Desert Mountain Medicine

✨Provider Highlight ✨ Billy Rankin, Owner & Lead Instructor for Intuition Consulting , is based in Crested Butte Colorado. Intuition Consulting is built upon Billy's 30 years working as a leader, outdoor educator, & guide in the outdoor industry. Billy is a NOLS semester graduate from 1991 and began leading courses for Outward Bound in 1994. Over his 10+ years with Outward Bound Billy worked many diverse course types including 23-30 day mountaineering, multi environment, & winter courses as well as many years of semester courses including 8 summers in Alaska. Billy began backcountry ski guiding in Crested Butte in the mid 90's and over the years has become a well respected snow and avalanche professional working amongst several different operational settings. He began working at the Old Irwin Lodge as a snowcat ski guide and when the lodge closed in 2002 he joined the Crested Butte Ski Patrol for almost a decade. He was one of the original avalanche forecasters with the Crested Butte Avalanche Center when the center was in its infancy. Billy became the risk manager & snow safety director of the Irwin Guides / Eleven Snowcat Operation. He helped develop and manage this operation for over a decade and continues to guide there today. Billy has been an avalanche educator for 25 years and was influential in the creation of AIARE and today is a certified AIRARE Course Leader, an AIARE staff member teaching both Pro Courses and Instructor training Courses. Through Intuition Consulting & Irwin Guides Billy specializes in custom private avalanche courses where he curates the curriculum to the specific group's interests & goals. In the summer Billy guides for Irwin Guides and Eleven and leads every kind of trip from hiking, mt. biking, rock climbing, mountaineering, rafting, kayaking, & fly fishing. Billy has been a Wilderness EMT-B for 30 years and has diverse patient care experience from an ambulance setting, to ski patrol, to search & rescue operations. Billy beagan teaching WFR Courses for WMI of NOLS around 2000 and taught courses over a couple decades before joining the Desert Mountain Medicine (DMM) team in 2019. Intuition Consulting is a course provider for DMM and offers WFR & WFR recertification courses in Crested Butte, Colorado. Those who have taken a course with Billy can attest to his dynamic and engaging personality while facilitating very relevant and entertaining courses rooted in his years of experience.

What courses do you teach & what's your favorite to teach?
WFR & WRC. I really like teaching custom private courses and have been doing a fair number of combination courses where we combine wilderness medicine and avalanche education & rescue

Favorite Outdoor Activity?
Skiing Deep Powder

What inspired you to get into Wilderness Medicine?
I loved the dynamic nature of the curriculum and the fact it relies on critical thinking, decision making, leadership, & communication.

Any other fun facts?
Billy has stood on the summit of Denali and been on seven Grand Canyon River expeditions and is the father of two incredible kids, Revi a seven year old boy and Vasey a 3 year old girl being raised in the mountains.

🚨COURSE ALERT🚨

Hybrid WFR recertification course (8-hours online, 2 days in person)

📍Las Vegas, Nevada

DMM leads outdoor industry accepted certifications for employment and recertification. Our courses meet the Standards for Wilderness First Responder Certification set forth by the Wilderness Medicine Wilderness Education Collaborative (WMEC).

Included:

✅ CPR & AED
✅ Wilderness Anaphylaxis Training
✅ Wilderness medicine updates
✅ Skills practice
✅ Hands-on scenarios

AMGA members receive 20% off - Log into your AMGA account for details.

🚨COURSE ALERT🚨

Hybrid WFR recertification course (8-hours online, 2 days in person)
📍Las Vegas, Nevada

DMM leads outdoor industry accepted certifications for employment and recertification. Our courses meet the Standards for Wilderness First Responder Certification set forth by the Wilderness Medicine Wilderness Education Collaborative (WMEC).

Included:

✅ CPR & AED
✅ Wilderness Anaphylaxis Training
✅ Wilderness medicine updates
✅ Skills practice
✅ Hands-on scenarios

AMGA members receive 20% off - Log into your AMGA account for details.

🚨Course Alert!🚨

We've got upcoming courses in Jackson, Wyoming this Winter & Spring and a new course provider! Check out our website for more details on these awesome courses! 🏔🚑⛷

✨Instructor Highlight!✨

Today we are highlighting DMM Admin & Instructor, Makena!

Makena has worked as a DMM Instructor for about 3 years now, and has been in her admin role as the Program Logistics Coordinator for almost a year. Her favorite courses to teach are WFR Recertifications because you get to see students who are outdoor professionals or who have used their WFR skills get to connect with others and connect with the curriculum in a different way. It truly feels special when you get like-minded individuals together to learn and refresh important skills!

