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[pct-l] Slightly tongue-in-cheek, some lesser hazards.



Tree hazards are one big reason why they close the trail/forest after fires.
They have to make sure that the burned trees and branches aren't going to
injure people, and they fell those that threaten before opening the trail
again.

L-Rod

-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net
[mailto:pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Eric Lee (GAMES)
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 6:33 PM
To: Corky Corcoran; pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: RE: [pct-l] Slightly tongue-in-cheek, some lesser hazards.

Corky wrote:
>
However, a few hazards were left off.  Trees.  They fall.  No one 
seems to have bothered to warn us about that.  Trees are very common 
along some stretches of the PCT.  I'm not worried about the ones in 
the daytime, they go rather slowly and with some warning.  But at 
night.  And branches.  The dead ones are "crack and hit"  before you 
can even think of the 23rd Psalm.  Widow-makers those are called.  I 
do feel a bit safer because I'm not married anymore, but I'm not sure 
if they are aware of that.
>

That's totally true.  I don't have any official stats at hand, but just
based on my (possibly faulty) memory of the news I'd guess that here in
Washington, more people have been killed by falling trees/branches while
hiking than by all types of animals combined.

In fact, a 5 year old girl was killed here just couple weeks ago.  She
and her family were out for a quick day-hike when a windstorm blew in.
A large branch fell and crushed her.

A couple of years ago a hiker was killed by a falling tree during high
wind on a trail that I often hike.  That made it a bit more personal.

Eric
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