[pct-l] Search and Seizure

[judson at jeffnet.org (Judson Brown)]

I think the only time I would employ this would be if a ranger asked if I
had a canister and I said yes. At that point, they'll just have to take my
word, because I simply don't feel like unpacking my whole pack. Personally,
I would never hike in the Sierras w/o a canister, but that's just 'cause I'm
a wuss, not 'cause I want to follow the rule.

-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net
[mailto:pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net]On Behalf Of
DAVCATDAV@aol.com
Sent: Sunday, October 10, 2004 10:33 PM
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Search and Seizure


Well..this is sure to cause a storm...

My own attitude is that my access to public lands is a form of
entertainment.  No more noble than going to the movies...attending a public
lecture...going to a porn site on the Internet.  I do not have the calculus
that allows me
to quantify my hiking as any more objectively noble than any  of these other
activities. I am not so wise that I feel comfortable  asserting my own joy
is
anymore worthwhile than your garden variety heroin  addict's.  When not on
the
trail I can often be found obscenely fondling my  hiking equipment..a
sickness
that does no one but myself any harm.

The issue of bear canisters...and the arbitrary bureaucratic rules of the
various agencies that administer forest and grass lands...that seems to
vent so
many spleens in this chat room...I gotta wonder if your living rewarding
and
self fulfilling lives.  So it's dumb to add 2 1/2 pounds to my  backpack,
and
Ms Ranger..the Fifth says you can't check on my baggy of  gorp...this is a
battle worth all  the effort I've seen here?

So I carry a bear canister where required, or even when it's suggested...I
purchase the forest passes used here in the Northwest...(I hike from car to
car...picking up the one when I finish and going back to my starting point
to
pick up the other...I gotta buy two passes...at $60 a shot...for both  cars?
The man says yup...(but then am I environmentally correct..two  cars...one a
Suburban...the other a Jeep...this vast use of foreign oil..do I  deserve
the
joy?))

I guess what I'm saying is that I can see, certainly, that you can argue
that the sundry and various administrative rules enacted by the men and
women in
green may be wrong..or right..and that the money collected by them for my
access  to wilderness areas may be misused.  Myself..if they say I gotta
wear  a
bearbox covered with Victoria Secrets best..so be it.  I have trust  that
their hearts are in the right place no matter how silly it may seem to me
at the
time.  And when I'm asked if I am carrying a bear canister...I smile  and
say
yes ma'am...it's right here.  Or when asked if I have my forest  pass..I
smile
and say yes sir, it's right here.  It may indeed be  silly...or even
stupid..but I remember good people can disagree, and that this  is not a
moral
battle...just a disagreement over administrative policy...and  that I've
been wrong
before.

Folks..it's a good thing to fight the good fight... this world is filled
with troubles enough to keep us all occupied for more than this one
life...but
you'll all have to forgive me...if you wanta draw the line at bear
boxes...access fees to public lands...to these sort of matters...and are
unable  to just
stand with a smile on your face and say...well...on this tiny  matter...I'm
gonna compromise a little..well...I'll buy you a beer at that trail  town we
both get to...but you're gonna have to forgive me smiling at you kinda
funny...
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