Saturday, July 24, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Object Navigational Course
Tonight, we took the Scouts up to the canyon to put them through what I call an "Object Navigation Course." That term should be trademarked by tomorrow morning, if I can get my team of overseas lawyers to bust a move!
The object of the exercise is to use overhead cable to transport a suspended object (a 70lb rock) from beginning to end - about 250 feet of forest terrain. The catch is that the 250 feet is not continuous, straight, or flat. It's broken into sections; makes sharp bends; and slants both up and down. This causes the participants to have to figure out how to do frequent "suspended load transfers," and at times use secondary rigging to keep the load from sliding down the line.
The nature of this kind of activity lends itself to creative problem solving, teamwork, logic, emotional self-regulation, an evolving leadership dynamic, and a whole host of other skill and character building opportunities.
The setting was specifically chosen to be late in the evening, with cold weather, and in a natural setting to add a further layer of "discomfort" to help expand the participant's operational comfort zones.
This is the "gear" the Scouts were allowed to use for rigging, etc. ......
The 70lb rock w/ pre-drilled anchors.......
The crew......
Here they go....
Initially, I offered a considerable amount of instruction, and did the majority of rigging myself. Shortly thereafter, the boys took over, with myself and Jason offering occasional direction.....
Its tough to be taken seriously as a hard man when you've got orange hair, but Caleb pulls it off somehow....
One of the first major load transfers....
Keep in mind, the rock had to remain suspended from the rope, and couldn't touch the ground or be manually lifted. Everything had to be done by rigging....
The green line in the picture goes up into the tree canopy. I didn't get a picture of it, but they had to use a rope swing to get the rock from one section of cable to the next, about 25-20 feet away.....
This load transfer took quite a bit of prefrontal cortical thinking.....
The downward slope beings......
Caleb kept a tight reign on the tag line so that the rock wouldn't bust lose and smash into somebody's head....
Finite!!!!! We celebrated with donuts!!!
The object of the exercise is to use overhead cable to transport a suspended object (a 70lb rock) from beginning to end - about 250 feet of forest terrain. The catch is that the 250 feet is not continuous, straight, or flat. It's broken into sections; makes sharp bends; and slants both up and down. This causes the participants to have to figure out how to do frequent "suspended load transfers," and at times use secondary rigging to keep the load from sliding down the line.
The nature of this kind of activity lends itself to creative problem solving, teamwork, logic, emotional self-regulation, an evolving leadership dynamic, and a whole host of other skill and character building opportunities.
The setting was specifically chosen to be late in the evening, with cold weather, and in a natural setting to add a further layer of "discomfort" to help expand the participant's operational comfort zones.
This is the "gear" the Scouts were allowed to use for rigging, etc. ......
The 70lb rock w/ pre-drilled anchors.......
The crew......
Here they go....
Initially, I offered a considerable amount of instruction, and did the majority of rigging myself. Shortly thereafter, the boys took over, with myself and Jason offering occasional direction.....
Its tough to be taken seriously as a hard man when you've got orange hair, but Caleb pulls it off somehow....
One of the first major load transfers....
Keep in mind, the rock had to remain suspended from the rope, and couldn't touch the ground or be manually lifted. Everything had to be done by rigging....
The green line in the picture goes up into the tree canopy. I didn't get a picture of it, but they had to use a rope swing to get the rock from one section of cable to the next, about 25-20 feet away.....
This load transfer took quite a bit of prefrontal cortical thinking.....
The downward slope beings......
Caleb kept a tight reign on the tag line so that the rock wouldn't bust lose and smash into somebody's head....
Finite!!!!! We celebrated with donuts!!!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Eastern Soviet Block Playground
We found this sweet WWII era Soviet-styled playground south of the in-laws in St. George. Two hours of killer play time, and nobody got impaled by rusty rebar!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Proprioception
I've been reading up lately on the neuroscience of play and also the bio-mechanics of barefoot running. There's an obnoxious drive within me to always be acting as an advocate for some cause. Why can't I just shut up and let people live their lives without getting all up in their faces about this or that research "they" did, and how good "this" is for you? Because life is short, and I'm psyched! So, for those interested in learning a little more about the barefoot stuff, I stole/modified the following from the Vibram FiveFingers website:
| 6 Reasons to Play Barefoot: 1. Strengthens Muscles in the Feet and Lower Legs - going barefoot will stimulate and strengthen muscles in the feet and lower legs, improving general foot health and reducing the risk of injury. 2. Improves Range of Motion in Ankles, Feet and Toes – no longer ‘cast’ in a shoe, the foot and toes move more naturally. 3. Stimulates Neural Function Important to Balance and Agility - when going barefoot, thousands of neurological receptors in the feet send valuable information to the brain, improving balance and agility. 4. Improves Proprioception and Body Awareness – those same neurological receptors heighten body awareness, sending messages about body mechanics, form, and movement. 5. Eliminates Heel Lift to Align the Spine and Improve Posture – By lowering the heel, our bodyweight becomes evenly distributed across the footbed, promoting proper posture and spine alignment. 6. Allows the Foot and Body to Move Naturally, Which Just FEELS GOOD. Have fun...... |  |
Monday, September 7, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Obstacle Evolution
The above was conjured up while I was cleaning out the garage Friday night.
Ash finally relented and let me cut down the two dying quaking aspen out front. I think it was a worthy sacrifice!
That's life in the ghetto, and this clip is of Jake training for El Cap 2012:Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
