Wilderness Training in the Grand Canyon

July 3, 2018

In the fall, Matt May, who teaches the faculty Wilderness First Aid course and also serves as a guide on the Yosemite Outings Week trip, offered Cate students the opportunity for a Wilderness First Responder course set in the Grand Canyon. The course is an 80-hour curriculum and is a combination of intensive classroom work and hands-on learning. Director of the Outdoor Program, Paul Denison was eager to incorporate both more experiential learning and outdoor experience to the curriculum. “This was a wonderful opportunity to provide an extension to our own classroom and allows students to build on their own wilderness exposure,” he says.

While Denison wasn’t sure what the interest would be for a course like this, “there was a lot of enthusiasm when I first floated the idea before Christmas,” particularly from students in Wade Ransom’s Sports Medicine course. This June, six students and three faculty members completed the course. Denison’s daughter and current senior Tessa was part of the group. Tessa, who hopes to pursue a career in medicine, said she loved the experience she gained in hands-on assessments. One of her favorite parts of the trip was spending the night and Lookout Point, halfway up the Hermit Trail, under the stars.

With the first WFR course just completed, the elder Denison is already looking toward next year. “I’m hoping that we might continue to have Cate faculty lead trips like this in the future. Next summer, Matt is exploring the idea of a sea kayaking journey in Alaska. Perhaps we’ll see if we can make this a tradition!”