Methow Valley Sketch
Methow Valley Sketch

I’m settling into my routine now after a great Wilderness First Responder (WFR) class in the Methow Valley, one of my favorite regions. Paul Nicolazzo, founder of the Wilderness Medicine Training Center (WMTC), taught the 80-hour course and was an inspiring instructor. I chose to take the class with WMTC in part because they offer distance-learning programs for which the academic studies are completed at home and exams are taken online. This meant I had five days of practical studies instead of the eight to ten days other courses may take when they include the academics on-site. The distance format allowed me to pace myself with the material and I felt well-prepared for the practical sessions (which included many scenarios and fake blood). I highly recommended the WFR course to anyone who spends time in remote regions.