I suffer from a certain kind of mountaineering disease that involved seeking out interesting ways to ascend Oregon's highest 100 peaks. So, I've hiked, mountain biked, and skied (both Nordic and AT) about 35 of these peaks.
One of the worst trips was on the trail that leads up to Dead Horse Rim. This trail is open to bikes but suffers from so many dead trees that I think, in my mentally ill quest to "ride my bike" up to the summit, I must have humped that bike over hundreds of downed lodgepoles, and actually ridden no section longer than about 100 yards. I did it, and I'll still count it as a "ride," but good lord, what a dumb hobby.
Moral: downed logs can ruin your day.
(Also, I'm a big advocate for introducing people to our public wildlands, and getting outside is a great thing to do. Maybe the apps help, but these dumb, harmful apps need to improve. I wish they could get sued into a better state, or out of existence, but I suspect that their customer releases make that impossible.)
Clackamas County crews rescue 7 hikers near Ramona Falls
Re: Clackamas County crews rescue 7 hikers near Ramona Falls
Believe it or not, I barely ever ride a mountain bike.
- Waffle Stomper
- Posts: 3707
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Re: Clackamas County crews rescue 7 hikers near Ramona Falls
There are so many inexperienced hikers who have not experienced obstacles and hazards on a small scale that they make poor decisions when they encounter something like this. And, they overestimate their abilities. Hopefully lessons will be learned and passed on to friends and family.
Or perhaps not.
Or perhaps not.
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." - John Muir
Re: Clackamas County crews rescue 7 hikers near Ramona Falls
When the possibility of being turned back during a loop hike was never factored in by the hikers involved, there is a very strong impetus to keep going forward no matter what and trust it will work out somehow rather than turn around and backtrack.
- Waffle Stomper
- Posts: 3707
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Re: Clackamas County crews rescue 7 hikers near Ramona Falls
Very true. And nobody wants to be the one to say let's turn around.
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." - John Muir
Re: Clackamas County crews rescue 7 hikers near Ramona Falls
That would be me. Back in my technical climbing days, I would be the one who would say, it's not going today, time to rap off. The weather is turning too fast, we are off route, whatever. I once had to sit and refuse to continue when a friend wanted to continue climbing on this steep and poorly connected patch of snow on the side of a mountain. He pulled out the rope and said he would belay me. From what? A stance on a tiny steep snowfield with his feet planted in the snow?Waffle Stomper wrote: ↑June 16th, 2021, 8:03 amAnd nobody wants to be the one to say let's turn around.
But that also means I've had to deal with those who don't want to turn back when conditions call for it, so I've seen it.
In this case, we are fortunate that the PCT provides an alternative routing. I hope the FS has put up prominent signs at the TT/PCT junctions on both ends.