RMAP Course 3/9-3/13/2011

This past week I participated in the Remote Medical for Advanced Providers (RMAP) Course at the North Cascade Institute. The course is instructed by the very knowledgeable crew from Remote Medical International. The location was beautiful and serene. The course challenged me to find alternative ways to treat patients without all the equipment available that I typically have within the hospital. I really enjoyed the idea of working in a wilderness/remote environment.

http://www.remotemedical.com/     http://www.ncascades.org/

Pinnacle Peak (Mt. Peak) 3/2/2011

Just starting the hike!

On the top.....half way done!

The weather on the way to the trailhead

Pinnacle Peak in Enumclaw, WA also sometimes referenced as Mount Peak. It is located just northeast of the town Buckley. You will find the trailhead near the corner of 276th SE and SE 472nd St. Please see the linked map from Google for the precise location details.

http://maps.google.com/maps

Pinnacle Peak was my first hike of the season, it is approximately 2 miles round trip with 1000 ft elevation gain. Towards the summit there was a lot of slushy snow still looming and it could be quite slick in places. The weather was typical of the pacific northwest, unpredictable. It rained and hailed on the drive to the trail head but was sunny for the hike. But all in all it was a nice easy hike to warm up my legs.

Note: The pictures of me were taken by my dear friend James to whom I am very grateful.