Dear Friends of Wilderness Trail,

Grace and peace to you.

Given Wilderness Trail’s commitment to providing safe, fun, and God-centered wilderness adventures for youth and adults we have recently made some additions to our health and safety protocols for our retreats and hikes to ensure that all participants’ experience will be memorable for the beauty of creation, challenges overcome, and warm-hearted fellowship – not unease for health and wellbeing. 

First, our existing standards for the cleanliness of our Property (kitchen, lodge, restrooms, etc.) and our Trail Equipment (cooking ware, water pumps and bladders, etc.) are stringent and reduce the risk for illness.  Before all meals - during retreats and on trail - we disinfect all hands with hand sanitizer.   Furthermore, our Staff receives First Aid, CPR, and medical training specific to our backcountry medical kits that dovetail with leadership experience and familiarity with trails, local roads, and best evacuation routes. 

Wilderness Trail’s twenty-one years of experience in adventure ministry has helped to fine-tune our health, safety, and emergency protocols.  While we are confident in the plans we have in place, we strive to continually improve our readiness to guarantee safe and healthy backpacking experiences.  The current adjustments are made in light of sparse occurrences of the H1N1 virus at other camps/ministries in the southeast.   

Starting with Summer Event 3: June 25 – July 2, 2009, the following changes will occur to further ensure the health and wellbeing of all Wilderness Trail participants:

• ·     All cleaning protocols (retreat and hike) will continue as established; a log of cleaning activity will be kept to monitor regular disinfection. 

• ·     Upon arrival at the Property and before taking to the trails, each participant will have their temperature recorded via ear thermometer to ensure that our groups are healthy upon arrival to the Lodge and departure for their journey.  These few seconds per individual will allow for confidence in the health and wellbeing of each event. 

• ·     In the case of an H1N1 virus occurring at Wilderness Trail: our Staff are aware of the symptoms, a quarantine plan has been established, and a ready supply of Tamaflu has been confirmed at our local pharmacy. 

We have discussed these precautionary actions with doctors in our ministry family who also consider them prudent.   Additionally, we maintain good communication with Dr. Peters at Konnarock Family Health Services – the local practice less than three miles down the valley from our Property. 

We consider the gathering together of kindred hearts for wilderness journeys to be a great joy and work diligently to make certain germs or other injurious agents do not interfere with that joy.  

If you have any questions or comments concerning these plans, please contact me via email at danbaker@wtrail.com or via telephone at the Property at 276.388.3867.

Thank you kindly.

Shalom,

Dan Baker