OT - walking alone in Yosemite

Wolfgang wrote:
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote:

Really, if you think you need all the latest electronic doodads and
accoutrements to take a trip into the backcountry you probably don't
have the skills to be out there in the first place.

Everybody has his or her own comfort level. John Muir used to go on
thousand mile hikes carrying nothing but a bag of bread and tea (he
would roll the sack down a mountain ahead of him to bust up the bread
so that it could be chewed). On one occasion he hopped up and down
all night on a glacier to keep from freezing to death, rather than
risk trying to traverse it in the dark. On another (presumably in
Yellowstone), he and a companion spent a night rolling over and over
in some sort of hot spring or mud pot, alternately boiling on one side
and freezing on the other. I don't recall ever coming across a
reference to how he felt about other people's outfits, but one can
easily imagine him saying that anyone who needs all the latest doodads
and accouterments like sleeping bags and tents probably doesn't have
the skills to be out there in the first place.

One could argue that anyone unprepared for cold weather on a glacier
or atop Mt. Shasta in May probably didn't have the skills to be out
there in the first place. That he somehow managed to survive is both
lucky and moot.

Electronics are a somewhat different case than adequate clothing and
shelter. Being comfortable enough not to *require* electronics in the
backcountry is essential because while electronics can come in handy
you should be savvy enough to get along without them should they fail.
Being "comfortable" enough to venture off into the backcountry without
adequate clothing and shelter is just plain stupid.

With all due apologies to John Muir. ;-)

--
Ken Fortenberry

On 25 Mar 2004 18:09:11 GMT, Scott Seidman
wrote:



I don't know about Yosemite, but small groups of women have had trouble on
the Appalachian trial.

Mostly because so much of the AT is near small towns with the
occasional bored or nutty male or group of males. Guys have had
problems with it, too.

Just seems like an unnecessary risk to me, for any adventurer, male or
female. Especially in unfamiliar territory.

If she does opt to go, standard rules apply--Let someone know your plans,
your route, your expected length of the trip. Leave a tinfoil impression
of your boottrack with someone. I'd consider a Personal locator beacon,
http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/emerbcns.html, if I really wanted to enjoy the
wilderness solo. Maybe a satellite phone or something.


I'd go with, if I could afford one, just the locator beam. But only
for broken bones that would incapacitate me, lots of blood, etc.. You
don't want to use those without very good reason. First you want to
think of the cost. Then you assume you're worth the price. Then you
have to think what would happen if you had to pay that cost yourself.
Last of all, you push the button.

The first land based user in North America was a doofus. Used it for
too little reason the first time, but all concerned told him they
regarded it as good practice and that it'd been okay, by that's his
version.

The second time, however, he went out really inadequately prepared to
pick up the stuff they'd had to leave (canoe, etc.) behind the first
time. Did the usual dumb error on top of dumb error. He'd only
missed one meal when he called for help. The first time he'd still
had food for several days. He was sort of confused that this time
they were po'd about it all. And he was po'd that his canoe, which
he'd left there for a few weeks between the episodes, was missing when
he went back. He'd been counting on it for getting all the stuff out.
I think there should be a restraining order against him from going
into any tract of more than 1 square mile of roadless area. Okay, 160
acres.

Hello, doofus. Did you think that any number of things can happen to
a canoe over a few weeks time? Floating away for one. He was wearing
waders to go to it and found that there'd been rain or something that
made the water deeper than he thought it would be. Duh. There's
wind. There's basic damage from wild animals. Just because most of
the won't bother your canoe when you're camped near it, doesn't mean
they won't have an interest when you're not there. There's blowdown,
which does happen out in ungroomed woods. And then there's the very
likely salvage aspect of it. If I'd pass a deserted camp a few times
in a few weeks, by the second or third time, I'd figure it was
deserted for good and that salvage was possible. I don't know if I'd
do it myself or report to the rangers or some combination, but I'd not
blame anyone who did take it. Some would take one look and grab
anything they liked the first time.

I once was talking to a perfectly respectable seeming guy who was
ready to salvage a campsite that was ticketed as good through the next
day because some stuff was lying round in funny places and there was
no tent. I had to look and assure him that it had all the earmarks of
a site someone was still using. He was one of the kind who packs up
everything every day and puts it in the vehicle while he goes fishing.

