Seen the new AT Journeys?

[Skidsteer]

Really, though, I think the people who are wagging their fingers are just looking to have an Internet appendage waving contest.

Now there's a good idea for a new forum.

[JustaTouron]

(Would this be a bad place to show me drinking cheap ass whiskey at 14k+ ft? My friend completed all the 14ers..think it was worth a drink?)

I don't care what you personally do. I don't care that she had a drink.

I just don't think its a good idea to put a picture of it on the front cover of the magazine, as it is both illegal and potentially dangerous.

And while the Europeans do drink wine more frequently than us Americans they don't have the nearly the problems of overindulgence and binge drinking amoung the youth that we have so the comparison is not particularly helpful.

[Skidsteer]

And while the Europeans do drink wine more frequently than us Americans they don't have the nearly the problems of overindulgence and binge drinking amoung the youth that we have so the comparison is not particularly helpful.

Undoubtedly because they don't publish photos of people drinking in any of their magazines.

[Mags]

Undoubtedly because they don't publish photos of people drinking in any of their magazines.

No doubt. Will someone PLEASE think of the children!!!!


Climbing practice today. We drank beer after the climb and before the short hike down.


Somehow we did not die....Maybe we are European????

[rickb]

Joshua "Ewok" Gourley should win a prize for that photo.

Nice job. Thanks for sharing.

And thanks to the editors at the ATC for not being so politically correct as to deny us the smiles one simple photo bring.

Now if they could only put a SOBO on the cover!

[Hikes in Rain]

She's wasting some of the wine.

[sherrill]

If only she were holding a gun and an unleashed dog was in the photo. Then we'd have a good discussion, no?

[prain4u]

Not allowed to drink in public in Baxter State park...

http://www.baxterstateparkauthority....ges/rules.html

see #27.

I am SURE that it was just "Sparkling Grape Juice" or "root beer" in that bottle.

The park regulations referenced above state, in part:
"Maine law prohibits drinking of alcoholic beverages in public places."

Personally, I don't see anyone breaking that particular regulation on the cover shot.

Rule # 30 states, in part:
"....In addition, persons violating these rules may be required immediately to leave the Park...".

If their basic penalty (for things like an alcohol violation) is to kick you out of the Park---isn't that what most people who have just completed a thru hike plan to do anyway (no later than the next day)? Thus, it would be similar to "punishing" an habitually truant school student with expulsion from school. Where's the real punishment?

It sure would be a LONG hard walk for a Ranger to escort you out of the Park from the summit of Katahdin (and a pretty meaningless walk too--especially if you were planning on leaving anyway). If I was a Ranger, I can guarantee you that I would would probably tend to "look the other way" over what probably amounts to (at most) 1-2 glasses of alcohol being responsibly consumed at such victory celebrations! Even if I was the meanest Ranger in the entire country--it still wouldn't be worth my time or the paperwork.

[prain4u]

There is a second reason why this is not a good photo. And this reason bothers me. She is at the TOP of Katadian and while she may have reached the end of the AT, she is far from the end of her hiking day. That mountain is very steep in many parts. While I don't know her particular level of alcohol tolerance, it is quite possible for a girl her size a full bottle of champagne could give her quite a buzz. I don't think the ATC should be PROMOTING the idea of descending the mountain inebriated. And this photo is most certainly promoting the idea of hiking down katadian with impaired ability.

I both agree--and disagree with this poster. Personally, I think it is a great photo and I have no problem with it being the cover shot.

TIME FOR FULL DISCLOSURE: I have not personally consumed any alcohol for the past 29 years. I am also a Certified Alcohol and other Drug Counselor (CADC). I am a BIG advocate of ALL rules being enforced. (I am like Officer Barney Fife from the "Andy Griffith Show"!)

Yet, even with all of those factors taken into consideration, I still have absolutely no problem with people having a little victory celebration on top of Katahdin----including celebrations that involve a little alcohol consumption. It is good to celebrate such events and many people like to have alcohol as part of their celebrations. I say--go for it! Enjoy!

HOWEVER, out of curiosity, I DID run various scenarios through my Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) calculators after reading JustaTouron's post. (I calculated scenarios using hypothetical people with different weights, genders, and different amounts and types of alcohol consumed etc.). The results were somewhat interesting.

From a purely safety perspective:
IT IS PROBABLY BEST TO LIMIT THE VICTORY CELEBRATION TO NO MORE THAN ONE BEER, ONE SHOT OF (80 proof) ALCOHOL, OR ONE GLASS OF WINE/CHAMPAGNE. (Until you get off of the trail).

For most hikers, ONE DRINK will pose little, or no, impairment issues.

