[pct-l] Northwest Mts. Bite

[CMountainDave@aol.com (CMountainDave@aol.com)]

In a message dated 6/1/02 11:48:55 PM, dude@fastmail.ca writes:

<<  Today, there are more climbers than ever and they all 
want to summit on the same day during the weekend.  It’s a new risk 
that we have all created and tacitly accepted because we all want 
what we want when we want it.
 >>
I agree. For me it is no longer any fun to do the dog routes. At least not in 
a personal sense. The only real joys are in assisting someone in reaching a 
life long dream and being around those who are eager to learn, plan and do.  
But I get the feeling of being in some sort of extended city park instead of 
away from it all.

 ---  We would all like to find the ONE thing that they did wrong and be 
able to say "that won't happen to me" because I am smarter, or more 
experienced, or in better shape, or know the territory, or whatever.----- 
      I look at it just the opposite. I'm thinking that COULD happen to me, 
so what can I possibly learn from this to avoid a similar situation. True, I 
could never cover all the bases to eliminate all risk, nor would I want to. 
I'm not interested in larker's mistakes. I'm interested in lapses of judgment 
in those who are experienced, so that I might have some sort of chance to not 
overlook the same errors they made
 
  Had to laugh at the irony of some woman on the radio complaining about 
search and rescue people risking their lives to help people who needlessly 
put their lives at risk for recreation and tax payers footing the bill. Then 
it turns out that a large group of firefighters were climbing Hood that day. 
By gosh you would think they would know better!!
  Then someone brought up the subject of Gulf of Alaska fishing. A Coast 
Guard search and rescue dude recounted the many times fishing boats had 
deliberately ignored warnings, had creaky vessels, overloaded their holds, 
etc., causing the need for countless rescues. He even said they would 
deliberately run out of fuel so they could get a free tow back into harbor, 
thus saving several hundred dollars in fuel costs. Made the recreationalists 
look pretty competent and responsible by comparison. But hey, at least the 
fishermen were risking their lives for $$$.