Rockaholic Adventures

After a 45-minute bus ride to the beginning of Maine's Kennebec River, we got in line for a raft and a guide. The Kennbec, our tour guide told us, is ordinarily characterized by flows of 4,500 cubic feet per second (CFS). Because of all the rain that fell this summer, however, the 150-mile river was now flowing at about 8,600 CFS. This meant larger, faster-flowing rapids for my first whitewater rafting trip.

What is White Water Rafting?

As a sport, white water rafting has been popular since the mid 1970s. It involves navigating an inflatable raft made of multi-layered rubberized or vinyl fabrics down rivers of varying degrees of difficulty. Rivers are rated by the level of skill required for navigation. Class 1 is the easiest and Class 6 is basically un-runnable. The rapids at the Kennebec River are rated at Class 3 and Class 4. Because of the conditions we faced, however, our guide said the waters would be better than most Class 4 rapids.

In white water rafting, hydraulics are areas where water has been affected by a rock, ledge or other object in the river so that the water runs into the object and then rolls back on itself. These formations are often known as "holes" because they can trap a person, kayak, or even a raft full of people. One of the more exciting maneuvers in rafting is when a raft paddles through a hydraulic with enough momentum to push right through.

The Adventure Begins

As our group set the raft in the water and pushed off, I wondered how big the rapids would be - and could I fall out of the boat? As we paddled into the first set of rapids, the waters of the Kennebec looked pretty rough. Yet the boat seemed to push through the waves without any problems.

After successfully navigating the first few rapids, our guide let us know that the next set of rapids contained a hydraulic named "Maytag" that was usable be only when the Kennebec featured at least 8,000 CFS of water. Luckily for us, the heavy summer rains provided more than enough flow.

Our guide then reminded us that we needed to follow her instructions exactly, and that we would need to hold on tighter than normal to get through.

When we first saw Maytag, the hydraulic seemed to be not much larger than the other rapids we had navigated. As we came closer, however, we began to notice a hole in the water and a big wall right in front of it. Our guide shouted at us to row. When we were a few feet away, I grabbed onto a rope in the raft and held on as tightly as I could.

Toes and Nose Up

Our raft's front-end plowed into the wall of water and launched three people, myself included, into the Kennbec River. As the realization that I had just been thrown out of the raft sunk in, I tried to get back onboard as quickly as I could. The other two rafters who had fallen out of the boat were quickly pulled in. But as I struggled to approach the boat, I noticed the rafters' efforts had changed from trying to pull me in to trying to navigate through the rest of the rapids since I was now too far away.

Realizing that I would probably remain in the water through the rapids with just my life jacket on, I remembered the safety instructions I had been taught - "toes up and nose up".. Floating on my back while keeping my face and feet above the water would keep me from getting caught on anything below the surface.

After spending a couple of minutes that seemed like hours in the water, I was able to reach calmer waters and get back on the boat. My life jacket had deserved its name 100%.

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafting

Traversing the most significant mountain range in New York State in a day is a rigorous day hike that runs across some of the tallest peaks in a circular dome of "new mountains from old rocks." The Adirondack Mountains are considered to be a recent formation due to crustal uprising that is theoretically explained by mantle plumes and cooling intrusive bodies in the lower crustal region. Since this uplift, glacial scarring has weathered away eras of sedimentary rocks, exposing remnants of one of the oldest known mountain chains in the world - The Appalachian Mountains.

The rocks found in the Adirondacks region are very unique, as they are igneous bodies that have been heavily deformed and metamorphized throughout the past billion years. Mineral compositions in some of the higher-grade metamorphic bodies have been studied; they are usually found in lower-grade metamorphic outcrops, but have been explained by retro-metamorphism. This alteration is associated with rocks as they are slowly uplifted over a significant time period after being deeply buried in the Earth's crust.

Planning

The Great Range Traverse, sometimes referred to as the Solstice Hike, crosses eight of the highest peaks in New York State, including the tallest Summit in the state, Mt. Marcy. There are several different route descriptions and trailheads to consider when planning the hike. While some variations included the use of separate trailheads for start and finish points, others included peaks not mentioned in the 46 tallest peaks in New York State. I chose to use a single trailhead and, on my first attempt, conquered the eight peaks commonly mentioned when describing the Great Range Traverse.

The Hike

My adventure began and ended in the Garden Parking Lot just outside of Keene, NY. The night before my hike, I took care of the driving portion of the trip and made it to the Bear Brook Lean-To, located approximately ¾ of a mile from the trail head. Starting at 5:20 AM, I backtracked from the lean-to to the south side trail in order to cross John's Brook and find a trail with a reasonably-paced ascent to the Notch between Lower and Upper Wolf Jaw.

