[pct-l] Fire Closures in General

[Lou Filliger]

All I can say is that if that's the dumbest thing he's ever done he must be fairly young. 
LF

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kent Spring" <kjssail at yahoo.com>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Cc: <lfilliger at earthlink.net>
Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 11:21 AM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Fire Closures in General


>
>> From: Lou Filliger
>> To outsiders, it can look like big-brotherism.  But I
>> suggest that it's really laziness or
>> indifference more than that.  If 10 people will tell them
>> to close the trail, and 5 people
>> will ask them to open it, then the trail stays closed.  If
>> on the other hand 15 people ask
>> them to open it, then the trail opens.
>
> I would agree with a few of the recent posts, but I would offer one other thought: 
> hikers, and especially long-distance and thru-hikers, are a small percentage of the 
> population that the Forest Service is concerned with.  They don't usually just close 
> trails - they close whole sections of forests - and the top bureaucrats often barely 
> think about hikers.  We need to be "squeaky wheels" and let our voices be heard.
>
> On a parallel, but earlier thread, someone was angry about the possibility that two of 
> our hiking stars (Joe and Scott) apparently hiked thru an active fire area.  I was 
> talking with a friend who is hiking with the "herd".  She bumped into the speedy duo, 
> and said that one or the other said that walking thru the fire area was "the dumbest 
> thing he had ever done."  I am paraphrasing, so don't quote me... but these aren't guys 
> who flaunt the rules, but do understand that, as hikers, the closure signs really don't 
> reflect the conditions on the trail.
>
> Kent
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