However, the SECOND DRINK (consumed in just 30-60 minutes time) would indeed put many hikers at a BAC of .04 to .08. (This is ESPECIALLY true for females--as women tend to have lower levels of the enzymes needed to break down alcohol and they often tend to be smaller in size than the typical male).

Scientific testing indicates that most people start to experience changes in their coordination and judgment BEGINNING with a BAC of .02. The level for LEGAL impairment while driving is .05 in most of Europe and .08 in virtually all of the U.S. (The legal BAC limit is .04 for holders of a U.S. Commercial Drivers License).

I am not trying to put a damper on anyone's victory party. I just want people to get off of the mountain safely and without incident.

I am also not looking for a debate--nor am I trying to be be critical of anyone's decisions. I am merely providing information in a subject area where I have some professional certification and expertise. In the end, it is just data, and everyone should take the data for what it is worth, make their own decisions, and HIKE THEIR OWN HIKE.

[sherrill]

Thank god she didn't light up a cigar.

[weary]

....There is a second reason why this is not a good photo. And this reason bothers me. She is at the TOP of Katadian and while she may have reached the end of the AT, she is far from the end of her hiking day. That mountain is very steep in many parts. While I don't know her particular level of alcohol tolerance, it is quite possible for a girl her size a full bottle of champagne could give her quite a buzz. I don't think the ATC should be PROMOTING the idea of descending the mountain inebriated. And this photo is most certainly promoting the idea of hiking down katadian with impaired ability.

As I tried to suggest earlier, opening a bottle of champagne after it has been carried in a pack 3 hours up a rough and steep trail, and then jumping around with the open bottle after reaching the summit, is unlikely to retain enough alcohol to make anyone inebriated, even if she was mean enough not to offer a nip or two to the photographer and friends who were with her.

The young lady was playing out a trail ritual, not realistically breaking any laws that any sensible ranger has ever enforced.

Weary

[veteran]

How Bout this Classy Lady

Lonesome Dove 2004



"Haven't you seen a woman in a black dress before?"

[Frosty]

A) I am a paying member

B) Your opinion. And a very insulting one at that,it must be hard being so perfect and right all the time.And no,I really don't care if you like it or not,I am sick to death of the I'm better/smarter then you attitude expressed by some of the more accomplished hikers here.

We all hike for a reason,known only to us. Some of us have a firm belief in God,some don't. Believe what you will but think about what you say first.

[QUOTE=safn1949;1013850]
A firm belief in God and belief in the science behind evolution are not mutually exclusive. You can believe in both, you can believe in neither, or you can believe in one but not the other. It's a choice every person can make for himself.

Weary's pro-evolution believe is no more or less insulting than a belief that evolution did not occur and that creation occurred 6,000 years ago. You believe that you are right; so does he. Big whoop.

I can't believe I'm sticking up for that old fart. I think I'll shoot myself now.

[weary]

[QUOTE=Frosty;1014766]

A firm belief in God and belief in the science behind evolution are not mutually exclusive. You can believe in both, you can believe in neither, or you can believe in one but not the other. It's a choice every person can make for himself.

Weary's pro-evolution believe is no more or less insulting than a belief that evolution did not occur and that creation occurred 6,000 years ago. You believe that you are right; so does he. Big whoop.

I can't believe I'm sticking up for that old fart. I think I'll shoot myself now.

I think you must be confused. The post you are responding to was criticizing me. I'm not an old fart.

BTW I just got back from working for three hours with six high school students on a special trail maintenance community service program.

The closest we came to discussing evolution were the several clumps of invasive, non native barberry near the cellar hole of an old farmstead. The kids said it wasn't impacting the footpath. I insisted they cut it anyway.

So please don't shoot yourself. The kids seemed to think I was just another adult with funny ideas, like thinking that some plants, like some ideas, are more deserving than others.

Weary

[D'Artagnan]

Haven't read one for a while. Are they getting less boring? I just read an old one yesterday and it was pretty... boring.

I haven't been an ATC member for years, but I'm thinking of joining back up.

Not trying to bust your chops or anything, but it made me chuckle that someone with a trail name "Luddite" would post on an internet site about a print publication being boring.

[Cookerhiker]

True. I meant to say section hikers too.

How long did it take you to section hike?

Didn't answer 'till now because I've been away for a few weeks. My first section hike was in 1977 (VT, Rt. 11 & 30 to Rt. 9) and my last was Gorham-to-Katahdin in 2005. Kept track of it all on a spreadsheet. That's a 28 year span but I didn't hike every one of those years because of little distractions like job, family, other trips etc.