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Post by kconner on Jan 15, 2011 17:22:44 GMT -5
after looking at the GIS website for McCormick County, it seems that the "trespass" section follows the border between private land and forest land.....
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Post by kconner on Jan 14, 2011 18:34:17 GMT -5
seenvic,
i'm assuming the red section is the part where one might be trespassing? also, how well is the singletrack marked and how much change in elevation are we looking at for the whole route?
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Post by kconner on Jan 3, 2011 10:45:24 GMT -5
Just curious.....does anybody know when the next NMBP class may be?
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Post by kconner on Jan 2, 2011 21:42:09 GMT -5
In most cases, "the hard way" is typically "the best" way when keeping in mind that the goal is to give the best possible patient care. Given your example of a tib/fib fracture ~1 mile from an extraction point, limited resources are available. Assuming the patient has a patent airway, is breathing, all bleeding is controlled and the heart is working (there is a pulse) this situation is an emergency, but is not immediately life-threatening (for the time being). The priority is to stabilize the patient (in this case, probably take precautions for shock, cover patient with blanket, start IV), splint the fracture if possible, and extract the patient. Given the nature of the injury, you want to be as gentle with the patient as possible, which excludes motorized/mechanized transport, which leaves a litter as the only option (a backboard is doable, but is smaller and harder to control and will tire a crew out faster). Granted, it's not easy, it's not fun, but given the task at hand, it's the only viable option as far as I can tell. Given the manpower issue, emergency response protocols in Columbia County have changed a good deal since 2004, and now you will have a minimum of 2 EMS personnel and 2 firefighters on the initial response. Additional personnel from the fire department, EMS and Sheriff's Office can also be called if needed. As I work on the Georgia side of the river (GO DAWGS!), I don't know exactly what the response protocols are, but given that there are largely volunteer fire departments in Carolina, manpower shouldn't be an issue. Cost and storage for bulky specialized rescue gear is an issue, for both career and volunteer departments. Given that most of the injuries sustained on a mountain bike trail are not immediately life threatening, frequent breaks should be taken while hiking a patient out, both to give responders a chance to catch their breath and reassess patient vitals. Finally, mountain biking is one of those "inherently dangerous" activities that is willingly undertaken by participants, mountain bikers must understand that if an accident happens, the patient may be in an area that may not be easily accessible (ambulances can't drive down a trail made for bikes and a helicopter can't land on top of trees ) but, given cooperation between public safety agencies and the local trail users, the "inconvenience" of an injury can be minimized.
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Post by kconner on Jan 2, 2011 14:36:57 GMT -5
This would definitely take the load off the first responders, as far as having to tote a patient out....the only problem I see with this is that space is at a premium on any fire engine....they might be able to accomodate this if they have some sort of specialized rescue vehicle or utility vehicle with space that they can spare. Someone needs to sit down with the fire department leadership and see what they have room for. Cool idea!
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Post by kconner on Jan 2, 2011 13:05:31 GMT -5
I work for a local fire department as well as a local ambulance service and am part of a statewide USAR team, and if I were working to remove a patient from a trail (any local trail, not just FATS) the "best" way, in my opinion, is to use a long spine board and stokes basket/litter along with 2-4 attendants. Keep it simple. Most of the local trails have some sort of access, whether it be forest service roads, paved roads, private roads/driveways, etc. the EMS unit can be placed fairly close to the trail, therefore reducing the hike. Even if you park at the trailhead, the hike is only a couple of miles from any point farthest from the trail, and the work required to haul someone out of any of the FATS trails is way less than the amount of work it takes to fight any house fire I've been to. The key is education of the local EMS service and fire department....they need to know where the trails run and where any access points are. From there they just need to locate the patient Problems with a mechanized extraction device: -who buys it? a volunteer fire department typically has limited funds -added maintenance -how does it get to the trailhead? you either have to build some place to store it, or you have to buy a vehicle just to tow it around (this wouldn't fit on a fire engine or ambulance) -additional training, not just to run it, but to run it properly and SAFELY, and not worsen the patient's condition on a winding, bumpy trail....imagine driving over whoops on that thing The only advantage I can come up with is that a mechanized extraction device MIGHT be a LITTLE faster, but I would bet some serious money that a crew who knows what they're doing can walk a litter out faster than a patient can be driven out from almost any point on the trail. In summary, the local fire department and EMS service can efficiently perform patient extractions with equipment they already own (the only equipment they may not have is a litter, which cost very little or can be easily made). We just need to sit down with representatives from the local fire department, EMS service, and Sheriff's Office, come up with a plan and practice it and work out any bugs. This makes all parties involved look good, and above all, it provides the BEST patient care, given the circumstances. Again, KEEP IT SIMPLE. I would be happy to help with the formulation of a plan, and know a couple of guys at work who may be willing to help out. Just let me know.
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Post by kconner on Dec 29, 2010 19:59:21 GMT -5
that's a cute little chainsaw
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Post by kconner on Dec 28, 2010 23:14:17 GMT -5
Nice job man, that's perfect. Now put some extra air in your tires and get to practicing! I expect you to compete in the bunny hop contest at bike fest next year, we need more people. I plan on it!
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Post by kconner on Dec 28, 2010 18:45:13 GMT -5
I stole your design....it's not as tall, but it's made from scrap wood I had laying around, and it's all I need for now....thanks for the idea! And as for the butt busting....way ahead of ya!
