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June 17th 2008

Published: June 17th 2008

Greetings from the Rocky Mountains! Apparently I just can't quit this blog, but there are lots of friends and family I've been out of touch with the last few weeks, so I find myself back here once again. As you may or may not know, I've been traipsing around the Wyoming wilderness since early May, enrolled in an instructor course with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). The course was ... Read Full Entry

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David Cook

dmax

On my birthday in 2006 I bought a one-way ticket to East Africa, by way of India. For many years I had not only wanted to travel, but to stop and live in a place (or places) while immersed in other cultures. What follows is a catalog of posts from different moments and places from the journey. Scroll down to pick a journal entry about my travels in India during fall/winter of 2006 or my time spent in 2007 volunteering with the Jane Goodall Institute in Tanzania and Uganda. If reading is not your fancy, have a look at some of the pictures I to... full info

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New Tent Group

With a new ration, came new tent mates

Nutrition Class

As I mentioned, this was my formal class (I also taught self arrest technique during snow school). I lectured on backcountry nutrition before having a cook-off competition for most nutritious dinner.

Hike to Bomber Lake

This hike was absolutely spectacular. Here we were hiking on a frozen marsh where the valley opened up and the travel was fast. But most of the day, we were post-holing up to our waists!

Another shot of the valley

Just Hanging Out

We had everyone over to our kitchen for Yerba Mate and peanut M&M's!

The next camp

Though it looks a lot like the previous image, this is a new campsite where we dug full on snow kitchens

And then came more snow

This was a big, big day and I've got a few images. We went up and over the continental divide, up near 12,000 feet, in a snowy, freezing-cold white out. Here's a group on the way up.

Arrival on the Continental Divide

Looks cold ... yep

Lowering Packs

After walking through a white out on the divide for hours (not pictured) we arrived at a very steep slope requiring us to lower packs with a rope while we down-climbed with our ice axes in another area.

On we march

Reunited with our packs, we head to camp (some time between hour 9 and 10 of hiking at this point)

Over the Divide Again

We're now up to May 15, I'm acting as "Leader of the Day" in my small hiking group. Clearly, the weather has improved, but we had another very steep, semi-techincal snow climb ahead of us to go up and over the divide again.

Steep Snow Steps

Here's that semi technical section ... notice one of our group members hiking blind with snowblindness (from that previous white out day). We moved our camp a bit closer and she fully healed within a couple of days.

Up and over the divide

Notice, it's a little nicer and warmer than the previous day. Nonetheless, I was completely wiped and moving pretty slowly at this point!

Panoramic Peaks

Here's the top of the divide facing the other way. That's the Grand Teton in the distance, center of the image between people.

Is that a tampon in your nose or are you just happy to see me?

Sometimes it takes extraordinary measures to stop high altitude, dry-air nosebleeds

Kicking back in the Kitchen

Still hiking, still snowshoeing

Still hiking, still post-holing

Yes, I said we're still post-holing

a little scenery

A completely unspoiled view ... except for those footprints where someone clearly walked out on the lake, took a pee, and went back to their tent.

clowning around

18th June 2008

Carrie
non-member comment

wow! sounds incredible, you're making me quite jealous sitting here at my desk!

18th June 2008

Jody
non-member comment

wow
Are we going to have to rename you "Bear" Cook? Next thing you know you'll have your own survival show :)

18th June 2008

Katie Greenland Trelstad
non-member comment

Oh, the Wood
David- So excited to hear that you're returning to Bainbridge Island to work at the Wood again. We had some good times there when I was a grad student in 2006. Thanks for sharing your adventures. As for me, I'm still keeping it live in SE Asia. Cheers, to travel!

18th June 2008

gretchen seifert
non-member comment

welcome home!
Thank you for keeping me on your blog. loved this write up, glad you are having these amazing experiences. and......so glad you will come back as part of the IW family. You have been missed. Have a great summer, see you this fall, Gretchen

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