High Altitude Crash

What a nice view of Pike's Peak from the Garden of the Gods!  This may be the best photo I've ever taken...and from a phone at that.

 

 

 

Our plan for the day was to do the Cog Up/Bike Down from Challenge Unlimited.  We ran a bit late getting to their office and had to quickly complete paperwork before heading off with a group of 24 and our guides to the Cog Railway Depot.  Our guide Sarah got the tickets, Kelly gave us instructions, and the guides took off for the summit in the vans. 

It got steadily cooler as we gained elevation.  The temperature was around freezing with a slight wind when we reached the summit.

After gearing up and getting fitted for our bikes we were ready to take the 20-mile ride down the mountain.  The plan was to make several stops along the way.



 

We left the parking lot near the rear of the pack.  After rounding the first switchback I thought one in the group was going off the edge as he looked back to check on his wife.  I passed him, came around a slow curve to the left and saw that we had really gotten behind the group.  Debbie and Zack were behind me.  Most of the group and lead van were waiting at a rally point at the next switchback.

 

I let off the brakes and took off to the group.  When I got there I turned around to watch Zack come in to the group as well.  I got prepared to help him stop, but he did a great job coming to a safe stop.

 

When I looked up the road to see how the others were doing I saw that our chase van was stopped and folks were tending to someone who was down.  I knew Debbie was up there somewhere so I started looking for her white jacket, but couldn't see it.  By that time Jackson, one of the guides, was starting to head up the mountain on his bike to assist.  I was concerned that Debbie was down so took off hiking up to the accident.

 

When I arrived I found Debbie on her back in the road with Sarah keeping her head stable.  Her helmet was off and damaged, her sunglasses were in pieces, and she had a large knot on her left cheek.  Sadly, she really had no idea of what had happened.  One of the riders behind her reported that she turned her handle bars to the left and went down.

 

Guides Ken and Kelly had taken charge of the situation and called local EMS.  After some time we got a neck collar on her and loaded into one of the vans.  Traffic was horrible which probably delayed getting her in the van and headed down the mountain.  Zack and I jumped in the van and Ken took off driving.  I felt sorry for the rest of the group as we drove past them.  They had been standing in the elements for some time and I could see some shivering.

 

Ken is an experienced guide and ranger with lots of experience on the mountain.  He drove like a man possessed, passing cars and bicycles until we hit a logjam of traffic that slowed us down.

 

And then it started hailing.

 

The amount of hail was amazing to us.  It made feel even more sorry for the rest of our group still up on the road coming down. 

 

As we came into Glen Cove a motorcycle went down on the wet road covered in hail.  We had passed a plow truck heading up hill just a few moment prior.

 

We had made it well down the mountain before meeting the ambulance coming up for her.  After a quick assessment by EMS, Zack and I jumped in the ambulance with her and we headed the rest of the way down the mountain and on to the hospital.

 

 

Debbie was quite lucky to escape with no broken bones in her face.  She went down hard and has pretty good road rash on her cheek.

 

Our belief is that she got light-headed from the altitude, passing out, and then going down on the bike.  We believe she was pretty limp as she hit the road because she has no defensive wounds on her hands. 

 

She has a black eye, swollen check, sore shoulder, scraps on her knuckles, and a sore hip and back.  We're thankful that she wasn't hurt worse and very thankful to the guides who took care of her.

 

As the days wore on Debbie has gained memory of some of her time on the peak and her short ride, but has no recollection of her accident.  She recalls wanting to sit up in the van, but remembers little else in the van.

 

I'm not discouraged from attempting this trip again, but I may be going it alone.

 

 

Whitewater Clinic Trip

After the Whitewater Races Zack and I decided to take the Whitewater Clinic offered by the Missouri Whitewater Association.  After registering it was time for a bit more gear.

We arrived at the campground on a Friday and got camp set up.  Zack wanted to hike along the rocks so we headed to Millstream Gardens Conservation Area.  We started near the shelter you can see in the distance below and made our way downstream along the rocks. 

A group of four kayakers were making their way down the river and we moved along the rocks staying in line with them.  Not on purpose, we were just moving at a similar pace.  That is until a rock moved when I stepped on it.

Of course the rocks are slimy and slick and into a shallow pool of water I went.  The water wasn't shockingly cold and I just kind of laughed a bit, stood up, and then realized my phone was in my pocket.  I handed it off to Zack to keep in a dry pocket and decided we would go into town and get some rice to help dry it out later. 

I was wet from my shoulders down, but we kept walking for a while.  The slim from the rocks was all over my pants so I was worried about staining.  I've ruined pants this way in the past.

We eventually headed to the truck, went back to camp for dry clothes, and headed to WalMart.  There I got the rice for the phone, as well as stain remover and laundry detergent.

