I made it out of the rattlesnake-filled canyons of the Galiuro Wilderness.  Rattlesnake-filled  if “filled” means 1.2 nice-sized rattlesnakes over six days.  They were mostly Arizona Black Rattlesnakes.

But there were a few that looked a lot like Green Mojave Rattlesnakes.

(We were in the Sonoran Desert.)  Of course, the snakes weren’t out to bother anybody and we didn’t bother them any, so the encounters were fairly uneventful.

The whole Wilderness Medicine Expedition had the feel of a camping trip with friends more than a formal NOLS course because there were only four participants.  We were dropped off at a trailhead at the southeastern end of the Galiuro last Monday and made our way through two large canyon systems up to Bassett Peak (7900ish feet) and then out of the Wilderness Area to our pickup yesterday.  We managed to head out with pretty light packs (40 pounds), so we hiked along at a pretty good clip.

My most vivid memories from the course are Calzone Night (There’s nothing like making yeasted bread dough in the backcountry and then folding it over cheese and sauce and baking it until it’s golden and huge.)  and our Astro Bivy.  We camped on the shoulder of Bassett Peak and hiked to the top once it was nice and dark to view the stars.  T. was a talented amateur astronomer and he used a green laser he’d tucked into his pack to give us an hour-long star identification lesson.  I can’t wait to get my own green laser and take Asa out and share my newly acquired starry knowledge.  The light pollution will put a damper on things, but T. says we should still be able to make out the Summer Triangle.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed Scorpio will be visible too.  He’s my favorite.

(We only saw one scorpion on course — unless you count the scorpion snow globes at the truck stop on the way out — or the lollipops with little dead scorpions in them at The Thing gift shop.  Only one tarantula.  And zero bears, mountain lions and gila monsters.)

The backcountry planetarium talk was stellar (heh), and I also loved getting completely turned around on the way back to camp.  There’s nothing like bushwhacking through dense manzanita in the dark to make you feel alive.  Happily we did not have to head back up the mountain or puppy pile under a layer of leaves overnight.  We made it back to our sleeping bags and then T. woke us up with a soft planetarium voice before the sun rose so we could see the Winter Circle.  I was pleased to have an audience for my knowledge of the names of the stars in Orion’s belt.  I don’t get to whip that learning out very much.  I thought it would be a good idea to learn star names many many years ago and somehow as other information sloughs off at an alarming rate from week to week, those star names have stuck.  (Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka!, but don’t ask me about our current zip code.) I couldn’t tell if everyone was wildly impressed because everyone was still tucked deep in their sleeping bags.  We all slept a while longer afterwards and then brewed up some cowboy coffee.  NOLS has been on Outside Magazine’s Best Place’s To Work list for a few years now and I’d just like to add an AMEN! to that.

Do you remember this scene from Shrek?

Making Waffles

B. did a spot on impression of the donkey and maybe it was the puddle water we were drinking, but I couldn’t get enough of it.  Honestly, it’s vying for “You’re better than you think you are.  You can do more than you think you can.” as my favorite quote.

We finished the course off with a culminating scenario in which I got skewered by an agave and Rob had a heart attack after finding the Satellite phone batteries missing.  Good times.

And now I’m reveling in being home with Eliot and Asa and mom-ing and wife-ing and doing lots of smelly laundry.  Oh!  And running.  Five hours this Saturday.  Any takers?

More manly talk tomorrow.  You’re on your own for waffles.