After a lengthy hiatus, the Knights reconvened for their weekly meeting Tuesday night to prepare for their upcoming expedition to Mount Townsend. The plan is to drive until the snow gets too deep for the intrepid Subaru, and then to proceed by snowshoe to the trailhead. Once there, the Knights will be practicing their new orienteering skills.
Some helpful tips from the army manual include distances you should keep from some common objects when using a compass to prevent interference:
High-tension power lines .................................. 55 meters.
Field gun, truck, or tank ................................... 18 meters.
Telephone wires & barbed wire ....................... 10 meters.
Machine gun ........................................................ 2 meters.
Steel helmet or rifle ............................................ 1/2 meter.
Perhaps its time to find a civilian manual. I haven’t run across too many tanks or machine guns in my scrambling of late.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Do Elephants Wheeze?
The night was dark and bitterly cold, the sort of night when you wish for a roaring fire and a warm blanket. Instead, a small contingent of children were playing soccer beneath the flooding stadium lights, not realizing what they were about to witness. From the far end of the track that surrounded the field came suddenly the thundering of many feet. Looking up in surprise, they beheld a surging mass at top speed. The image of the indomitable horde as it broke into sight, with harsh breath flaring at their nostrils, was a sight to behold, for it was nothing short of the Charge of the Blue Elephants!
Turning much bluer than usual, with hands on the verge of frostbite and the frozen breath hanging on their beardless faces, the brave KBE took to the track at a gallop! In the forefront, despite a raging elephantine migraine, raced the long-striding Nick! Behind him, ruing the choice of Fish and Chips a mere 45 minutes prior, strode Derek. Close at hand ran Ben, laughing at the bitter cold in a heroically Norse fashion. Marley too surged along, rounding out the glorious company, and finished with her characteristically fast finishing charge that none can hope to match.
Then, as suddenly as the charge began, it ended. The awestruck children stood still, their idle soccer balls momentarily forgotten, for they had just witnessed a historic event, the very beginning of the rise to dominance of the Knights of the Blue Elephant! The Knights, all of whom had finished a good strong mile run, were breathless but invigorated, and they too knew that they were on the verge of a historical undertaking.
And so begins the training of the elite KBE, as they prepare for a year of glorious adventure. In order to ensure that they not only strive strongly, but actually attain legendary victories, they begin a grueling training period. Whether to summit distant ice-clad mountains, to travel the dark cavernous wastes of the Ape Caves, or to run immeasurable distances to exotic locales, the Knights will be ready!
Turning much bluer than usual, with hands on the verge of frostbite and the frozen breath hanging on their beardless faces, the brave KBE took to the track at a gallop! In the forefront, despite a raging elephantine migraine, raced the long-striding Nick! Behind him, ruing the choice of Fish and Chips a mere 45 minutes prior, strode Derek. Close at hand ran Ben, laughing at the bitter cold in a heroically Norse fashion. Marley too surged along, rounding out the glorious company, and finished with her characteristically fast finishing charge that none can hope to match.
Then, as suddenly as the charge began, it ended. The awestruck children stood still, their idle soccer balls momentarily forgotten, for they had just witnessed a historic event, the very beginning of the rise to dominance of the Knights of the Blue Elephant! The Knights, all of whom had finished a good strong mile run, were breathless but invigorated, and they too knew that they were on the verge of a historical undertaking.
And so begins the training of the elite KBE, as they prepare for a year of glorious adventure. In order to ensure that they not only strive strongly, but actually attain legendary victories, they begin a grueling training period. Whether to summit distant ice-clad mountains, to travel the dark cavernous wastes of the Ape Caves, or to run immeasurable distances to exotic locales, the Knights will be ready!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
First Public Meeting
On Monday, January 19th, the first public meeting of the KBE was held at Virginia Point. On the agenda for the evening were four presentations. An impromptu podium and easel were created by KBE member Marley, and combined with the couches for the audience made for a comfortable lecture setting.
To begin the presentations, the Supreme Commander of the Order of the Blue Elephant, Derek, began with a simple demonstration of techniques for creating a snow shelter. The information presented had been culled from several survival sources, including the SAS and US Army survival manuals.
Following on this presentation, the Guardian of the Inexhaustible Treasury, Marley, gave an excellent demonstration on building a shelter using a poncho and string or twine. Her excellent use of hand-sketched illustrations helped to ensure that all members were able to understand thoroughly the proper techniques and some secret tips to improve their shelters. Some of these tips include tying the hood of your poncho shut to avoid leaks, how to use small rocks to secure corners of a poncho that lacks grommets, and how to face the shelter to avoid wind-related problems.
Immediately afterward, the Scribe of the Immortal Elephant, Ben, gave an exciting presentation about interacting with nature's cute but cantankerous bear family, the Ursids. Bears being fairly common in the Olympic and Cascade ranges made the talk all the more apropos, and Ben's suggestions of avoiding eye contact, "bowing down to Mr. Bear," and his discussions of different bear species gave the entire Company a better understanding of how to interact with these creatures should they run across one in the wild.
Finally, the Knight General of the Order of the Blue Elephant, Nick, gave a presentation on that difficult task, building a fire without matches. In spite of his joke that you simply use a lighter, Nick presented some excellent tips on how to deal with this life or death situation. Tips included using a magnifying glass and how to use a bow and drill (and the difficulties inherent to this technique), and helped reinforce why we carry waterproof matches as part of our basic survival kit.
To begin the presentations, the Supreme Commander of the Order of the Blue Elephant, Derek, began with a simple demonstration of techniques for creating a snow shelter. The information presented had been culled from several survival sources, including the SAS and US Army survival manuals.
Following on this presentation, the Guardian of the Inexhaustible Treasury, Marley, gave an excellent demonstration on building a shelter using a poncho and string or twine. Her excellent use of hand-sketched illustrations helped to ensure that all members were able to understand thoroughly the proper techniques and some secret tips to improve their shelters. Some of these tips include tying the hood of your poncho shut to avoid leaks, how to use small rocks to secure corners of a poncho that lacks grommets, and how to face the shelter to avoid wind-related problems.
Immediately afterward, the Scribe of the Immortal Elephant, Ben, gave an exciting presentation about interacting with nature's cute but cantankerous bear family, the Ursids. Bears being fairly common in the Olympic and Cascade ranges made the talk all the more apropos, and Ben's suggestions of avoiding eye contact, "bowing down to Mr. Bear," and his discussions of different bear species gave the entire Company a better understanding of how to interact with these creatures should they run across one in the wild.
Finally, the Knight General of the Order of the Blue Elephant, Nick, gave a presentation on that difficult task, building a fire without matches. In spite of his joke that you simply use a lighter, Nick presented some excellent tips on how to deal with this life or death situation. Tips included using a magnifying glass and how to use a bow and drill (and the difficulties inherent to this technique), and helped reinforce why we carry waterproof matches as part of our basic survival kit.
The meeting concluded with a discussion of Physical Fitness plans to prepare for the upcoming scrambling season, and a final story of survival from the SAS in the windswept wastelands of the Falkland Islands.
Subjects for next weeks presentations are based on a common theme: Survival stories. Each member of the KBE will present on a different area of survival: at sea, in the desert, in the mountains, and in the woods.
Subjects for next weeks presentations are based on a common theme: Survival stories. Each member of the KBE will present on a different area of survival: at sea, in the desert, in the mountains, and in the woods.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Elephantis non Capit Murem!
The Knights of the Blue Elephant are now officially formed! Stay tuned for a photographic foray as we prepare to publish the first pictures of our weekly meeting.
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