 and older winter ski course in March. • We are also running a new Wilderness Medical Expedition with WMI in late February. Participants can earn continuing education credits and ski powder! • Teton Valley has purchased sets of Alpine Touring (AT) gear to give some courses a choice between alpine and telemark skiing.
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NOLS Teton Valley: • The numbers are in! Sustainability measures cut electric use by 35 percent and heating oil use by 226 gallons in fiscal year 2010! • The tiger moth caterpillars are very furry and have lots of black in their coloring. That means another big winter is lining up for the Tetons. Maybe we will repeat last winter’s totals of over 600 inches of snow in the mountains!
Leader
NOLS Alaska: • 2011 season highlights included our Denali Expedition reaching the nation’s highest point, the Brooks Range Expedition reaching the Chukchi Sea after paddling 446 miles in folding canoes, and a NASA course paddling in Prince William Sound. • Our first packraft course was a great success. Four instructors and 12 students traversed the entire Talkeetna Range, traveling 120 miles on water and 120 miles on land over the course of a month.
• Our “Sustainability Cookies” raised enough money to buy a new wood-lifting fork for our tractor. In winter, wood heats our main building and cuts energy use. NOLS Southwest: • We’ve acquired two new permits this year and will be operating our first ever California-based rock climbing courses at Joshua Tree National Park and Suicide Rocks/Taquitz climbing areas. • After a severely dry spring in the desert, we’ve been thankful for an almost normal summer monsoon season. September’s above-average precipitation has allowed some staff to run the local (normally dry) washes in rivercraft! NOLS New Zealand: • Sept. 4 marked the one-year anniversary of last season’s major earthquake. Since that 7.1 magnitude event, the branch has endured 8,374 seismic shocks with a 5.1 magnitude shake as recently as September.
Photo: Fredrik Norrsell
Thomas Plotkin
Alexander Briceño Outdoor Educator Semester ‘10 Alexander “Alex,” much beloved brother and son, died suddenly on Sunday, Sept. 11 in Houston, Texas at the age of 28. Alex attended St. Thomas High School in Houston and the University of Alabama. A private memorial gathering will be held at a later date.