NOLS Blog
Case Study: Bear Spray in the Face
The Setting You are almost done with a 3-day backpacking trip in the Wind River Mountain Range of Wyoming with two of your friends. You only have a couple miles left to get back to the car, and you’re already dreaming of the cheeseburger and milkshake you’re going to have once back in town. Prior…
Case Study: Fishhooks
Photo: Lindsay Nohl The Setting You’re on the first day of a twelve-day whitewater canoeing expedition down the ...
When Everything Came Into Focus — Hiking Patagonia’s Torres del Paine O Circuit Alumni Trip
Photo: Libby Poston I first learned about the O Circuit in 2025, a year before I actually did ...
Case Study: Heat Illness on an Early-Season Wildland Fire Assignment
The Setting You are working on a Type 2 initial attack handcrew in the Deschutes National Forest during the early part of fire season. It’s one of the first assignments of the year, and while conditions aren’t extreme yet, temperatures have climbed into the mid-80s°F with full sun exposure on a south-facing slope. The crew…
Rothberg-Birdwhistel Expedition Fund: Panchachuli III Peak Climb
In May 2025, Bharat Bhushan, Prerna Dangi, and I took on a challenge to climb Panchachuli III (6,349m), believed by local residents to remain unclimbed. We aimed to approach it via the northeast route through the Meola Glacier. Despite occasional visits by military and paramilitary personnel, there was no recorded mountaineering information or documented route…
Case Study: Non-Freezing Cold Injury on a Canoe Trip
The Setting You are leading an early-season canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It’s mid-May, and while the days are mild, the water is still very cold. Travel involves frequent portaging and wading in and out of the canoe to load and unload gear. Despite good effort, everyone’s feet have been wet…
Lou Gordon: Three Decades of Influence
Louise “Lou” Gordon’s office in the Wilderness Medicine wing of NOLS Headquarters is tucked into the perpendicular intersection of two banks of offices, in the center of the activity but quiet and a little reserved. Like Lou herself.
After more than 30 years, the last 6 1/2 as NOLS Wilderness Medicine’s Wilderness EMT Supervisor, Lou is cleaning and packing up her office in preparation for her retirement. Her last day is May 1.
Climate Medicine: Where Climate Change and Healthcare Meet
Springtime has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere. Trees and grasses are greening up, flowers are blooming, and birds have returned to greet the morning with song. As many of Earth’s residents head into boreal summer, they know to expect rising temperatures. But what does that heat mean for human health? What happens when infectious diseases…
Summer Travel Programs for Teens: Why Wilderness Expeditions Offer More Than a Passport Stamp
Most summer travel programs for teens promise adventure. A select few actually deliver it. There is a difference between traveling through a place and learning to move through it with skill and intention. That difference is worth understanding before you commit to any program, and before your teen boards a plane. This guide breaks down…
Recreation economy accounts for 50,000 Wyoming jobs
Recreation continues to play an important and growing role in Wyoming’s economy, according to a report released July 26 by the Outdoor Industry Association.
Renowned Astronomer Jill Tarter Says Eclipse Reminds Us We’re Earthlings
Tarter said she’s seen two other total solar eclipses in her life but she chose to see this one in Wyoming because her daughter works for the NOLS in Lander.
Genius Tips to Master Campsite Baking
A week into her NOLS class in the wilderness, Katherine Boehrer experienced the biggest shock of the trip, at dinnertime. "They made this chocolate cake."
How to Ford a River
To learn how to safely ford a river, we called Marco Johnson, a NOLS field instructor who for over 30 years has traveled the globe teaching wilderness courses.
Outdoor Recreation Bolsters Wyoming’s Economy with $5.6 Billion Annually in Consumer Spending and 50,000 Jobs
Outdoor recreation in Wyoming generates $5.6 billion annually in spending, contributes a whopping 50,000 jobs, and $514 million in state and local tax revenue.
Veterans group uses the outdoors, mountaineering to prevent suicides
When the Iraq combat veteran Andrew Collins realized every time he felt lost, or the noise grew louder in his head, he grabbed his backpack and headed outside.
Getting Kids Into the Outdoors Starts in the Backyard
A guy who’s required to know all of them is John Gans, the executive director of NOLS, which teaches survival skills, risk management, and leadership.
NOLS Joins “We Are Still In” Paris Agreement Coalition
On July 17, 2017, NOLS joined the “We Are Still In” coalition of Paris Agreement supporters within the United States.
Should You Become a Wilderness First Responder?
Many park rangers, guides, and outdoor enthusiasts become wilderness first responders, a certification offered by the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS).
How To Be a Nature Lover Without Leaving a Footprint
In 1990, the Forest Service contracted with NOLS to create low-impact pedagogy and training. From this work emerged Leave No Trace and its seven-step program.
Why good leaders need to be comfortable with uncertainty
Tori Murden McClure, president of Spalding University, rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She learned about leadership from her outdoor adventures.
3,600 Miles and a dream
Ben Urmston has lived his life in pursuit of becoming an astronaut. He has degree in aerospace engineering and has been an instructor at NOLS for a decade.
