[pct-l] Flame Wars-I'm sorry

["Tom Reynolds" <Tom.Reynolds@ilan.com>]

I started this "bear can" flame war. I'm sorry! All I did was point out, in
a discussion about lightweight packs, that in the Sierra you must carry a
bear canister so lightweight packs might not work. How did I know I was
stepping into a political, egotistical minefield?

I only joined this list to get and receive weather data on the California
Sierra because 1998 was a tough snow year and I wanted to help salvage many
a vacation, mine included. I did that and I thank everyone who gave me
information. In particular I would like to thank the thru hikers who posted
their 1998 experiences on the net. You were the first, this year,  to brave
the Sierra. I distributed your experiences widely. Lot's of people hiked
this year who wouldn't have without your information. They all thankyou.

I find it amusing that it has been concluded about me that "I am forcing
people to hike my way" and that "I never have and probably never will
thruhike" in the absence of all data. In all my years, about 15, on the
Compuserve Hikers forum I have never been subject to such personal
statements because, obviously, no one really knows me  or how much and how
far I hike-- I am just some electronic squiggles.

To say that "thru hikers are a different sort" seems self evident to me
though why this experience qualifies them as experts on bears is beyond me.
As a Californian who has hiked the Sierra for ten years, and has
intentionally collected bear stories during that time, I state: If you rely
on counterbalancing, if a bear shows up you will probably [almost always]
lose your food. Your spiritual state and/or how far you hiked won't matter.
The bear don't care!


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