Senior Field Camp, 2010

Photo D. Warburton SFC 1985

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Dates

• Depart May 21

• Return June 30

• Return date could be modified due to adverse conditions

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Travel Arrangements

• Travel will be in mini-vans rented under the State of Florida Contract

• Currently there are 13 students, 4 staff

• Four vans will travel in convoy

• There will be radios in each van

• Car top carriers will be used for all vans

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Drivers

• Assignments are for initial drive only

• Circumstances may dictate making changes

• Primary drivers are: Dr. Petuch Dr. Oleinik Cindy Shaw, GTA William Wright

Faculty Arrivals and Departures

• Dr. Comas will be flying to Durango on June 5th, and will remain with the group though June 17th

• Dr. Petuch will leave the group on June 20th, just before the SW Tour, in order to go to a conference

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Overnight Accommodations - Camping

• Students and staff will camp for the travel portions of the camp, and for overnight excursions – arrangements have been madefor “civilized” campgrounds in most cases Running water (at least in the rest rooms) Most have hot water showers Most have electricity in restrooms – hair dryers,

shavers, etc. will work Some sites may not have potable water

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Lunch on the Outcrop

• Have food and be prepared to eat on the outcrop

• Students eating lunch at I-75 outcrop

• Photo: Anton Oleinik - JFC03

• Breakfast and dinner in the CG

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Things Not To Do

• Do Not Bring or Acquire: Any type of gun or weapon Any type of illegal drugs or contraband Fireworks

Violators are subject to grade penalty, including an “F” in the course and dismissal from the course

Anyone dismissed from the camp will be asked to leave at their own expense

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Camping Equipment• You must bring your own tent and sleeping bag –

tents may be shared by private arrangement among students

• Department has large coolers, stoves, and lamps and each van will have one of each – do not bring coolers or stoves

• Students should form cooking groups, and coordinate stoves, pots. pans, utensils, etc. – we need to bring enough gear to get the job done

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Excess Gear

• Excess gear is in the van…the more you bring, the less room there is, and the more the gear gets “metamorphosed”

• Samples are acquired during the trip, so more material will be brought back than you initially left with

• Experience on JFC should be a guide as to what is needed and what is not

Department Equipment• You will be issued a Brunton compass at the

beginning of field camp

• You are responsible for the return of the compass in good working order at the end of camp

• Loss of the compass or any other department equipment assigned to you will result in a bill for replacement of the equipment, and a hold may be placed on your records until the bill is paid

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Climate

• Expect lows in the mid 20’s to low 30’s at the begiining of the time in Durango

• Highs can easily reach the 80’s and may be considerably higher during the SW Tour

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Dress for the Occasion

• Dress in layers – thermal underwear may be useful

• Photo: Anton Oleinik - JFC03

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Pre Trip Itinerary – May 20

• Thursday, May 20, 2010 – Noon – all primary drivers outside PS 355 to arrange van pickup

• Pick up vans, return to FAU and get parking decals

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Pre Trip Itinerary – May 20 continued

• Everyone should bring the bulk of their gear to FAU not later than 2 p.m. Do not bring perishables or expensive

equipment

• Car top carriers will be installed• Gear will be loaded

Parking Lot 37

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Pre Trip Itinerary – May 20

• Primary drivers should arrange to take vans home Thursday night

• Cindy will secure ice for all vans to pre cool the coolers

• Driving guides with information for the entire trip will be distributed to all participants

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Departure Day Itinerary• Depart Friday May 21 –

Arrive FAU at 6:00 a.m. to finish packing vans Depart FAU at 7:00 a.m. Those arriving late will see dust…..

Finish loading vans Distribute additional ice to coolers and load

them with perishable goods

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Departure Day Travel

• Travel up Florida’s turnpike to I-75, then up I-75 and I-10 to Big Lagoon State Park, FL

• Lunch at a rest area – bring your own food• Total distance is about 652 miles• Estimated travel time is about 10 hours• You will “gain” one hour due to change to

Central Daylight time• Four CG sites are reserved

May 10 Route Map

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Saturday, May 22• You will be traveling from Big Lagoon SP in

Florida to Palmetto State Park, Texas• Total Distance 671 mi – about 10 and a half hours• Dr. Roberts said the park has a good supply of

water moccasins, so watch where you step • One group and three CG sites are reserved

