As darkness descends on the Kennedy Mountain Campus, a man lies in the brush with a bone protruding from his arm, flashes of red glimpsed in the semi-blackness. Don’t worry, though. The man is Matt Jensen, director of Outdoor Experience and Programs at KMC and one of the instructors for a wilderness first responder interterm course hosted on the University of Denver’s slice of northern Colorado wilderness. Both the bone and blood are fake. The goal, however, is to create an elevated response in the students who could potentially treat such injuries. In Jensen’s case, it was a simulated crash of a utility task vehicle resulting in a victim with a compound fracture. While students focused on the gruesome fake injury, Jensen was portraying a diabetic, something that further complicated the simulated treatment and helped open their eyes to the endless wrinkles that can happen emergency medical care. The next day, with several inches of snow on the ground, the class simulated a ski ac
By MELINDA WILLIAMS melinda@southwesttimes.com New River Trail State Park, which stretches from Pulaski to Galax, provides the best outdoor experience for those with disabilities, according to readers of Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine. The 57-mile linear park, which parallels 39 miles of the New River, was named Best ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Outdoor Experience in the 13th annual Best of the Blue Ridge readers choice awards.
By MELINDA WILLIAMS melinda@southwesttimes.com New River Trail State Park, which stretches from Pulaski to Galax, provides the best outdoor experience for those with disabilities, according to readers of Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine. The 57-mile linear park, which parallels 39 miles of the New River, was named Best ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Outdoor Experience in the 13th annual Best of the Blue Ridge readers choice awards.