Addendum

I just wanted to add. My hats off to the folks who go off exploring in places such as the Tetons and the agencies and organizations that make such adventures possible. This country has so many beautiful places that beg to be explored and enjoyed but they are also rugged and dangerous. As I've told my friends, 100-mile races are safer than these back country adventures. In races there's a good number of people who know you're out there and will come looking when you don't show up. There are other runners who would aid you in an emergency and aid stations all along the course where you can pull out of the race if necessary.

At the Ohlone 50k this year, a runner had passed out on the course because of heat exhaustion. His fellow runners quickly rendered aid and shielded him from the sun. The emergency call was made and a helicopter airlifted him out of the course. According to the family (sister in law goes to my church) the quick response saved his life. He had vomited before he passed out and some of it had come back. It blocked his airway momentarily, shutting down the oxygen to his brain, it also messed up his lungs causing pneumonia. He recovered and owes his life to his fellow runners and volunteers besides the medical personnel at Stanford. Out there in a place like the Tetons, you can hurt yourself and be a long way, a long wait for help. Imagine the manpower to walk someone out of those rocky fields. I don't even know where a helicopter could land there if someone needed to be airlifted. I guess it doesn't land, just hovers. I should ask my friend Greg, he's a Coast Guard Helicopter Pilot. He was transferred to Florida before Katrina hit and was sent to New Orleans to help with the operations there after the hurricane...but I digress.

What I'm saying is, thank God for these wonderfully natural places in our country. Kudos to those who go out and explore the outdoors. This includes all you cyclists too:) And lastly, thank you to the organizations that make it possible and who save our butts when we get into trouble cause really it can happen to the best of us. Meghan, Mike and Sarah all work for the National Park Service up in Yellowstone and I got a very small peep at what goes on behind the scenes so to speak. They help protect the environment and save lives and I was fortunate, blessed really, to have been out with experienced guides. I spent a part of my time reading their reactions to our environment while we were on that hike. If a situation made them nervous, like a steep, slick and icy snow field, I took note and followed their lead.

Anyway starting to ramble now so I should go. San Francisco has been blessed with good weather all week, it's our summer so I think it's here to stay for awhile. It's great here end of August till October. Foggy mornings, hot afternoons where I live. Run then hangout. Ran already, hungout already and now I'm going back out. Hope ya'll have a great holiday weekend. Staying off my bike because the roads will be choked with extra traffic, on bike and cars. Just gonna run and run some more.

Ranger Sarah, keeping us tourists at a safe viewing distance from a large Grizzly bear. Unfortunately she also had to do some traffic control when people started parking in the middle of the road:) Really? City driving, we do that a lot here in our city.