Anyhow, back to the question of a female wandering and camping alone.
I confess. I've been doing it since 1987, though now that I've taken
up trout, (pity it's not been mutual) I'm using campgrounds much more
often. I've only had trouble once and that was probably either a
stalker from a local BBS who'd heard where I was going or the
maintenance guy from the State Forest. I was in a Forest campground
at that time. I've run into some very odd people, but all were nice
or harmless, at least to me. Then again, I never had trouble in
downtown Minneapolis walking a few blocks to the parking garage at
1:30 to 3:30 (they extended the dance hours for a while, but closed
the bar part.) am. Met a few odd people then, too.

Since she can fence, I'd advise a hiking staff. It should be all the
protection she'll need from people, maybe pepper spray, considering
the reputation of the Yosemite bears... Oh, yes, and she should have
her car absolutely clean and closed and locked. That's the big danger
there. Bears open those things the way we do sardine cans. Parking
in a nearby town and taking the bus into the park might be a good idea
if she has one of the vehicles they open even if they can't see or
smell food.
--

rbc:vixen,Minnow Goddess,Willow Watcher,and all that sort of thing.
Often taunted by trout.
Only a fool would refuse to believe in luck. Only a damn fool would rely on it.

http://www.visi.com/~cyli

wrote


Since she can fence, I'd advise a hiking staff. It should be all the
protection she'll need from people, maybe pepper spray, considering
the reputation of the Yosemite bears...

LOL for some reason you reminded me of one of my great displays of
"manhood" as a young man. I went for a backpack, with a nice young lady,
into and past Little Yosemite valley ( home of more bears than any place I
know ). Somehow, I got some bad water or bad food, but ended up very sick
and back in the bushes, nasty stuff coming out one end or the other, for
most of the second day ( trust me, very sick in the backcountry is zero
fun ).

That night, as I tried to rig a way to suspend our packs, I tied a rock to
a small rope, wound up and let go to launch the rock over a high limb. Ah,
but I was standing on the rope and the rock came back into my face with
enough force to cause bleeding and extremes of language ( I can still see
the nice young lady fighting back laughter, as she washed off the blood :-)

That night she woke me ( I had been VERY sick and was damn near dead
asleep ) with "Larry, I hear a noise outside." I, apparently, ( what she
told me, I have no memory of even waking ) shined the flashlight out of the
tent and reported, "It's just a bear eating our food." and went back to
sleep. She thought I was kidding and trying to scare her, but we woke to
two ruined packs and zero food left ( not true, I found one lemon drop ) and
a two day walk back to the car ( which we did in one long one with little
weight and lots of motivation :-)

He-man Larry ... that great woodsman and protector G

PS .. The same nice young lady and her sister later scared off a bear while
my climbing buddy and I took an afternoon nap on a trip to climb Balloon
Dome ... the girls were our electronic gizzmos of that time, there in case
we got in trouble .... the nice lady is now my lovely bride, btw

If she has reasonable experience and common sense, she will be in less
danger alone in Yosemite backcountry than in most other places in
California, imho. I've solo hiked a lot in the Sierra and she sounds a lot
tougher than me.

But, May is still very early in the season in the Sierra. Most of the high
country will still be cold and subject to storm. For years I ran a field
trial in Carson City the last weekend in May and I probably got snowed on
about 1/2 the years going over the pass to get there. Late season storms
only last briefly, and the next day might be "hot" but without preparation,
it could be miserable. I'd suggest she stay at fairly low elevation and
certainly "expect" some nasty weather .... if it doesn't happen, so much the
better G

Lazarus Cooke wrote:

An English friend ( a young woman) has some time to spare in May and is
thinking of going back-packing on her own in Yosemite, on her way to
visit relatives in LA. When I asked her what rod she was taking, she
told me she doesn't fish. (Doh!) So this is OT.

All the same, I said I'd see what the thinking was on roff about the
safety of this sort of enterprise.

She is a tough enough cookie. She was on the British Olympic fencing
team and was the British Commonwealth foil champion.

