Chillin’ with Ellen on San Jacinto

[Hikin_Jim]

They should be worth something as a collectors item. I bet Ellen cant bear to look at them.

-- We could donate Ellen's snowshoes to the RMRU. They might be a great visual aid in any public education that RMRU does, especially with children who are very visual and tactile. Ellen's story is inspiring in and of itself, but a physical object actually involved in the event might make it all the more real.

(of course this would ultimately be up to Ellen -- it's just an )

[Rob]

Howdy Kathy

Darn it, I thought I'd finally be able to hike with you Sunday's are normally better, but this weekend I can only go Saturday.

[Ellen]

Howdy RMRU Jim

Thanks for forwarding the link to the team. Did I get everyone's name correct?

Gratefully,
Ellen

Howdy Rob

I am 54

If by some miracle an outdoor supply company did contact me for an endorsement, I would donate the money to RMRU. I will be making a donation to RMRU when I receive book royalties in March.

Howdy Hiking Jim

I think donating the snowshoes to RMRU is a fabulous idea As Cy noted, I would prefer to never look at them again

Thanks also for your comments on the SGWA website.

Howdy Kathy

Thanks again for letting the board know I was missing

I believe my Atlas snowshoes are a 2003 model. They have aluminum side-rails as well. I'll purchase new snowshoes with steel cleats and bindings that are easier to use. Mine have straps which are a PITA to adjust.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[phydeux]

Don't immediately discount snowshoes just because the have an aluminium cleat. I've got some old Atlas/Tubbs snowhoes with Al cleats (and no toothed side rails) that I still use - the cleats just need sharpening once in a while. The trick with any type of snowshoes is to keep aware of your surroundings & the path ahead and recognize when you're approaching hard snow or ice. And remember that the soft mid-day snow can harden up pretty quick in the late afternoon shade.

[some guy]

Wow, what a story! That sounds truly miserable.

I wonder what you think about the issue of eating snow and if that caused your hypothermic shaking? I've always heard that in survival situations to not eat snow for hydration. Curious to hear your point of view on that.

[Hikin_Jim]

I doubt the snow alone caused hypothermia, but it probably didn't help things either. Put an injured, tired person in a cold room, and they'll get hypothermia either way, snow eating or no snow eating.

It's a case of damned if you do and damned if you don't. Dehydration contributes to hypothermia because the blood doesn't circulate properly (there may be other reasons). Eating snow contributes to hypothermia because it lowers the core temperature. Take your pick.

Eating also uses up water, contributing to dehydration, contributing to hypothermia. But not eating deprives the body of calories, calories that are burned to produce heat and maintain core temperature. Damned if you do; damned if you don't.

Getting the picture? Bring water.

HJ

P.S. Some people pack a small, lightweight stove and pot for melting snow for water. If there's sun available and you have a clear Nalgene bottle, you can pack the bottle with snow and put it in the sun, but that's not a particularly reliable method.

[Ellen]

Howdy All

I neglected to write about the hilarious present I received from Z-dude while in the hospital (in addition to his gift of anesthetic beverages).

I opened a large shopping bag to find two knee-high Whitewater Super-Fabric snake chaps with the following note:

Whitewater Outdoors -- the Ellen Coleman Snake, Brush, and Tree Chaps

These protective chaps are guarenteed to prevent snakebites, profuse blood loss (from encounters with the untamed brush of the San Jacinto Wilderness) and broken bones due to unexpected acceleration down slopes in snowy conditions.

Should this product fail to live up to expectations, Whitewater Outdoors will pay the full and complete cost of a two night stay atop Mount San Jacinto in the finest accomodations available, including free use of bedding and one can of cream-of-chicken soup.

Welcome back, Ellen
z

___________________________________________

The bag alos included a can of cream of chicken soup and foot warmers.

Z said he'd purchased the chaps after running into a rattler on one of his runs. The problem is, there's no way one can wear these chaps and actually move. They're about as stiff as the brace I'm wearing for my ankle.

I showed them to other visitors from this board, who were also amply entertained.

Thanks again for the laugh, Z.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[Ellen]

Howdy Some Guy

Hiking Jim provided an excellent explanation (as usual) regarding the dilema of eating snow.

I initially put snow in a freezer bag and placed it near my body in the sleeping bag, hoping that strategy would help it melt. Though this did soften the snow, it took a while. There was no way I would have been able to get enough water by this method, so I just quit and ate snow.

I tried to counteract the body temperature lowering effect of eating snow by consuming readily available calories (club crackers) at the same time.

I didn't have the full body shivering indicative of hypothermia until after sunset on both nights. Thus, I think it was the drop in ambient temperature rather than eating snow which caused the hypothermia.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[AlanK]

The problem is, there's no way one can wear these chaps and actually move. They're about as stiff as the brace I'm wearing for my ankle.

On the other hand, a set of chaps would go well with a pair of Colt revolvers. And no one could ever accuse you of going out unprepared. (If they did, you could shoot 'em!)!

[Hikin_Jim]

Hmm, that's an interesting thought, putting a freezer bag full of snow next to one's body. I wonder though, wouldn't that still cause a loss of heat as the body and the snow equalize temperatures? Would that loss of heat be less than if the snow were eaten?

The freezer bag idea would be a good idea if one were actively hiking, skiing, etc. You're probably putting out more heat than you need when active, and the freezer bag of snow wouldn't hurt anything but would help you to stay hydrated. Now how you carry that freezer bag so that it stays next to your skin might get interesting ...

Thanks for sharing that bit about Z-dude. I think the "Z" stands for Zany rather than Zippety. Pretty funny.