Wilderness Skills Schools, Part V:

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Our final destination will be south of Sweetwater Gap, which is north of South Pass—the Oregon Trail's gateway across the continental divide and all points west, circa the mid-1800s. We'll be hitting the gap and leaving the mountains without Jim, Deb and Karen to escort us.

But that challenge is two weeks away. I'm not sure where we'll be tonight since we'll chart our course as we go.

Time to move.

The Trail to Leadership

At 3:45 p.m. on our second day, a five-hour hike leaves many of us with "hot spots"those red, sensitive spots on novice feet that signal oncoming blisters. At 4:00, we come over a saddle and watch as the snowcapped summit of Wind River Peak is engulfed by thunderclouds and lightning.

The trek across tough terrain with sore feet isn't a lot of fun, but I'd go through the blisters all over again for this view of Wind River Peak. To NOLS, of course, backpacking is much more than blisters and sightseeing; it's the main vehicle for developing wilderness leadership skills.

Our expedition leaves Roaring Fork Lake in a three-prong patrol to lessen our impact on the trail. Along the way, I listen to Jim hawk "trail technique" and "expedition behavior" like a vendor at a baseball game. Most of us catch on to what he's driving at after taking our turn at the lead. The point position seems to open the gate for the racehorse in most of us, but heavy packs, hot sun and nature's speed bumps stress the need to conserve energy, which we do by practicing rhythmic breathing, the rest step and other trail techniques.

There are good reasons for the NOLS emphasis on self-conservation. The organization's founder, Paul Petzoldt, wrote in The New Wilderness Handbook (W. W. Norton), "As long as everyone is having an enjoyable time, feeling well, comfortable, and unworried, human nature is at its best. But when the storm strikes, food runs short, an accident happens, or time schedules go awry whenever the chips are down—people without conscious control can become like animals in the jungle."

Knowing this, we learn to watch out for each other. If someone needs to stop for food, air or water, everyone takes a break. If someone can't handle his or her pack, we redistribute the weight. Keeping our group healthy and happy helps keep the animals at bay and us out of the jungle.

Our trip from Roaring Fork Lake is a case in point. Along the way, a fellow hiker and ex-Marine said to me, "A group travels only as fast as its slowest member." He mentioned it after one of our troops almost dropped on the trail. None of the rest of us noticed, but Jim saw what was happening and called for a break. During that time, he cautioned us to talk to each other and to speak out when we're having trouble. As we hoisted our packs on, he asked the tired hiker to take the lead. When she did, her pace quickened, endurance improved, and we were able to travel with fewer breaks and less fatigue. A lesson in leadership.

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