Re[3]: [at-l] Trail Maintenance: Blazing

[spiriteagle99@hotmail.com (Jim and/or Ginny Owen)]

Bob Cummings wrote:
>Those who want a risk free walk should consider small town sidewalks and 
>suburban malls.

Bob -
The "small town sidewalks and suburban malls" are more dangerous by far than 
any trail outside of Afghanistan.  Thought you knew that.

>Obviously with enough effort we could make the AT virtually risk free.

Really?  One of the many parts of my job is, and has been for a lot of 
years, risk analysis and mitigation.  The phrase "virtually risk free" - is 
a virtual oxymoron.  Making something risk free simply means shifting the 
risk to another area - it doesn't eliminate it.  We have an entire society 
that's a living laboratory that proves that every day.  Details on request.


>All it would take are more signs. More rules about where and when we hike. 
>Emergency shelters and phones every few miles and on every summit. Railings 
>on all the bog bridges. Guards on scenic overlooks where kids might fall. 
>Bridges over all the streams and deep puddles. Graded footpaths. Ranger 
>quarters every few miles.....

Hmmm - "All it would take"???  All of those things and more have been tried 
in other places.  None of them have made any material difference in safety - 
or risk.  I'm not sure where you got that idea, but it's defective.


>  Not only would such a trail be safe,

Bullhockey

>it would also stop these annoying posts about the importance of preserving 
>wildness -- since their wouldn't be any to preserve.

Preserving wildness is one thing - what you were talking about is something 
else entirely.  I'll expand on this if you insist.

I seriously suspect that, both personally and professionally, I know more 
about "risk" than you've ever dreamed of.  Next time you get a burr under 
your saddle, you really might want to avoid wandering into places that 
classify as "my" playground.  "Risk" is one of those places.

Walk softly,
Jim

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