NOLS Blog
Case Study: Fishhooks
The Setting You’re on the first day of a twelve-day whitewater canoeing expedition down the Green River. Your group consists of fifteen students and four instructors. Everyone is paddling close together down a stretch of flat water practicing strokes, building skills, and getting to know one another. Spirits are high. People are laughing, chatting, and…
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
Photo by Kirk Rasmussen The Setting You are working on a Type 2 initial attack handcrew in the ...
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…
Staying Power
Shari Kearney didn’t just find a place at NOLS—as our longest serving female instructor, she has worked over 424 weeks in the field and influenced generations of students. Shari Kearney is checking on Three Peaks Ranch’s stable of horses, kept on pastures outside of Lander, Wyoming in the offseason. Each autumn, the horses—dozens of them—are…
New Courses for Winter & Spring 2019
Take a look at new upcoming courses for winter and spring in 2019.
How Valuing Different Leadership Roles Makes Better Teams
Leadership is about more than the designated leader—anyone can be in a leadership role at any moment.
Real-life Scenario: A Surfing Rescue in Baja California
One NOLS graduate uses her Wilderness First Responder skills to help a surfer in need.
Why I Left School for a NOLS Semester
Claire found the new experiences and energy she needed to refresh from school on a Semester in Baja
Case Study: Is Hydration Always the Answer?
The patient is a 30-year-old complaining of fatigue, dizziness, and a headache—how will you respond? Test your knowledge with this case study.
Simple Views Teach Profound Lessons: Sunrise in the Himalaya
A NOLS alumni reflects on the lessons of watching a sunrise in the Himalaya Mountains.
Quiz: Sprains, Strains, and Athletic Injuries
Sprains and strains are some of the most common injuries you'll encounter in the outdoors. Are you prepared to recognize and treat them?
Why Car Camping With Kids Was Harder Than My NOLS Course
NOLS grad Alyssa Walker concludes that camping with her two young children was magical—and also one of the hardest things she's ever done as a parent.
What You Learn on a NOLS Semester
On outdoor semester with NOLS, you'll learn to find navigate in the wilderness—which might just help you find clarity on your journey through life as well.
Research Connects Wilderness Experience with Stronger Problem-solving Skills
Research shows that NOLS semesters better equip students for real-world problem solving than traditional classroom-based courses.
Gender-inclusive Communication for First Responders
When gender or sex is relevant to treating a patient, it's important to communicate respectfully and not make assumptions.
How to Make Cinnamon Rolls when You’re Camping
Master the art of baking cinnamon rolls on a camp stove with this tasty recipe.
