Daniel Boone Nat'l Forest / Red River Gorge

Biostatistics is over! I don't know how, but I managed to get an A. I am not sure I can tell you much about biostatisticss other than what a "p value" is and how to use it to reject a null hypothesis (and I am not going to try and explain it here in case you were worried - I just wanted to throw out the nomenclature to sounds all smart and stuff). After one day off, we are back in full swing with three classes over the next eight weeks. The only class of any interest will be pathophysiology. Basically, the study of human diseases, or "what happens when normal physiology gets whacked and off kilter". You know, physiology, the only class so far that I got a B. Grrr.

So, since this weekend had not been punctuated with exams, papers or assignments yet, I did what I always do: go hiking and camping solo (tangentialtal thought: why when I live in Chicago which is no where near anything friendly towards my outdoor interests, all my friends camped and hiked and did cool stuff. Now that I live at the doorstep of nature, I have no friends that want to come play? Ironic) Back to the update: This time I went to the Red River Gorge in the Daniel Boone National Forest. Climbers will know that this is (or was, b/c now the New River Gorge is all the rage) the premier climbing location to go to east of the Mississippi. I have planned to go to the Gorge for years and I finally made it (sorry Michelle!). But I just hiked and camped, no climbing (I am waiting for Michelle). Here are some of the highlights:

Attacked by crickets on the Big Turtle!
The Sheltowee Trace is a 278 mile trail that starts 10 miles south of the KY border in TN and ends at the northern KY/OH border. The entire length of the trail is blazed with a white turtle, since Sheltowee means Big Turtle. Based on my experiences this weekend, a cricket would be more appropriate. While hiking the ST in the Gorge area, I was attacked by thousands of killer crickets. OK, the real story is that there were many, many crickets hopping around and when I would get in the way of that hopping they would slam into my legs. So, I guess I wasn't attacked per se, nor were they trying to kill me, but there were so many hopping around that it actually sounded like it was raining. I remember hearing somewhere (probably the visitor's center) that Sheltowee was the name the Shawnee Native American's gave to Daniel Boone. But why they called Boone the Big Turtle is what I want to know. I don't think I would have been flattered.

Where is Jane?
While on this little hike, I came across a huge rock outcropping (at least 20-25 feet tall) and some swing ropes. On my way back, there were sunbathers on the rock and kids swinging off the rope and into the water. Much to my amazement, the sunbathers starting jumping off this huge rock and into the water. They did an assortment of back flips, back flops and random Tarzan-like moves. I was so tempted to shed my clothes and join them (I was wearing a bathing suit people - I knew it was going to be 94 degrees that day and I was going to be by a river - I was prepared!). I am not sure why I didn't join in on the fun, but I am definitely going back. Oh, interesting side note: one of the guys jumping off ropes and cliffs had the EXACT same Hebrew word (translated to Jesus the Messiah) tattooed on his ankle that I have tattooed on my wrist. I was floored. We also had the same reason for doing it in Hebrew: it is the Jewish scholarly and Biblical language, which is the root of our Christian beliefs. It was a good thing they matched so one of us wasn't walking around with "Don't forget to walk the dog" tattooed on our bodies.

Somehow the Red River just doesn't exude "wild"
So I am not sure where I got this perception that the Red River was this wild river with steep cliffs on either bank and crazy climbers scuttling up every crack and crevice that could be found and marked. But the river itself (at least what I saw of it) is tame and so low that kayakers had to hike lengthy distances in it because it was to shallow. There were the occasional outcroppings, but they were not the norm. Mostly it was just a muddy, slow, low stream easily waded through. All the cliffs are off in the rest of the forest, which is where you will find the hard-core climbers. There is something very cool about driving through the forest, looking up at a distant rock face and seeing microscopic climbers doing multipitch climbs. Total respect.

My philosophy of camping
I decided during this trip that campers like to bring their conveniences of home out to the woods with them. They come to "relax" and "get away form it all", yet they haul load after load from an SUV the size of some small countries to their site, laden down with everything from huge tents the size of the Taj Mahal, stoves on legs, home sized air mattresses, coolers of food and I kid you not here, a generator. Activity around the campsite related to setting up, cooking a meal, and going to get cleaned up at the showers. This causes one to think where is the relaxing in all this? Where is the getting away from it all? Perhaps we need a little lesson in simplicity and the real relaxation that it brings when we do not have to worry about our stuff or keeping ourselves occupied every minute of the day. Look at the trees and the stars, listen to the animals, stir the fire if you need to move around, and just enjoy the company of your friends or the solitude of your thoughts for a change.

Small world with a Kenyan connection
I left the Boone early enough to have time to shower, eat breakfast and go to church - something I was looking forward to after being out in the woods enjoying creation (and did I mention it is one mere hour away from my front door?). I saw in the bulletin a listing of folks that were going on mission trips in the summer. On the list was a woman going to Tenwick Hospital in Kenya. That is the exact same hospital my advisor is sending me to on my rotations! Of course I wanted to meet her if I could but I am new and don't really know anyone, so I was going to have to ask around to see if anyone could point her out to me. A few minutes later a couple sat down and during announcements I leaned over and asked if she had been going to the church a while and then asked if she knew Valerie Phebus. She looked at me and said, "I am her." Turns out that she is in the PA class of 06 at my school (so she is about to graduate)! We talked awhile after the service and she gave me her contact info so that I can pester her with questions when she gets back. How cool is that. Then this conference at a confrence I met an Indian man who grew up in Kenya. He was so excited that I was going to go that he gave me his sisters name and e-mail so I could look her up when I was there and stay with tem (apparentforeigny house forgien medical students all the time - as he and his entire family and children are all doctors). Where does his brother-in-law work? Did you guess it? He runs the hospital. Some say coincidence - I say not.

OK, that is all for the update. Dive Rescue SCUBA training had to be put on hold - the ankle couldn't bear my weight and be able to haul an "unconscious" diver out of the water while both of us were wearing fins, tanks, etc. However white water rafting is being planned for sometime in July in the New River Gorge! School? I'm in school? I moved here to camp, hike and be outdoors.

Paz,

J