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Forewarned
is forearmed
A participant's failure to physically and mentally prepare
for this adventure; acquire the necessary skills and equipment
for this adventure; or recognize, take responsibility for,
and avoid the unknown and unpredictable hazards and perils
that will present themselves on this adventure will likely
result in the participant's serious injury, paralysis, or
slow, painful death.
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Accidents
and injuries
Wilderness adventuresespecially remote, foul-weather
travel; bushwhacking cross-country; cliff and steep slope
travel; climbing; canyoneering; cave exploration; river fording;
swimming; canoeing; portaging; skiing; snowshoeing; winter
camping; ice travel; ice crossing; deep cold; high winds;
etc.involve unknown and unpredictable hazards and perils.
Hypothermia |
Burns |
Hyperthermia |
Fractures |
Dehydration |
Lacerations |
Frostbite |
Joint
injuries |
Eye
injuries |
Near
drownings |
Flu |
Falls
through ice |
Colds |
Car accidents |
Giardia |
Et cetera |
Accidents, injuries, and problematic
incidents are not something that only happen on other people's
wilderness adventures or to other wilderness trippers. They
have happened in the past on Michael Neiger's adventures,
and they may happen on this adventure as well. Click
here to learn more about past accidents, injuries, and
incidents.
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Medical
and dental exams
As with any strenuous activity, it is strongly recommended
participants visit their physician to make sure he or she
approves of their participation in this adventure. A dental
exam is also highly recommended.
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Safety
glasses
It is highly recommended eye protectionsafety glassesbe
worn on this adventure, especially while bushwhacking, as
several participants have suffered near-incapacitating eye
injuries in the past.
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Cotton clothing
Avoid wearing or carrying cotton clothing on this adventure
as whenand not ifit gets wet, it will be extremely
difficult and time-consuming to dry.
On past adventures, wet cotton clothing and its tendency
to conduct heat away from the body much faster than other
fabrics has led to numerous cases of hypothermia, which is
the number one killer of wilderness trippers.
Clothing fashioned from nylon, supplex, polypro, fleece,
microfibers, wool, etc., are much safer and easier to manage
during prolonged bouts of foul weather.
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Survival
kit
An on-your-person (in-pocket), survival
kitfolding knife, waterproof matches, firestarters,
compass, mini-light, and whistlesecured with loss-prevention
lanyards should be carried during this adventure.
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Allergies
to bee stings
If you are allergic to bee stings, consult your physician
before participating in this adventure; inquire about carrying
an injectable epinephrine unitsuch as an EpiPen or Ana-Kitin
your first-aid kit.
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First-aid
kit
The only first-aid equipment available on this adventure
is that which is carried by each participant. Consult your
personal physician to determine what items, including medications,
you should carry.
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Emergency
medical care
There will not be any doctors, nurses, EMTs, paramedics,
or other trained emergency medical personnel on this adventure.
No one will have first-aid or other emergency medical training.
At best, other participants may only be able to render the
most basic and rudimentary of aid.
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Search
& rescue
No one on this adventure will have training in rope handling,
rappelling, climbing, caving, ice travel, high-angle slope
travel, swift-water travel, etc. N
No one will have training in rescue from these situations
either.
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Insurance
No insurance coverage
of any sort is provided for participants on this adventure.
It is highly recommended that participants consider purchasing
their own insurance
policies:
- Trip cancellation
insurance
- Dental insurance
- Medical insurance
- Prescription insurance
- Evacuation insurance
- Disability insurance
- Life insurance
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Emergency
communications
No emergency communications gear such as cell phones, satellite
phones, or satellite beacons (ELTs, PLBs, & EPIRBs) will
be carried during this adventure.
The only way to summon search and rescue personal or emergency
medical personnel during this adventure will be for another
uninjured participant to walk, snowshoe, paddle, peddle, etc.
to a point where help can be summoned.
The wait for assistance may be very longsometimes measured
in daysand could possibly be very painful, maybe even
fatal.
