[pct-l] stream crossing near miss

[Stephen]

I didn't say what I read, but a few comments are pretty nasty.  But I have 
explored a good deal of what's in Peaks, Passes and Trails, and from what I 
gather from my experience in comparison, a good deal more than the author.
And I said accidents, not death, but you can include it if you like.  Some 
lady took a nice dive this last early season, I think it was approaching Mt 
Mendal.  Just because you join a club doesn't mean you are particularly 
suited to its activities.  Anyone can buy tools; doesn't mean they are 
mechanically inclined. Catch my meaning.  You can root for the club all you 
want, I just know what I've encountered and heard from trail crews and 
rangers over many years in the Sierra and Southwest.  I'm also not 
suggesting the SC or anyone involved is good, bad ,or irresponsible. 
However, it was a SC outing that the man suffered the bear slash from 
imporper food storage, and a SC outing that had the broken ankle on the 
Middlefork Kings. It was a SC outing when the woman tossed to her death over 
near Darwin, and it was a SC outing that they had this water crossing 
trouble that could have been easily avoided.  It was also a SC outing I 
believe when Secor pitched a little while ago near Baldy area.  Nothing 
personal, and I have met some real nice folks from SC outings, but a good 
many have absolutley no business out in the backcountry. Ever heard of car 
camping?  So I'm on Muir Pass about nine years ago.  There is a small group, 
about seven or eight.  Oh well, I'll just say howdy and have my snack right. 
All good.  Then some lady gets on her cell phone and starts yackin away like 
she's in the market or who knows what she was thinkin.  Really rude, so I 
put on my rude hat too and that was solved imediately.  Funny thing is I ran 
into this group again about a few days later going out over Keasarge.  The 
lady looked like she'd been ostrisized and the rest of the group seemed 
kinda glad to see me and was very friendly.  Hum?  So what I'm telling you 
by this little story is having a high profile club sort of creates a sort of 
image for all.  Sloppy camps, rude people, accidents, improper backcountry 
etiquite, and approaching the mountians with an attitude of propriety.  I'm 
sure it's actually worse outside the club like the father and son who got 
lost over Gardiner Pass for a couple days,or the PCT'r who tossed 'cause he 
had no axe, but when you have a high profile people tend to notice more, and 
when you have a name with Sierra in it, you have a lot to live up to.  I 
just don't see it.  What you have now is a big political lobby that has 
become a bit unwiedly and lost focus many years gone now.  Meanwhile the 
backcountry experience has deteriorated, and I'm not so sure part of the 
reason isn't the SC itself.  Change is good, try it.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gary Schenk" <gwschenk at socal.rr.com>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 4:09 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] stream crossing near miss


> On Monday 02 February 2009 23:54:06 Stephen wrote:
>> Yeah and they tend to have a lot of accidents, seems a trait common to SC
>> outings.
>
> In 50+ years of the Sierra Club's Angeles Chapter's Sierra Peaks Section
> climbing throughout the Sierra, there has been one death on an outing.
>
>>No disrepect to Mr Secor, but there are some interesting comments
>>regarding him in a numberof peak registeries.
>
> Don't believe everything you read in a register.
>
> Cheers,
> Gary
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