Makena took her first WFR course working for her university's Outdoor Program, which was a pivotal moment that changed her career path. She went on to get her Wilderness EMT and began working as a ski patroller while living in Southern Utah. She spent her last year and a half in Utah working as the Assistant Patrol Director at the resort before transitioning to DMM full time in Leadville. Makena also works part time as an ER tech for a local ski area clinic.

Most recently, Makena finished her AIARE Instructor Training Course in hopes to teach Avalanche Courses and do courses that combine avalanche rescue and wilderness first aid!

In her free time, Makena loves skiing (on resort, backcountry, or nordic), cooking new dishes, going to hot springs, camping trips to the desert, and taking her Aussie shepherd Hazel on lots of fun adventures.

✨It's time for another DMM Provider Highlight! ✨

Today we are highlighting a new provider of ours, Don't Panic LLC in South Dakota! Read on for more information:

My wife, Nora, and I own Don’t Panic LLC. Don't Panic is dedicated to preparing responders with knowledge and skills to respond to emergencies with confidence and purpose. We are located in the beautiful Black Hills in Custer, South Dakota. I started teaching with DMM in 2021.

Don't Panic LLC offers DMM WFA, WFR, WRC, and WEMS. Sam's favorite course is a HWFR. "It's great to work with students for an extended period of time and challenge them with the night scenario. One time he was able to call in a favor and have a real helicopter hover over our night scenario during the 'evacuation.' It really added to the realism of the training! I also love seeing past students return as patients. They often have a real flair for the dramatic. "

Sam used to be a high school math teacher and spent two years teaching in Izmir, Turkey. He now lives in Custer, SD and works as a paramedic on the local ambulance and is the director of Custer County Search and Rescue. His wife Nora works administratively with Don't Panic LLC and his two daughters Mira (5), and Freya (3) both know the importance of direct pressure and the power of a well placed band-aid.

As a climbing guide and ski patroller, Sam kept wanting to learn more about taking care of patients and clients and eventually took a WEMT in 2016. He never looked back and joined an ambulance service and completed his paramedic training by 2019. He joined Search and Rescue when he moved to Custer and found rescuing people out of the back country to be extremely rewarding. He had heard so many stories from people who faced scenarios that could have been so much better if they had known what to do. Sam teaches wilderness medicine to give other people the opportunity to respond with confidence when an emergency occurs.

Sam's favorite activities are sailing and rock climbing, with a splash of mountain biking, caving, and skiing for the variety!

PNW folks! Mark your Calendars! Our amazing provider at the University of Portland is putting on a Hybrid WFR course at the beginning of March! 🌨🌄🚑

Check out this course on our website or reach out to [email protected] with any questions!

WFR - Portland, OR - Desert Mountain Medicine This is a Hybrid Wilderness First Responder course with 30 hours of self-paced, online work followed by 50 hours or 5 days in person learning. The online section is available on Canvas® approximately one month before the classroom section begins and consists of reading, case studies, videos, a...

🚨Course Announcement!🚨

Mark your calendars! Poudre Paddlers in Fort Collins, CO is hosting a General Wilderness First Aid course with DMM on February 15th-16th.

Check out our website for more details or reach out to [email protected] with any questions!

We've got courses in Idaho coming up! 🚣‍♀️🏔 Read below for more details & visit our website to register.

HYBRID WFR
▪January 3-7, 2025 - University of Idaho, Moscow
▪March 22-26, 2025 - College of Southern Idaho, Twin Falls
▪May 11-15, 2025 - ROW Adventures, Clarkston, (WA)

HYBRID WRC
▪January 6-7, 2025 - University of Idaho, Moscow
▪May 14-15, 2025 - Redside Rendezvous, Riggins

WFA
▪May 23-24, 2025 - Helfrich Outfitters, Salmon
WFR FOR COLLEGE CREDIT
▪Spring Semester 2025 - North Idaho College, Coeur d'Alene
▪Fall Semester 2025 - North Idaho College, Coeur d'Alene

Wilderness Medicine Courses - Desert Mountain Medicine We are a Wilderness medicine provider offering wilderness medicine training for outdoor professionals and backcountry enthusiasts.

Are you a licensed pre-hospital care or healthcare professional? Our WEMS Upgrade course might be a great choice for you to elevate your understanding of wilderness medicine using your scope of practice!

This course is an ideal professional upgrade for SAR members, rural ambulance or hospital personnel, ski patrol, EMT certified guides, wildland fire personnel, endurance race and expedition medical providers, military personnel, and other field-based staff.