Since the evacuation process will be both very difficult
and costly to arrange, participants should consider carrying
their own communications
gear as well as purchasing evacuation insurance, as noted
above.
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During this free, public adventure, we'll spend four
days exploring the the Pigeon River Country State Forest east of M-33
and north of Clear Lake State Park.
For the latest info about this
trip, visit the trip
discussion thread on Backpacker Magazine's Midwest Forum.
Our leisurely-paced, unscripted route will include
off-trail, cross-country travel as well as hiking along two-tracks,
fire breaks, gas lines, and single-track trails.
The trip will run from 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning to
midday on Tuesday.
Friday night's optional bivouac location and Saturday
morning's assembly area will be announced at a later date.
Pigeon River Country State Forest Headquarters:
1-989-983-4101
Journals from Michael's prior
Pigeon River Country trips:
2010
:: 2007
:: 2006a1
:: 2006a2
:: 2006b1
:: 2005a
:: 2005b
:: 2004a
:: 2004b
:: 2003a
:: 2003b
:: 2002a
:: 2002b
:: 2001
Photo albums from Michael's prior Pigeon River Country:
2011
:: 2010b1
:: 2010b2
:: 2010a1
:: 2010a2
:: 2010a3
:: 2010a4
:: 2010a5
:: 2010a6
:: 2008
:: 2007a1
:: 2007a2
:: 2007a3
:: 2007b1
:: 2007b2
:: 2007b3
:: 2006a1
:: 2005a2
:: 2006a3
:: 2006b1
:: 2005a
:: 2005b
:: 2004
:: 2003a
:: 2003b
:: 2002a
:: 2002b
Participants should be adults (18 or over) who are
experienced, fully-equipped, cold/foul-weather winter backpackers who
wilderness adventures without campfires, tobacco, or alcohol.
Participants must be swimmers and in good physical
condition as this adventure is not suitable for the unfit or overweight.
Bivouacs will be in pristine, non-campground settings.
If we happen to bivouac well away from water, participants
should have the necessary containers to haul enough water for an afternoon
of hiking, dinner, breakfast, and a morning of hiking (unless there
is enough snow for melting into water).
Most winters, snowshoes are not needed in early December.
Water-fording footwear may be needed, depending on conditions and participant
preferences.
Camping permits: State of Michigan law requires
a free DNR Camp
Registration Card be posted when bivouacking on state land.
- Breakfasts: 4 days
- Snacks: 4 days
- Lunches: 4 days
- Dinners: 3 days
- Backup: 1 day
USGS 1:24,000-scale quadrangles: To be determined
(ordering info)
Click
here to learn more about land navigation gear.
If
you would like to participate in this free backcountry adventure, or
have any questions regarding it, please provide your full name, trail
name, city, state, e-mail address, and phone number to the organizer:
Michael Neiger
Marquette, Michigan
1-906-226-9620
mneiger@hotmail.com
Registration: participants will receive a registration
form by e-mail prior to the trip.
Liability waiver: participants are required
to sign a liability waiver prior to the trip.
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In God's wilderness
lies the hope of the world,
the great, fresh, unblighted, unredeemed wilderness.
John Muir, 1838-1914, Alaska Wilderness, 1890
If
you've been able to read this Web page...
thank a Teacher;
If you've been able to read this Web page in English...
thank a Veteran.
Author
unknown
2016-08-21
0">Copyright notice
Content Copyright 1984 to
2016-08-21
By Michael A. Neiger
All rights reserved
No part of this Web page or this Web site protected by copyright
law may be reproduced, transmitted, or used in any form--including
graphic, electronic, Web, mechanical or other form--or by any
means--including photocopying, recording, taping, Internet distribution,
information storage retrieval system, or by other means--for
any purpose, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages,
without the prior, express, written permission of the author.
Comments? Suggestions?
Dead links? Inaccurate info?
Contact the WebMaster, Michael A. Neiger, at mneiger@hotmail.com
Web site
URL: www.MibSAR.com
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