The phone was unusable for the weekend so my plans for a few photos were squashed.  Interestingly the phone works, but only with the stylus.  It won't recognize a finger swipe or finger touch.

 

Anyway...on Saturday we were up early and to the gathering area on time.  It took a while for them to get organized, but we ended up with a good group.  Our instructor was Slim.  Mike, John, and Steve were the safety boaters for the trip, but also helped with instruction.  They were all great about giving tips and answering questions.  The clinic participants in our group were brothers Jim and John, Mo, Bev, and the two of us.

 

After getting the shuttle together we were off to Fisherman's to start our day.  Mike led us in some stretching and we headed to the water.  We spent about two hours in the pool, eddy, and ripple at Fisherman's working on strokes, peeling out, eddying out, and ferrying.  Of course I got over zealous and went swimming during a ferry.

 

We stopped at Millstream for lunch and then headed toward Big Drop (photo below from Whitewater Race weekend).

 

 



 Zack and I both made it successfully through Big Drop on Saturday.  It was a fun run, but Cat's Paw came next.  A few in a our group decided to portage around Cat's Paw, Zack included.  I attempted to run it, but slammed into a rock, got out of position and hung on to the rock and bottom until being rescued.  I lost my paddle while holding on and tried to move my boat backwards into a small eddy but struggled against the strong current.  Mike came into the eddy, got out, and tried to help from the rocks.  Slim came towards me yelling at me to get my arm out of the way before slamming into me (no doubt the hit would have broken my arm) and correcting my angle on the rock.  That allowed me to get out and then down to the bottom using my hands as paddles.  At least I stayed in the boat.

It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed our time learning strokes and moves and we went down the river.  I swam two more times while playing in rapids.  One was a silly mistake, but on the other I bit off more than I could chew.

After peeling off wet gear we hung around the pavilion for dinner and Zack played Frisbee golf with some guys.

The weather was wetter and cooler on Sunday.  We gathered as a group and headed back to Fisherman's for more ground instruction and stroke practice before heading down the river.  At Hollywood beach we practiced hip snaps, T-rescues, and some of us rolled.  I was two for two.

Zack was bragging about staying in his boat.  John asked him if he had ever heard about karma.

Karma was just about to smack him in the face.  Zack made it off Big Drop fine, but flipped quickly after.  He pulled his skirt, but wasn't getting out.  Several boats headed to him and I jumped out of mine to get him out.  He was all but out by the time I reached him.

Being upside down for between 10 and 15 seconds startled him and he was shivering.  We got some food in him, Steve gave him another top, and a small group of us headed down the river ahead of the others to get him off and warm.  He was hesitant to run anything after that, but only portaged around Cat's Paw.  My Cat's Paw run was successful on Sunday, but I bit it on the bottom end of Rickety Rack.

We got Zack off the river around 2pm.  By that time he had warmed from all the paddling, but was hungry.  After changing into dry clothes we headed home.

Overall it was a great trip and I will definitely do the clinic again in the future.  Zack and I also plan to head back down there in a few weeks for some stroke practice.  Without other boaters we won't run any of the rapids, but we will work on peeling out, eddying out, and ferrying. 

Maybe next time I won't mess up my phone and actually get some pictures or video.

Stand There Or Do Something?

You are the second person to arrive on the scene of an injury accident and the first person is just standing there looking over the injured person.  Do you instinctively say, "Don't just stand there, do something!"?  Or do you think this person is perhaps assessing what needs to be done before doing it?

 

Sometimes we act first without thinking.  Unfortunately that happens quite a bit in the social media world.  We react to a situation that is upsetting without thinking through what we post.  And then it's gone and out of our control.  Sure, we could delete the post, but we don't know who has saved it in some manner.  We've launched something into cyberspace and getting it back is challenging, if not impossible.

As leaders we don't always have as much time to reflect as we would like before making decisions.  The leaders I have most respected made sure they assessed situations before taking action.  They set great examples of reflective practice on behalf of the students they served.

Today's leaders are no different.  They work in service of children each and every day, doing amazing things for students and communities.  Reflective leaders from across the country are collaborating in a variety of ways to ensure opportunities for the kids they serve.

THANK YOU!

2015 Whitewater Races

March is the month for the Missouri Whitewater Races held at Millstream Gardens on the St. Francis River.  It is sponsored by the Missouri Whitewater Association.  We've been a few times over the years, but made and extended trip of it this year.

 The rocks at Big Drop are a favorite gathering place for spectators.

 

Looking up the course from near Big Drop.  The start of the race is down the hill from the pavilion.



 Can you get yourself through the gates?

 Zack is ready to call it a day.

 

For the trip we camped at Johnson Shut-Ins State Park.  After spending the day at the races we played on the rocks at shut-ins.

 

The old campground at Johnson Shut-Ins was destroyed when 1.3 billion gallons of water from the Taum Sauk Reservoir came rushing down.  The scour path is amazing.