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Water Moccasin• A type of pit viper (subfamily Crotalinae), so

named because of the characteristic sensory pit between each eye and nostril

• The water moccasin inhabits marshy lowlands of the southeastern United States

• Also known as the cottonmouth because it threatens with the mouth open, showing the white interior

• Up to 1.5 m (5 feet) long and is brown with darker crossbands or completely black

• A dangerous snake with a potentially lethal bite, it tends to stand its ground when alarmed

Water Moccasin Photo

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• Water moccasins swim with their entire body on top of the water• Water Moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus)

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May 22 Travel

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Sunday, May 23

• You will be traveling from Palmetto State Park to Carlsbad RV park, Carlsbad, NM

• You will stay three nights – sites are reserved• They have free Wi-Fi• Total distance: 513 miles - about 8 hours 46

minutes• You will “gain” one hour due to change to

Mountain Daylight time

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May 23 Travel

Camping in the Desert• Shake out shoes or boots BEFORE you put

them on – critters may have crawled in (scorpions, black widows, etc.)

• Watch where you walk – rattlesnakes generally won’t attack, but they do get upset when stepped on

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Monday and Tuesday, May 24-25

• Guadalupe Mountain NP Project You will be hiking, so have boots available You need to carry water, this is very dry

country Hyperthermia, which is serious and sometimes

fatal, can result from improper fluid intake

You will be climbing at moderate altitude – take rest stops as needed

Hiking Boots

• Hiking boots should be broken in prior to field camp

• People who attempt to break in boots on camp usually end up breaking in their feet instead, with large, painful blisters

• In case blisters develop, you should carry “moleskin” with you – apply at first sign of blister formation

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Applying Moleskin

• If the blister is in an area where pressure is applied, such as on the bottom of your foot, protect it with a doughnut-shaped moleskin pad

• Leave the area over the blister open• Untreated blisters may become infected

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Hyperthermia, aka Heat Stroke

Hyperthermia is an acute condition which occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate

It is usually due to excessive exposure to heat The heat-regulating mechanisms of the body eventually

become overwhelmed and unable to effectively deal with the heat, and body temperature climbs uncontrollably

This is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention

Dehydration• One of the body's most important methods of temperature

regulation is perspiration• Process draws heat from inside, allowing it to be carried off

by radiation or convection• Evaporation of the sweat furthers cooling, since this

endothermic process draws yet more heat from the body• When the body becomes sufficiently dehydrated to prevent

the production of sweat this avenue of heat reduction is closed

• When the body is no longer capable of sweating core temperature begins to rise swiftly

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Signs of Hyperthermia• Confusion and/or hostility

• Headache

• Apparent intoxication

• Blood pressure may drop significantly from dehydration, leading to possible fainting or dizziness, especially if the victim stands suddenly

• Heart rate and respiration rate will increase as blood pressure drops and the heart attempts to supply enough oxygen to the body

• Skin will become red as blood vessels dilate in an attempt to increase heat dissipation

• Decrease in blood pressure will cause blood vessels to contract as heat stroke progresses, resulting in a pale or bluish skin color

• Complaints of feeling hot may be followed by chills and trembling, as is the case in fever

• Acute dehydration such as that accompanying heat stroke can produce nausea and vomiting; temporary blindness may also be observed.

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Hyperthermia Prevention

• Drink plenty of fluids - do not wait until you are thirsty to drink Half a gallon per person should

be sufficient if weather is not too hot

In hot weather a gallon per person per day

You need to replenish salts – Isotonic drinks (aka Gatorade) will do this

You can also carry and take salt tablets, but use cautiously. Excessive salt is also dangerous. Photo D. Warburton SFC 1984

Hyperthermia Treatment• Body temperature must be lowered immediately• Victim should be moved to a cool area (indoors, or at least in the

shade) and clothing removed to promote heat loss (passive cooling)• Active cooling methods may be used

Victim may be bathed in cool water Cold compresses to the torso, head, neck, and groin will help cool the victim A fan may be used to aid in evaporation of the water (evaporative method). Immersion in ice or cold water is dangerous as this may cause vasoconstriction in the

skin, preventing heat from escaping the body core

Intravenous hydration (via a drip) is necessary if the victim is confused, unconscious, or unable to tolerate oral fluids

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Rattlesnakes

• Rattlesnakes are pit vipers (subfamily Crotalinae)—i.e., they have a small heat-sensing pit between each eye and nostril that aids in hunting.

