[pct-l] Questioning authority

[reynolds@iLAN.com (Reynolds, WT)]

You can talk about questioning authority all you want. You can propose
different ways to solve the bear problem. You can propose "domination" if
you want. You can talk all about the hopeless weekend hikers at Rae Lake and
how they are more of a problem than you. You can even try that "wilderness
freedom" bit.

But you can't fool me.

I know this is all BS. I know too many thruhikers and have been on this list
too long.

You are simply trying to do what is convenient for yourself.

Thruhikers simply don't want to carry the extra weight, take the time to
pack a bear canister properly or to go throught the hassel of hanging their
food. Thruhikers don't care anything about the bears, the wilderness, what
they are training the bears to do and the possible danger they are creating
for the weekend hikers that come later.

Thruhikers simply don't care about anything and anybody except reaching
Canada. They are a totally eliteist bunch that has total distain for the
section and weekend hikers and the Rangers that try to protect the park and
enforce the rules.

You want to be special. You want special dispensation from the rules. You
want to be above the rules. You want the world to be totally composed of the
100 or so thruhikers that reach the Sierra. Everything and everybody else is
just resources to help you reach your goal.

Well this ain't about authority, or goats in Olympic NP, or stupid National
Park rules or even saving the bears. It isn't about stealth camping or not
cooking where you sleep or any other method to avoid a bear encounter.

It is about SLEEPING WITH YOUR FOOD in bear territory. Eventually a bear
crashes a tent and someone gets hurt. Yes, I know, you don't care. What does
that have to do with you making it to Canada? So what if some dumbass
weekender gets killed by the bear that you started down the road to tent
crashing. Hey man, you made it to Canada. You walked every step and didn't
slackpack even once. You are cool.

-----Original Message-----
From: CMountainDave@aol.com [mailto:CMountainDave@aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2002 9:55 PM
To: pct-l@backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] Questioning authority


I'm sorry, but the "Authorities know best" thread has me a bit worked up.
Why? Because it reminds me of what was said when the NPS insisted that goats
should be eliminated from the Olympics because they weren't native and were
causing irreparable damage to the Olympic alpine ecosystem. I was the only
vocal opposition to this plan in the outdoor club I belonged to. Everybody
was saying the same thing: "Trust the authorities." Hundreds of goats were
removed before a Congressman finally stepped in, due to many people like me
who saw fatal flaws in the NPS's logic, and stopped the proposed final
slaughter. An independent scientific study found the NPS goat study
conclusions to be "Unnecessary alarmism" and "Bad science at it's worst." So
you see I've been conditioned to believe that speaking out when you believe
you see authoritative negligence is a GOOD thing to do because it helped
save
the goats in the Olympics.
       How about an independent study to determine the best methods to solve
the bear problem in the Sierras. Only problem is, the NPS will reject any
solution that costs money. Why aren't back country user fees used to put in
poles, boxes, dogs, snipers with rubber bullets? I would very much like to
see that they are. With a concerted effort, this problem CAN be solved.
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