First and foremost is the health and wellbeing of our participants and volunteers. That's my motto, and I'm sticking to it! My name is Clif Castleman and I served for five years as the volunteer medical team director for the Sierra Club's annual One Day Hike.

As a medic with Fairfax County Fire/Rescue, a Wilderness EMT with the National Park Service, and American Red Cross instructor of over a decade, I've done my best to ensure that first aid is a topic that is taken seriously here at the ODH.

We take first aid seriously and do our best to ensure that each support station offering first aid services is manned by at least three or more qualified individuals who are hold certifications as Wilderness First Aiders, First Responders, EMTs, and nurses.

In addition to these qualifications, each first aider has gone through our in-house training to make them Blister Guru's who will be able to properly and efficiently manage and treat blisters on the trail no matter how small or large they may be.

Please note that if there is ever a true emergency, please dial 9-1-1 FIRST, then notify an ODH volunteer who will get a hold of a first aider or myself.

In the information that follows, I have compiled information that will hoepfully give you an insight into the most common injuries and illnesses that occur on the One Day Hike - and of course ways to prevent and manage them on the hike.

On behalf of all the ODH volunteers, good luck on hike day!

Sincerely,
   - Clif Castleman