I just took a wilderness first aid class through the SOLO School in Conway, NH in prep for my 2013 hike. I thought it was terrific - it went well above and beyond Red Cross training I've taken in the past. It's apparently the approved (beginning) training program for all White Mountain rescue folks, and required for AMC volunteers. If anyone is close to NH, it's well worth your time. It was offered at the AMC lodge in Crawford Notch, which is nice. (Yes, it's not cheap, but lodging and meals were included with class price.)

As a side perk, we got to watch a helicopter making repeated trips taking summer stuff up to Mitzpah hut from just north of the Lodge, including a netted bundle of mattresses stacked right next to our conference center. (Took them during lunch, and we were starved, so we didn't see the pick up, darn it!) When I left for the day I wondered what the two 100 lb propane tanks were doing in a field next to the road. Duh - it also brought the empties down from the hut.

We did miss two terrific days of hiking, but we were outside a lot, so it wasn't so bad.