Check out our website for more details and to register!

We're getting closer to our Juneau, AK courses! Check out our course schedule on the DMM website for more details on these courses.🏔⛷🚁🌨🏂

Wilderness Medicine Courses - Desert Mountain Medicine We are a Wilderness medicine provider offering wilderness medicine training for outdoor professionals and backcountry enthusiasts.

✨Dogs of DMM ✨

We’re kicking off 2025 with Junie! Junie is an 8 month old Shetland Sheep Dog, “Sheltie”. She loves to herd her cat siblings, run around in the snow and chase a laser pointer. She unfortunately likes to get into any trash cans without lids and eat the stuffing from her toys.

Junie belongs to our awesome instructor Kacie!

It's not too late to sign up for our Hybrid WFR and Hybrid WFR Recertification happening early February in Denver, CO! Start planning and preparing for those spring backcountry objectives and get your Wilderness Medicine certification! 🏔🚑

Check out our course schedule for more details!

Wilderness Medicine Course Schedule - Desert Mountain Medicine Our students come to us with diverse backgrounds, skill sets, and needs. Whether you’re simply wanting to be more prepared during personal backcountry outings, or need to specialize your medical training to serve on a high altitude expedition, or anything in between, DMM has a course to suit your ...

Cool course alert! 🚨 We have some awesome courses taking place in Idaho this spring! Check out our course schedule on our website for more information about these courses.

HYBRID WFR
▪January 3-7, 2025 - University of Idaho, Moscow
▪March 22-26, 2025 - College of Southern Idaho, Twin Falls
▪May 11-15, 2025 - ROW Adventures, Clarkston, (WA)

HYBRID WRC
▪January 6-7, 2025 - University of Idaho, Moscow
▪May 14-15, 2025 - Redside Rendezvous, Riggins

WFA
▪May 23-24, 2025 - Helfrich Outfitters, Salmon

WFR FOR COLLEGE CREDIT
▪Spring Semester 2025 - North Idaho College, Coeur d'Alene
▪Fall Semester 2025 - North Idaho College, Coeur d'Alene

Course Alert!🚨

Need to recert your Wilderness First Responder next year? Join us in Juneau, Alaska February 24th-25th at the Northstar Helicopters base for a WFR recertification course and get ready for the Alaska ski season!⛷🚁🚑

Link to register is in our bio or view our WFR refresher schedule on the website for more information!

This Black Friday, invest in education and skills that could save a life. Stay ahead of the last minute scramble for preseason wilderness medicine certifications and get 20% off eligible courses. 🙌🚑

Black Friday sale starts on 11/25 and goes until 11/29 @ midnight! 💸

*Sale applies to select DMM courses running in January and February 2025 only! Use the link below for eligible courses & more info:

https://desertmountainmedicine.com/bf-2024

✨DMM Instructor Highlight✨

Meet Taryn Barrette! Taryn has been teaching with DMM since around 2019. Her favorite course to teach is the WFR recert because she loves connecting with folks who have been in the backcountry for years and learning from her students. Taryn got her WFR when she was just an avid outdoors person - she loves backpacking, canyoneering and exploring the southwest searching for native ancestral puebloan artifacts and ruins. She loves teaching and feels really comfortable in front of people talking, and her patient care experience is so helpful - Taryn is a Physician Assistant and has worked in primary care, urgent care, orthopedics and women’s healthcare. She has a really detailed and well rounded background perfectly suited to teaching.

Most fun/ most memorable course you’ve taught with DMM?
We were teaching it at the fish hatchery and were mostly outside - my husband had to be out of town for some reason and I didn’t really have childcare so I had to bring my 2.5 year old daughter - during one of the discussions she walked over to a tree and squatted down and pooped on the ground. Everyone was so light hearted and understanding about it. It felt so good to be surrounded by like minded caring people who could just go with the flow even with a little kid pooping on the floor.

What’s your favorite outdoor activity?
Currently trail running but man on a good powder day I’m not sure there’s a better feeling than floating down on my snowboard

What would you choose if you had to choose one meal to eat for the rest of your life?
Croissants and coffee

What’s your favorite season?
Fall - the neon yellow aspens are impossible to beat

Fun fact about you?
I am a total nerd and host trivia in Leadville and Salida

✨Next up on Dogs of DMM, we’ve got Finn! ✨

Finn is a 3 year old golden retriever. He’s an avalanche rescue dog at Taos ski valley, and occasional emotional support dog for WFR students. He was donated by the Cory Borg-Massanari foundation. His favorite treat is chicken livers. His favorite game is “search”. He’s a good boy.