[pct-l] SAR

[Vincent Rupp]

I'm reminded of the Chinese expression "A smart man learns from his own
mistakes, a wise man learns from the mistakes of others, and a fool never
learns."

We can certainly assume Censored/Sologirl is not wise, and it's not clear
yet from her journal if she's really learned anything other than "Wear shoes
in the snow" (a lesson I think most of us learned before grade school). But
it does sound like she will be a bit more cautious, at least in the Sierras.

Regardless how we view her experience, we should keep in mind that other
hikers all deserve our respect. We've all made mistakes, and most of us
corrected and are still hiking without loss of toes or life. I left my
trekking poles in San Diego and my stakes at Lake Moreno - I was lucky to
borrow a pole and have good weather. It's hard for me not to feel
sympathetic toward her.

So when I encounter others who've run into problems, no matter how
avoidable, I remind myself that a few kind words and some friendly advice
help much more than condemnation or criticism.

Chopper, however, sounds like a fool because he didn't learn. The story of
his mother should elicit compassion, but if she was the victim of freak
weather and he's ignoring conditions he's well-aware of, then I suppose we
can only offer condolences to the rest of his family for the grief he
willingly causes them. I hope he learns before his luck runs out.

And I hope they didn't drink all the beer at the Oasis. That's just rude.

-Vincent Rupp

On Jun 7, 2009 8:46 PM, "Donna Saufley" <dsaufley at sprynet.com> wrote:

Chopper not only had to be "rescued" twice, he was bucking for a third time.
He and others he was traveling with decided to do "24 beers in 24 miles"
between Hiker Heaven and Casa de Luna.  I understand that someone (not sure
who) in their group drank 47 beers on the leg between us and the Andersons.
Not only that, they were hiking at night and slack packing, so did not have
their shelters, sleeping bags, or other gear.

L-Rod

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