where is the ferry?

[Lone Wolf]

Something that I always find amusing in these fording discussions is that the people who say it is safe and encourage others to do it have no real information to support what they're saying. Their position is that they've done it and been lucky and so you should do it. The best reason that they've come up with for wanting to do it is to truly understand how escaping slaves felt as they forded rivers.

I guess if you believe them and think that doing something unsafe because some says you can is a good idea, by golly, you SHOULD ford. Natural selection at work.

and you asswipes who have never forded say it's deadly and have no real info to support it

[The Old Fhart]

According to the Ferryman's post in another thread: (emphasis mine)

"The current total stands at 448 northbound thru-hikers and 141 southbound thru-hikers. There were 38 flipfloppers who presumably connected all the dots to complete their thru-hikes. If you count the 16 hikers who forded the Kennebec River this hiking season, that would bring the total number of thru-hikers to ...448 nobo plus 38 FF plus 16 forders equals 502 thru-hikers."

Apparently the majority of thru hikers are choosing to believe the prudent information from the ATC and other knowledgeable people and not buying into the "you're a weenie if you don't ford" campaign pushed by a very few.

[Appalachian Tater]

and you asswipes who have never forded say it's deadly and have no real info to support it

I really don't think that deserves an intelligent response. All the old threads are available to anyone who knows how to Google or is willing to wade through the archives.

[Jack Tarlin]

Um, Wolf, someone has died fording it.

That sounds "deadly" to me.

[warraghiyagey]

. . . I guess if you believe them and think that doing something unsafe because some says you can is a good idea, by golly, you SHOULD ford. Natural selection at work.

True, but you're only at risk if you grab one of the 'natural selection coupons' that some of the fording advisers hand out.

[Appalachian Tater]

Um, Wolf, someone has died fording it.

That sounds "deadly" to me.

Many more than one. Just one recently.

[Lone Wolf]

Um, Wolf, someone has died fording it.

That sounds "deadly" to me.

only one. quite a few have been murdered. fording is safe

[MOWGLI]

There is a US Forest Service employee that I work with regularly who has the following quote in the signature of her emails. I think it applies here.

"When all the dangerous cliffs are fenced off, all of the trees that might
fall on people are cut down, all of the insects that bite are
poisoned....and all of the grizzlies are dead because they are occasionally
dangerous, the wilderness will not be made safe. Rather the safety will
have destroyed the wilderness." - R. Yorke Edwards

Think about it.

[warraghiyagey]

There is a US Forest Service employee that I work with regularly who has the following quote in the signature of her emails. I think it applies here.

"When all the dangerous cliffs are fenced off, all of the trees that might
fall on people are cut down, all of the insects that bite are
poisoned....and all of the grizzlies are dead because they are occasionally
dangerous, the wilderness will not be made safe. Rather the safety will
have destroyed the wilderness." - R. Yorke Edwards

Think about it.

That MOGLI has got to one of the coolest dudes out there. Two cedar fronds to the fire and an offering of the pipe to the four corners in your honor.

[MOWGLI]

That MOGLI has got to one of the coolest dudes out there. Two cedar fronds to the fire and an offering of the pipe to the four corners in your honor.

You are too kind.

~The Zenmaster~

[warraghiyagey]

Um, Wolf, someone has died fording it.

That sounds "deadly" to me.

I've said it before. I would only ever consider fording the Kennebec if WOlf was there and judged it safe. Otherwise, I would never do it or advice anyone to do so either.

[Lone Wolf]

I've said it before. I would only ever consider fording the Kennebec if WOlf was there and judged it safe. Otherwise, I would never do it or advice anyone to do so either.

thanks for the vote of confidence but you had better pray to christ i ain't been drinkin'!

[Jack Tarlin]

Um, you're missing the point, Mowgli.

If an adult wants to walk along the edge of a dangerous cliff, or wants to set up his tent underneath a deadfall, or doesn't take food safety precautions in grizzly country, that is ENTIREY his choice.

What some people object to isn't necessarily the dangerous activity per se, but the ENCOURAGING of other people to do so as well, especially people who may not be well versed in how one can engage in this activity in a less dangerous manner.