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Post by kconner on Dec 28, 2010 9:55:27 GMT -5
cool website, this is the best one I've found so far for breaking down/explaining this skill, I like the idea of using a platform for practice, gives you the chance to practice placing your front wheel in different spots
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Post by kconner on Dec 27, 2010 23:01:10 GMT -5
but that does make sense, I'll hafta play around with the different techniques
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Post by kconner on Dec 27, 2010 23:00:22 GMT -5
oh, so they're pretty much the same thing, just different.....
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Post by kconner on Dec 27, 2010 22:11:36 GMT -5
Since I am new, I apologize for how stupid this may sound, but what is the difference in a bunny hop vs. a log hop? I always figured that getting over a "ridable" log or other small obstacle would be best accomplished with a bunny hop, but is there a better/easier/more efficient method (I don't have a problem getting the front wheel off the ground, I'm just tired of slamming the back wheel into the obstacle due to the loss of momentum in addition to the wear and tear to the wheel)? Anyways, I accomplished getting the back wheel off the ground about an inch the other day and was looking for an obstacle to practice with to better the skill.....thanks for your comments about the hard edges, I didn't think about that.....I've still got enough scrap wood left over to build the supports for a piece of PVC, that'll give me something to do tomorrow
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Post by kconner on Dec 27, 2010 16:17:32 GMT -5
After my trip to Ray's MTB in Cleveland last week, I decided I really wanted to develop some technical skills. I've been wanting to learn how to bunny hop for a while, so I figured that would be a good place to start. I noticed that the pump track has a tapered log, so I built this out of scrap wood I had laying around the house: It has 3 sections, each 12" wide, and 9", 6", and 3" high. I angled the corners to (hopefully) reduce the impact in the case of a fall. The only drawback I can see is that it doesn't have the depth that a typical rider might have, but it's at least something to start with. The best feature is that it's portable, so I can use it at the house or at work (I'm lucky enough to be able to play around at work when I have down time ;D ) and it can also have tiers added to it when/if I get good enough. Anybody have any other ideas of stuff that can be easily built? I've got a decent amount of scrap wood at the house I need to get rid of/use and would like to build some skinnies/log rides and maybe some teeter totters. I'd like to do it on a somewhat smaller scale in order to be able to easily reconfigure, and keep it low to the ground, since the plan is to develop skills, not kill myself Any ideas are appreciated!
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Post by kconner on Dec 26, 2010 7:47:14 GMT -5
Weather is looking pretty good on the 10 day forecast....sunny and highs in the 50s and 60s in the later part of the week
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Post by kconner on Dec 24, 2010 22:29:03 GMT -5
that's a little out of my budget for now, I'll stick with Google Maps on the Blackberry But if I ever run into you on a trail I would love to check it out!
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Post by kconner on Dec 24, 2010 9:11:18 GMT -5
Garmin Edge 705. Way more than I need; but after buying a couple of different < $100 computers that broke I decided to go for it. I have an eTrex Legend, one of the older models that I bought before they came out with the "high sensitivity" receivers....and it only receives in the woods if you are standing still in a clearing I would eventually like to upgrade to something that I can put on the bike and use topo maps, make tracks, etc. so I was just wondering what others were using. Thanks for the info!
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Post by kconner on Dec 23, 2010 20:25:38 GMT -5
@ Mark Y.....just out of curiosity, what brand/model GPS unit do you use?
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Post by kconner on Dec 22, 2010 21:19:44 GMT -5
This year was the first year that I rode on a regular basis. I bought my first decent mountain bike a few years ago, but my riding was sporadic at best. This year I decided to finally get my money's worth out of my bike and also get into better shape at the same time and started riding with a co-worker on a regular basis (1-2 times a week). Just as I began to notice some weight loss, I was sidelined for 3 months due to a work injury. The silver lining to the broken foot was that I spent a great deal of time on the internet and learned a great deal about what goes into the sport....that trails don't magically appear out of thin air. I ended up joining IMBA/SORBA and look forward into becoming more involved, especially in work parties and possibly the Mountain Bike Patrol. I was cleared to go back to work and get on the bike in late November and have re-started the weekly routine, even though I am usually riding solo now. Luckily, I gained very little weight (if any) from my injury and the weight loss continues....soon I'm going to need to buy new clothes Anyways, the capstone to a injury shortened season was today's ride at Ray's MTB in Cleveland, OH....if anybody is ever in the Cleveland or Milwaukee, I strongly suggest spending a day at Ray's! A .5 XC course, pump track, log rides/skinnies, foam pit, etc. all indoors allows you to push your personal boundaries and learn new skills as well as perfect old skills in a climate controlled and relatively safe environment. It would be neat to have something like this in the CSRA Anyways, I look forward to continuing my routine next year and continuing to improve my skills! Merry Christmas!
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Post by kconner on Dec 21, 2010 19:52:23 GMT -5
I'm the one who first reported the transient/homeless guy on the forum, but it was only a week and a half ago....I meant to call the Authority, but forgot due to work and packing for an upcoming trip. Sorry for dropping the ball, and the Authority's phone is going into the cell for future use At any rate, in my experience, Angela is right, he probably got tired of building his "cabin" shortly after I met him, especially with it being so cold lately. I would even hazard a guess that he probably didn't build the "zipline" seeing as the homeless are generally short on funds to buy the materials for a zipline, (unless of course this was the result of a theft, but if it were stolen, anything made of metal tends to end up in a recycling center for the cash) and I would think his route in/out would be closer to the southern entrance as it is more accessible to downtown and its shelters and soup kitchens. Seeing as how mountain bikers aren't the only ones using this trail, I would think it is more likely that some teens put up the zip line for their own amusement.....
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