Well I learned something new from this thread while wading through the thoughtful posts as well as the BS, posturing and chest thumping by some posters. I never heard of virtue signally before. I had to look it up. I hope the hiker is OK. Oops, does that mean I just virtue signaled?
If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.
Muddy Waters: Thank you, for posting this insight. When I started this thread, I was surprised at what happened; however, I didn't mean for people to get caustic.
I REALLY LIKE what you said about how people respond (#1: Respectfully comment; #2: Respond overly critically, demeaning other commenters... This falls in line with my beliefs about politics and religion being like preferences for ice cream... we all like different flavors... (Umm... for those of you who dig nuts in your ice cream, I could say some choice words - but I won't. I respect your freedom to choose. I ask your respect for choices I make... regarding politics... religion... hiking... (as long as choices don't hurt others nor the environment!)
I don’t need an ignore button to ignore a thread...it’s innate
Don't expect touchy feely "understanding" from the DM or it's keyboard warriors: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ian-trail.html
And you had this exchange:
DEarle, Tx, United States, 3 days ago
southerngirl71 - I grew up in the Rockies. Used to go hiking for miles, at least four to five hours no stop expect water/toilet breaks, with family during our outings and I was just a kid (left the area when 14). The Appalachian trail is not exactly back breaking unless you are severely unprepared. ... Btw, as you obviously don't know, there's a lot of entrance points along the Trail so she could have hiked a whooping 100 miles for all we know.
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southerngirl71, charlotte nc, United States, 2 days ago
@DEarle I section hike the AT weekly, and I am a member of a corps that takes care of state trails. I am well familiar with the entrance points. You are wrong about there not being back breaking points, and the 100 mile wilderness is an area where you are advised to take 10 days of water supply. It has inclines and declines of 3500 feet and dangerous river and rock areas. So, thanks, but maybe speak about what you actually have experienced.
Water for 10 days, what kind of absurd over-preparedness is this? It took me 3 1/2 days to go through the 100 miles. It reminds me of other howlers I heard while a boy scout. If people are going to live in a soft, self-protective fragile bubble they have no business doing extended hikes.
What I've learned from a few years on the trail is a general spirit of collaboration and non-judgmentalism. It is quite difficult to be truly non-judgmental for all of us, and the challenge is increased in on-line activities. None of us wants to pay the bill for truly careless people who repetitively require 'bail outs', and particularly if this is common. However, what seems interesting about this story is that it really isn't that common, or it wouldn't be news. The trail attracts a spectrum everything from the super athletes who set records, to everyone else. Please note that I am not excusing the thoughtless few who clean their cookware in the marginal water source, or those that leave trash in trail boxes, [fill in other WB threads], that is (perhaps) unforgivable....
No doubt he/she ment 10 days of food. We all know there is plenty of water in the HMW. 3.5 days to do the HMW? Good for you Greenmntboy, but not many others can or are willing to do it at breakneck speed. Granted, 10 days is dragging your feet, but 6-7 days is a bit more reasonable for mere mortals.Water for 10 days, what kind of absurd over-preparedness is this? It took me 3 1/2 days to go through the 100 miles. It reminds me of other howlers I heard while a boy scout. If people are going to live in a soft, self-protective fragile bubble they have no business doing extended hikes.
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Far more important than money is the physical danger in which rescuers may place themselves to effect a timely rescue of an "adventurer" calling for help. A collateral cost is the unavailability of rescuers to respond to other emergencies during the time they are so engaged.
Be Prepared
oh i assure you, theres more between me and having to be rescued twice within 2 weeks for seemingly the same problem than the grace of god.
and thats probably true for most of us.
in the unfortunate event that i ever need to be rescued once it will be the catalyst if a very long reconsideration of what i'm doing on many levels that by definition would take longer than 2 weeks. i wouldnt even be back out hiking, let alone needing to be rescued again already
and again, id like to think thats the case for most of us.
Perhaps, and it's pretty to think so, but it's an unfortunate fact that every expedition on which Snacktime and I set forth, a rescue was required. On the first, I fell and twisted my ankle and knee badly, on the second Snacktime melted-down, then there was our infamous winter hike....well the less said about that the better! None of these involved ambulances or special transports or folks hiking in to extract us, but we were "rescued" nonetheless. And essentially it was for the same problem(s), ie inexperience and underestimation of the challenges we were up against. Was I embarrassed? Absolutely. Did I stop? No...no chance of that. Instead, we learned from our weaknesses and did our best to push on with our hiking dreams.
My point is this: you can't control everything that happens; you can only try to do your best. If you fall, and someone else has to pick you up, that's not a reason to not try again. There's no shame in failing, even if it's more than once. There's no shame in needing help when you fail, even if it's more than once. The only real shame would be to let the insensitive criticism of others keep one from trying again for fear of their opinion of that failure.
Last edited by Teacher & Snacktime; 08-02-2018 at 16:13.
"Maybe life isn't about avoiding the bruises. Maybe it's about collecting the scars to prove we showed up for it."