[pct-l] Bear Creek crossing 2010

[Scott Bryce]

On 3/16/2012 7:27 AM, James Vesely wrote:
>
>
> I know its "wild and scenic" but would it hurt for the park service
> to stretch a large rope between two trees (if not a bridge) for a
> hand hold across some of the larger creeks?
>
> I wonder how many people have lost there life or almost lost there
> life on some of these fords.   A rope would be cheap, easy and
> effective.

And dangerous. Ray Jardine, in his PCT hikers handbook, describes the
dangers of using ropes to assist during stream crossings. He describes
how he has tried various methods to use ropes for stream crossings, and
all of them made the situation worse. You literally become like a kite
in the wind, except that in this case the current pulls you under the
water as you pull on the rope.