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ALTITUDE SICKNESS

As you probably know, it takes time to acclimate or adjust to higher altitudes. If you’ll be exercising and camping high in the mountains, especially over 9-10,000 feet, start out very slowly. Avoid ambitious plans or intense exercise, giving your body some time to accommodate to the altitude. You’ll probably feel short-winded at first, even if you’re in great shape.

After a few days at high elevations, you should find your body adjusting. If you go too fast at first, however, you’ll be risking a case of altitude sickness. Symptoms of this problem include dizziness, headache, nausea, and extreme fatigue. Stop at the first sign of discomfort, and rest for a long time before continuing. If possible, postpone any further activity till another day. Return to a lower elevation, if necessary.

NATURAL HAZARDS

Lightning

There’s little to fear from lightning any time you’re in a reasonably uniform forest at a low elevation. It’s the high, open, and exposed areas you need to be concerned about. Mountaintops are especially likely targets for lightning strikes.

If you’re on top of a mountain and can see (or hear) an electrical storm coming, move quickly to a lower elevation, and if possible below treeline. Avoid shallow caves, as lightning can travel inside if it strikes nearby. Never seek shelter under a lone tree or cluster of trees in an open area, or let yourself be the highest object in any exposed place.

A storm can blow up quickly, but you’ll usually have at least a few minutes’ warning. If you’re caught out in the open and there’s no time to retreat, kneel down, bend forward and rest your upper body on your thighs and knees. This position is considered safest in the event of a lightning strike, as it minimizes your contact with the ground (lying down is said to be more dangerous, as lightning sometimes travels in a sheet along the ground after striking, and could pass through your body).

Camping in high and open areas is always risky because of the chance of an electrical or other storm, which is possible at any time of day or night. Whenever feasible, it’s best to camp at a lower elevation, preferably in a forested area.

1729 William Burgis creates The Boston Lighthouse, North Country’s first maritime print. It depicts a British ship anchored near the first colonial lighthouse. New York Metro Map Scottish-born John Smibert, the first professional artist to achieve success in Country, opens a studio/art gallery in Boston. A member of the group led by Dean George Berkeley to establish a college in Bermuda, Smibert decides to stay in the colonies after the group receives word that Parliament has cut off the college’s funding. It is for The Bermuda Group Dean George Berkeley and His Family, the painting of those involved in the ill-fated project for which Smibert is best known. One year later, Smibert will hold an art exhibition in his Boston studio that will be the first such exhibit ever held in Country. He will retire in 1746, after having completed more than 250 portraits.