After summiting Lower Wolf Jaw (LWJ) by 8 AM, I stood and took a breath while taking in the view of the entire range that lay before me. The majority of my rests throughout the day took place on the summit of each mountain along the journey. Short breaks consisted of photo opportunities, consuming high-energy snacks, and hydrating. Each of the first five peaks are within a mile and a half of each other, stretching from Lower Wolf Jaw, Upper Wolf Jaw, Armstrong, Gothics and Saddleback Mountain.

Approaching the Basin from Saddelback Mountain leaves you between points that exit from the range. For me, this became the point of no return. I had no desire to ascend the steep slabs on the back side of Saddelback that I had just come down, and a strong desire to stay off the rough terrain referred to as Shoreys Shortcut back toward Slanted Rock. After bypassing those two exists, you arrive at an intersection between the last two mountains to be hiked: Haystack and Mt. Marcy.

Climbing Mount Haystack first, you cross the false summit known as Little Haystacks and climb over 800-ft. to the actual summit. Backtracking to the previous trailhead, you stand before the final climb of the day, 1,200-ft. to the summit of Mt. Marcy. You may be deeply satisfied to have conquered all the vertical ascents of the day, but you have still have another 9 miles of hiking to return to the Garden Parking Lot.

The route I chose covered 23 miles of terrain, almost 9,000-ft. of elevation gain, 8 defined mountains, and 16 elapsed hours of hiking before reaching the parking lot at 9:30 PM. Although some people prefer to tackle the tallest peak in the beginning of the day, I found that the gentle ascent of each peak while hiking up the range was much more pleasant than if I had traversed the range from the opposite direction. If I was to repeat this hike, I would suggest including both Hedgehog and Roostercomb, and making use of two trailheads to avoid a long exit.

Resources:

http://gretchen.geo.rpi.edu/roecker/nys/adir_txt.html

http://www.apa.state.ny.us/About_park/geology.htm

http://www.adirondackjourney.com/Garden.htm

http://alavigne.net/Outdoors/ImageGallery/2004/Solstice2004/index.jsp

http://www.outdoorbound.com/index.php/events/sub/the_great_range_traverse_trekking_weekend/

The Birth

The idea of bouldering, to climb boulders free-handed without ropes, was first documented in the mid-19^th century. European mountaineers sought training grounds to finesse the skills needed to ascend technical routes up through the Alps. Finding reason to practice on small ledges, rock faces and boulders, these adventurers practiced what would later become a popular hobby for the social, competitive, outdoor enthusiast. The area in France known as Fontainebleau became a popular place early on, with soft sandy landings and challenging outcrops of rocks that became test pieces and then established routes. Even in this day and age, the area where the sport took root is one of the largest and well-known areas sought out by the bouldering community.

The Reasoning

To conquer challenging terrain, practice your shortcomings and push your limits through what may at times be painful to endure. It is in these tests of agility, balance and strength that we redefine what we are capable of doing. Spending countless tries on the order of weeks, months and years to ascend a rock standing a mere 20-ft tall, you might ask yourself why rock climbers would risk their health for such a small feat. Why do they spend their time, money and happiness next to small outcrops? Well, for some of us, it's far too simple. It is a sense of accomplishment and what we find enjoyment in.

Pioneering in Today's Day and Age

Some 150 years past the birth of the aforementioned hobby, you might ask yourself, "Where can I go to practice or climb?" Well, there are more climbing guides than could be listed in this short passage, and the majority of them will lead you to popular destinations where you will be asked to pay a fee, wait your turn, or share space. For some of us, this ruins the idea of solitude - getting away from it all and being at one with nature.

In an attempt to keep it real, I have found myself on the roadside of state land, searching for outcrops near ski parks and hiking terrain, just to find what some would call a "diamond in the rough". The treasure is a few nice-sized boulders with significant features and quality rock composition where I can choose my own lines, take a few falls, and - in the company of good friends - do a little pioneering. It is in this way that I have found a place or two and pinky-swore with the few not to tell anyone.

Resources:

http://www.johngill.net/

http://www.climb-europe.com/RockClimbingFrance/Fontainebleau.htm

http://www.bigupproductions.com/

Mt. Shasta, a stratovolcano that rises 10,000 ft. from the Sacramento Valley in Northern California, marks the southern tip of the Cascade Mountain Range. Second in height only to Washington's Mt. Rainer, Mt. Shasta is the most massive volcano in the Cascades, with 108 cubic miles of earth piled nearly 3 miles up into the sky.