If people want to engage in reckless or foolhardy activities in the outdoors, Mowgli, that is entirely up to them. But encouraging others to do so is an entirely different manner.

Please excuse this example, but I think that it's valid: If someone wants to hike during an electrical storm on an open exposed ridge, that's entirely their decision. But if they encourage others to do so, and especially if they downplay the risks of doing so, well I think this is wrong.

And telling folks not to do stuff that could get 'em killed is hardly a threat to anyone's "wilderness" experience.

[woodsy]

There is a US Forest Service employee that I work with regularly who has the following quote in the signature of her emails. I think it applies here.

"When all the dangerous cliffs are fenced off, all of the trees that might
fall on people are cut down, all of the insects that bite are
poisoned....and all of the grizzlies are dead because they are occasionally
dangerous, the wilderness will not be made safe. Rather the safety will
have destroyed the wilderness." - R. Yorke Edwards

Think about it.

As much as i agree with the quote Mogli, I don't think it totally applies here because in the quote it's talking about naturally occuring hazards.
Yes , the Kennebec was a naturally occuring hazard before the hydro facility was built around 1950. Now that the flow is dam regulated it is more of a man regulated hazard .

[warraghiyagey]

thanks for the vote of confidence but you had better pray to christ i ain't been drinkin'!

I doubt that particular factor would deter me. I'd probably just make sure I was in similar condition.

[Lone Wolf]

I doubt that particular factor would deter me. I'd probably just make sure I was in similar condition.

and it would be fun. fording the kennebec is very safe.

[MOWGLI]

Um, you're missing the point, Mowgli.

Jack, I've been around here at Whiteblaze as long or longer than you. I've followed this discussion every year, and on Trailplace before Whiteblaze existed. I'm missing nothing.

I'm simply making a larger point about risk in backcountry settings.

[ferryman]

What is it about twenty thousand hikers safely crossing the Kennebec River by canoe that you do not understand? Weather and river conditions change dramatically overnight when there is a mere 22 million acres in Maine, mostly mountainous terrain that gets hit with an inch of rain. Does the word runoff mean anything to you? I respect anyone's opinion to decide what course of action to take at the river, but to actively persuade others to join in your folly is truly a joke! For your info, I have spent over 3,000 days at the ferry service and have forded more times than I can remember. I know every rock at that river crossing and I have seen some pretty sorry fords turn into a very rough swim, with hikers losing all their gear in the name of some distorted version of glory. Lessons learned... hopefully, respect for rivers...definitely. Yesterday, I had the chance to see "Into the Wild" and there was a scene of him fording an Alaskan river where he just piled through and kept onto his undisclosed location, but when he arrived back to return to "civilization", he encountered much higher runoff and made the common sense decision to return to his shelter. Respect is the rule on the AT, whether your in The Whites, Georgia in the spring or PA in the heat of summer. Please keep your ego's in check when you spout unproven and unsafe practices that nature let you slide on in the first place! For the love of rivers, dam controlled or not! Steve

[Lone Wolf]

fording the kennebec is low risk

[Lone Wolf]

What is it about twenty thousand hikers safely crossing the Kennebec River by canoe that you do not understand? Weather and river conditions change dramatically overnight when there is a mere 22 million acres in Maine, mostly mountainous terrain that gets hit with an inch of rain. Does the word runoff mean anything to you? I respect anyone's opinion to decide what course of action to take at the river, but to actively persuade others to join in your folly is truly a joke! For your info, I have spent over 3,000 days at the ferry service and have forded more times than I can remember. I know every rock at that river crossing and I have seen some pretty sorry fords turn into a very rough swim, with hikers losing all their gear in the name of some distorted version of glory. Lessons learned... hopefully, respect for rivers...definitely. Yesterday, I had the chance to see "Into the Wild" and there was a scene of him fording an Alaskan river where he just piled through and kept onto his undisclosed location, but when he arrived back to return to "civilization", he encountered much higher runoff and made the common sense decision to return to his shelter. Respect is the rule on the AT, whether your in The Whites, Georgia in the spring or PA in the heat of summer. Please keep your ego's in check when you spout unproven and unsafe practices that nature let you slide on in the first place! For the love of rivers, dam controlled or not! Steve

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU FORDED?