[at-l] Survival was Trail Etiquette

[rafe.bustin@verizon.net (Raphael Bustin)]

At 07:53 PM 6/3/2002 -0500, you wrote:

>At 07:43 PM 6/3/02 -0400, Raphael Bustin wrote:
>>At 04:52 PM 6/3/2002 -0500, Shane wrote:
>>
>> > 8. Know your limits and quit while you're ahead.
>>
>>And I think that's the best advice of all, especially
>>in the backcountry.
>
>
>That's just fine until your limits start changing when you weren't looking
>and even though you think you are still ahead, you are actually about
>ready to fall off a cliff.
>I'm finding this ...aging....hard to handle.  I have injured
>myself on each of my recent trips.  I really hurt myself the last time.
>I know exactly what you mean about the Oh shit moment.



Hmmm.  There's probably a major truth here that I've yet
to acknowledge.  I'm 12 yrs older and 25 lbs heavier than I
was in my hiking "heyday."

I suppose limits can't be known until they're met or exceeded,
and by then the damage may be done.  Best one can hope
for, I suppose, is to not make the same mistake twice.

I doubt anyone would claim this is easy or obvious advice to
follow.

Planning a substantial section hike this August (N. Adams to
Hanover) so I'll probably get a good measure of how much
I've lost over the years...


rafe b.
aka terrapin