Lazarus

Lazarus,

Not to scare your friend out of going to Yosemite, but.....

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0207/14/sm.21.html

I wouldn't feel good about my wife/daughter/mother doing anything solo
up there. The good thing is, there should be plenty of people around
that time of year. She might want to check with the ranger station, and
find suitable trails for solo hikers......or just go and have a good
time. No worries about the boogieman, but.......

brians

On Thu, 25 Mar 2004 11:13:46 -0800, brians wrote:



Not to scare your friend out of going to Yosemite, but.....

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0207/14/sm.21.html

I wouldn't feel good about my wife/daughter/mother doing anything solo
up there. The good thing is, there should be plenty of people around
that time of year. She might want to check with the ranger station, and
find suitable trails for solo hikers......or just go and have a good
time. No worries about the boogieman, but.......

brians


Oh, yeah, she dei finitely shouldn't stay in a hotel in a nearby town
with other female family members or female friends. If she does, none
of them should talk to the maintenance guy or ever let him in to their
rooms.

Someone always brings this up when Yosemite is mentioned. As far as
camping or hiking goes, it's bogus. Each and all of them would have
been safer if they'd been solo and hiking or camping. Except the
ranger. But he had something personal with her.
--

rbc:vixen,Minnow Goddess,Willow Watcher,and all that sort of thing.
Often taunted by trout.
Only a fool would refuse to believe in luck. Only a damn fool would rely on it.

http://www.visi.com/~cyli

On Thu, 25 Mar 2004 16:26:20 +0000, Lazarus Cooke
wrote:

An English friend ( a young woman) has some time to spare in May and is
thinking of going back-packing on her own in Yosemite, on her way to
visit relatives in LA. When I asked her what rod she was taking, she
told me she doesn't fish. (Doh!) So this is OT.

All the same, I said I'd see what the thinking was on roff about the
safety of this sort of enterprise.

She is a tough enough cookie. She was on the British Olympic fencing
team and was the British Commonwealth foil champion.

Lazarus


At elevation 4000' plus, she will most likley find a butt
load of snow. The valley floor would be no problem. The high back
country will wet and very cold . Trails maybe hard to navagate.

hm

"Bones" wrote...
snip
At elevation 4000' plus, she will most likley find a butt
load of snow.

Hmmmm. . . sounds refreshing!
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

"Lazarus Cooke" wrote in message
om...
An English friend ( a young woman) has some time to spare in May and is
thinking of going back-packing on her own in Yosemite, on her way to
visit relatives in LA. When I asked her what rod she was taking, she
told me she doesn't fish. (Doh!) So this is OT.

All the same, I said I'd see what the thinking was on roff about the
safety of this sort of enterprise.

She is a tough enough cookie. She was on the British Olympic fencing
team and was the British Commonwealth foil champion.

Lazarus

--
Remover the rock from the email address

i'm reminded of an ( i believe A.S.U. student) who was raped and killed
while hiking alone on the a.t.- can't remember all the details-but not a
good idea.


Snakefiddler

snakefiddler wrote:

"Lazarus Cooke" wrote in message
om...

An English friend ( a young woman) has some time to spare in May and is
thinking of going back-packing on her own in Yosemite, on her way to
visit relatives in LA. When I asked her what rod she was taking, she
told me she doesn't fish. (Doh!) So this is OT.

All the same, I said I'd see what the thinking was on roff about the
safety of this sort of enterprise.

She is a tough enough cookie. She was on the British Olympic fencing
team and was the British Commonwealth foil champion.

Lazarus

--
Remover the rock from the email address


i'm reminded of an ( i believe A.S.U. student) who was raped and killed
while hiking alone on the a.t.- can't remember all the details-but not a
good idea.


I don't mean to discount the horror of the prospect of being raped or
killed, but it can happen anywhere. I might be wrong, but I would guess
that in terms of rape, your average college campus is a MUCH more
dangerous place and in terms of murder, your home would have it all over
being out in the "wild." Maybe I'm crazy, but I think that if you have
some knowledge and common sense, being out in the wilderness is safer
than things that people do in their day to day lives.

Willi