 

 

Below you can see the rebuilt reservoir.

A Duty to Mentor

Have you seen the latest on teacher engagement from Gallup?  One of the findings was that having someone to support your development is key to engagement.  Similar findings of having a mentor is key to student engagement.

I assumed my first superintendency in 2001 and was lucky to have a group of superintendents in the area that took me under their wing.  They called to check on how I was doing professionally and personally.  They made sure I was aware of what I would be facing in the next few months.  They encouraged my involvement in regional and state professional associations.  A few years later they encouraged me to join AASA.

Later I was tapped to help develop a mentoring program for new superintendents in Missouri.  Since 2005 I've chaired our state association's mentoring committee.  Our role is to ensure each new superintendent is paired with an experienced superintendent to help guide them during their first year.  Often, that one year turns into a great relationship held for years.

In Missouri we also have a New Superintendent's Academy for superintendents in years 2-5.  It has a critical mentoring component as well.

Not too long ago AASA formed the National Superintendent Certification program in association with the SUPES Academy.  The first cohort is set to graduate next month at the National Conference on Education.  Also at the conference the third cohort will kick off.  This program also has a strong mentoring component.

I remember, years ago, citing the Boy Scout Oath for the first time.  That Oath has always resonated with me and I've remained active.  As I think about the programs above and the Oath I go to the last few words, "help other people at all times."

As leaders we help others each and every day.  I challenge you, though, to reach out to those new superintendents in your area and help them.  You might not be a formal mentor, but the expertise you have might just help someone navigate a situation they're facing.  As leaders we have a duty to mentor others.

December 2014 DTS Trip

In 1996 a small band of friends took their first canoe trip in cold weather.  It was the first weekend in December.  We met at the Call of the Wild between Poplar Bluff and Doniphan early on a Saturday morning and headed to Alton for an overnight trip on the Eleven Point River.  There were three of us.  We had one canoe and rented another.  Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day on the river.  About 7pm it started to mist and by midnight it was raining steadily.  We packed up on Sunday and it began to rain as we finished the final part of the trip.  The rain stopped, the wind picked up, the temperature dropped, and it started snowing as we waited for our shuttle.

For seven years our small group could be found on a Missouri river, stream, or lake.  Finally we thought it might be a bit more fun if we expanded our group.  About a dozen folks can now be found on our annual trips, although 35 distinct folks have made the trip at one time or another -- always on the same weekend.

The weather over the years has varied.  One year I wore shorts, a t-shirt, and sandals the entire weekend.  Another year I called off school and headed out in an ice storm.  The temperatures that weekend never really got above freezing.

This year we base camped at Big Spring campground on the Current River.

Several of us met at the Float Stream restaurant on Thursday for lunch.  After a big plate of chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes, and okra we were off to set up camp.  Others arrived later and we all enjoyed a nice bowl of chili, or two, for supper.

It began to rain Thursday night and did so through much of it.  By morning it was just a misty fog.  We thought it best to perhaps take a short trip on the river before breakfast, but others were arriving in the morning so we waited on them and hit the water after breakfast.

 

 

Betting on rain later in the morning I wore my new rain hat.  With about 30 minutes of steady rain, I was thankful for it.

 

 

It was foggy until the rain set in.

 

When we arrived back at camp we did a bit of work expanding our big shelter and relaxed for a bit before trying out a new recipe for the group.  It was the first try at smoked salmon chowder.  It was delicious, but prep takes a while.  The guys took care of all the chunks and left only a small bit of liquid in the bottom of the pot.

The next day the weather was much better -- cloudy and windy, but no rain.  The river was also up about a foot from the previous day.  We spent most of the day on the water, arriving back in camp around 4:30pm.  Thankfully pork chops and garden vegetables don't take as long to cook as the chowder did.  The soup, coupled with Doyel's famous cornbread, was a fitting end to the day.

Another successful trip is behind us and we look forward to getting the families on the water before coming together again next December.  2015 will find us somewhere around Eminence.  We always enjoy their Christmas parade.





 

Be a Bridge Builder

Behind my desk...

The Bridge Builder

BY WILL ALLEN DROMGOOLE

An old man going a lone highway,

Came, at the evening cold and gray,

To a chasm vast and deep and wide.

Through which was flowing a sullen tide

The old man crossed in the twilight dim,

The sullen stream had no fear for him;

But he turned when safe on the other side

And built a bridge to span the tide.

“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,

“You are wasting your strength with building here;

Your journey will end with the ending day,

You never again will pass this way;

You’ve crossed the chasm, deep and wide,

Why build this bridge at evening tide?”

The builder lifted his old gray head;

“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,

“There followed after me to-day

A youth whose feet must pass this way.

This chasm that has been as naught to me

To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;

He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;

Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!”