[pct-l] Hikers over Yosemite falls

[Scott Williams]

Back in the days of wool and nonbreathable wet weather gear, (my youth) I
cross country skied through a blizzard in Yosemite for 4 days with my
bro-in-law.  Ist day I sweated like a pig getting my thick wool totally
soaked.  As wool is warm even when wet I got into my down sleeping bag that
night with the wool still on.  No problem that night, but it soaked the down
which after being stuffed in its sack all the next day, came out of the
stuff sack for night 2, absolutely useless.  It was still snowing, and
burying our tent each night.  About ten pm that 2nd night I realized I
wasn't going to make it through the night, as I was freezing, and told my
brother in law.  He had just heard of VBL technology (vapor barrier
technology) and I stripped off everything and wrapped myself in a thin
plastic painter's drop cloth, duct taping it into a suit, over which I put
my wet clothes and useless down bag.  I survived several more days in this
outfit, and learned a lot, but it could have been much worse if we hadn't
had the plastic and a new technology to try.  I still use non breathable,
but now I try not to sweat when the conditions are harshly cold, a prime
survival tactic for Inuit and other Northern peoples.

Through WA last year in the cold drizzle, I had some of the younger folks,
who were getting really damp under their rain gear, slow down just a bit,
hiking just below the sweat level, and keeping good ventilation of their
bodies by opening the zipper a bit.  It worked. We stayed warm with
exertion, but not wet.

There are so many times over the years, especially in youth, that I could
have been aced out due to a mistake or just plain stupidity.  Several of my
friends didn't even make it past our hippie beginnings because of the crap
we were doing.  I still mourn them.  I feel terribly for the 3 that went
over the falls, and their poor families.  Shit happens. Darwin awards not
withstanding, it's still just plain tragic.  Kids do dumb things, and some
of us survive them and make it to geezerhood, but it is always with a good
deal of luck which has gotten us through the really dumb and dangerous
times.

Shroomer