The History

What's been exhumed through rising magmas of the subducted Juan de Fuca plate is quite an eye catcher. The neighboring peak, Shastina, and three other overlapping volcanic cones mark the historical eruptions that have amassed what we survey and describe as Mt. Shasta. Making this mountain unique is the lack of glacial scars and prominent features, such as the Red Banks, left by what is considered recent volcanic activity in geological times.

As an avid outdoorsman from the eastern seaboard, I'll testify that we have no landmark that compares to Mt. Shasta. After being in its vicinity, however, I've gained a respect for it and now understand why there are many myths about this geographical location.

The Myth

People have spoken of spiritual beings burrowed a mile beneath the surface known as the Lemurians. In other legends glaciers descended from heaven guided by god's hands to the summit of Mt. Shasta and brought life to us as we know it today. Several Indian tribes warn that to ascend above the tree line is disrespectful to the gods and marks one's soul for life. Safe passage is given only to those bestowed the highest honor of their death march. These honored few pass above the tree line en route to the summit of this massive volcano.

The Mountain

There's more to Mt. Shasta than its size, altitude, and myths. To climb to the summit is no easy task, and is seldom attempted unless weather permits. Nevertheless, there are over 5,000 travelers that attempt such a feat every year. Almost all the attempts are made from late spring through the summer months when avalanche dangers has subsided and daylight hours are longer.

There are several technical routes that ascend the ridges and steep glaciers. There's also a traditional route known as the John Muir trail that sees the most traffic up through Avalanche Gulch. It's estimated that less than half of the people that attempt to summit Mt. Shasta do so on their first attempt. Maybe this is due to the fact that most of the 5,000 are ill-experienced and poorly-conditioned, attempting this as their first 14,000-ft. mountain in California.

But I'll still stick to my excuse that I traveled as far as the weather would safely let me go with the time at hand I had to make my attempts.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Shasta

http://www.climbingmtshasta.org/

http://www.climbingmtshasta.org/climbing-routes.htm

The pectoralis major tendon is one of two tendons that connect the muscles originating across the sternum and clavicular chest areas to the upper arm bone known as the humerus. It is a significant tendon that controls lateral, upward and outward arm reaches. Injuring the pectoralis major tendon is rather rare and typically occurs to weightlifters. This tendon is also known to tear or rupture during other traumatic exercises where the muscle is under full tension before being subjected to additional stress. The tear could be a partial tear, a complete tear at the tendon head on the humerus, or a tear at the muscular tendon junction.

The injury I sustained while backcountry skiing in the Adirondacks was a complete tear of the pectoralis major with additional tearing at the muscular-tendon junction. Surgical repair was used to relocate the superficial part of my pectoralis major tendon (which was more clavicular head in nature) back to the bone interface using a non-evasive tendon repair technique. Such techniques use little or no foreign material. In my case, the superficial part of the tendon was re-attached to the humerus via a bone tunnel, laterally-tapped drill holes along with the use of two FiberWire sutures that were whipstitched to the tendon. The other injuries associated with the muscular-tendon junction will be treated by a lengthened rehabilitation schedule.

The timing of the repair was not ideal, but within acceptable time limits. Over 30 days elapsed before I was referred to the correct specialist with MRI and X-Ray imaging techniques available to correctly diagnose the injury. Any additional time would have made surgical repair difficult to near-impossible due to the new adhesion of the relocated tendon and muscle scarring. Timing for this specific injury is more important than other tendon ruptures because of the speed and amount of retraction and recoiling of the muscle that takes place.

After five weeks of rehab post-surgery, I am rather thrilled to read about the success that this surgical treatment has had for other patients. Another cause for optimism is the fact that my operative report suggests that I tolerated the procedure well and had a very solid repair. I have regained most active ranges of motion even though I do keep my arm in a sling for the majority of the day. I am also more flexible with less muscle mass than other typical parties that have had such operations. I do believe this has worked to my benefit as muscle tightness quickly subsided, and my range of motion is on schedule and endured without any pain. The goal now is to appreciate the repair job and slowly work my way back to rock climbing shape - hopefully by the winter months.

Reference:

http://orthopedics.about.com/od/sportsinjuries/a/pectoralis.htm

http://radiology.rsnajnls.org/cgi/content/full/210/3/785

http://bjsm.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/3/202