• The rattle, their outstanding feature, is composed of horny, loosely connected segments, added one at a time, with each skin shedding. Presumably a warning device, the rattle usually contains six to ten segments in an adult.

• All rattlesnakes are venomous and dangerous.

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Rattlesnake Photos

• Timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

• Eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus)

Karl is Quick

• From a live show on ABC

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Scorpions• The animals have an elongated body and a

segmented, curved tail tipped with a venomous stinger.

• Grasping, fingerlike first appendages are other typical features.

• Scorpions first appeared in the Silurian Period• Marine and amphibious scorpions probably persisted

well into the Carboniferous Period • The first decidedly terrestrial scorpions probably

appeared during the Upper Devonian or Lower Carboniferous periods

• The evolution of enclosed lungs in place of external gills was the major change associated with the transition from water to land.

Scorpions continued• Scorpions are nocturnal

• Only one species of scorpion in North America (Centruroides exilicauda) have venom potent enough to be dangerous to human beings

• It is found over much of Arizona and Mexico and a small population occurs in extreme southeastern California, and a few records exist for southern Utah and small parts of Texas, New Mexico and Nevada

• Venom of this scorpion can cause severe pain and swelling at the site of the sting, numbness, frothing at the mouth, respiratory difficulties, muscle twitching, and convulsions

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Centruroides exilicauda, or Arizona Bark Scorpion

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Black Widow Spiders• Black widow spiders are also found in many

areas, including Guadalupe Mountains NP

• Adult female black widow spiders are shiny black with an hourglass shape marking on the bottom of its abdomen which, although most commonly red, may range in color from white to yellow to various shades of orange and red

• In some varieties, the two halves of the hourglass shape may be separated into two separate dots.

• Remember when the female is around, the male is often nearby

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Wednesday, May 26• You will be traveling from

Carlsbad RV park to Bottomless Lakes SP, New Mexico, with a stop at Carlsbad Caverns NP

• This is a one-night stop• Four sites are reserved• Total Distance: 143 miles,

about 3 hours 46 minutes• Near Roswell, NM site of the

1947 “alien space craft” crash

Closest Packing

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• We have changed campgrounds and have tried to reserve enough sites so that this won’t happen• Photo: Dominick Antolino, SFC 2008

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May 26 Travel

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Thursday, May 27• You will be traveling from Bottomless Lakes SP to

O’Leary Group Site, Coconino NF, AZ• You will be traveling through Roswell, then

crossing the Rio Grande Rift• Total Distance: 528 mi – about 10 hours 19 minutes• You gain one hour upon entering Mountain

Standard Time in Arizona• One group camp site is reserved• Geologic Activities at Sunset Crater NM

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May 27 Travel

Friday, May 28

• You will be traveling from O’Leary Group Site, Coconino NF, AZ to Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO, with geologic activities at Petrified Forest NP and Shiprock Volcanic Neck enroute

• 406 miles, about 7 hours 36 minutes

• You lose one hour entering Mountain Daylight time in New Mexico

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May 28 Drive

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Dorm Rooms

• Dorm rooms have been assigned• Dr. Oleinik says it should be possible to adjust assignments if

necessary• Fort Lewis wants $2 per person per day for bed linens – this was

not in our budget, so be prepared to sleep in your sleeping bags

• Photo – Dominick Antolino, SFC08

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Saturday, May 29

• This is a free day Get settled into your room Acquire anything you may have forgotten and

shop for food Become familiar with Durango Get prepared for the Stratigraphy project

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While at Fort Lewis

• You have access to the Fort Lewis Library• You will have access to the Internet• There is considerable information on the course website –

while I know you will all have read everything before you leave, you may find it useful to refer back to it

• If you have questions, comments, suggestions, etc. about the website, please e-mail me

• Any suitable communications ( written comments, pictures, etc.) received may be posted on the website for friends or family who may wish to see them

Teamwork

• One essential of a good field camp experience is working together as a team

• Whining about problems beyond anyone’s control (weather, flat tires, etc.) is not productive

• Do let the staff know about any problems for which you believe a solution is possible – it is not necessary to suffer in silence

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Teamwork in Action

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Ugly Stick Tradition

• Whenever someone was deemed to have been overly obnoxious, they were apt to find the “Ugly Stick” in their sleeping bag that night

• Tradition started on the first SFC, 1984

• Faculty are NOT exempt• Photo: Dave Andrews• Note: During some years,

the sticks were carved but unfortunately were not returned to FAU