Two Seperate Rescues On The Tram Hike Today

[Ellen]

Zip and Cy

Hilarious -- you both tie for most humurous posts You could be a hiking comedy tag team.

I've been working on a revision of a continuing education course. When I complete a certain amount of writing, I allow myself to go on-line and read this forum as a reward.

Needless to say, it's the best education plus entertainment that one could hope for.

Thanks and miles of smiles
Ellen

[cynthia23]

Oops, HIkin' Jim just posted his excellent warning sign while I was writing. That's awesome, HJ, practically perfect. Grim and comprehensive. The only thing I would add is winter/alpine warnings, since I have found that in January or February, a lot of hikers I've met on the trail don't believe me when I tell them there is ice up above.

[Hikin_Jim]

That's a good point about winter. My dad died in a winter mountaineering accident in '04. See the revised post now.

We may need to make this a bit more concise (so that it fits on a sign).

My tone was meant to be serious yet not "over the top." If you get too carried away, people will sense it and not take the warning seriously. A factual warning is more effective, particularly one where people can do a bit of "reading between the lines." If they see "SAR won't come unless...", then it may dawn on them, "oh, SAR gets involved in this a lot? Uh, oh."

I copied the bit about young, fit males from the sign I saw last summer while hiking at the Grand Canyon. I think a lot of people dismiss warnings, saying "I'm fit and experienced; that doesn't apply to me." I wanted to impress on them that not only does it apply it applies particularly to them.

[Perry]

The problem is that you can't tell people what to do because a. people don't like being told what to do and b. there is a lot of exaggerated hype about dangers, so from their perspective it's like the boy who cries wolf. I think simple elevation signs are the way to go. If somebody uses up half their water by the time they reach the 3,000-foot sign, that might persuade them to turn around. That closer peak is deceptive. I think some people think that's near the tram, but it's only a third of the way there.

[zippetydude]

You know, we could have fun with this as well.

Instead of all these helpful signs, how about just adding a few white dots and arrows down below, so that the trail leads in endless circles about 10 minutes above the museum? We could even post some strange symbols like in the Blair Witch Project, just to make it spooky.

That way the dumb ones will just do laps and give up, exhausted, down where it's safe. People with a guide will skip right past the decoys.

Even more fun, what if we downloaded some recorded sounds, like tigers roaring, rattlers rattling, maybe even an elephant trumpeting, then played those sounds a little way off the trail in the predawn darkness when people went by. Imagine the trip reports we'd see posted here. This could be sweet.

z

[Hikin_Jim]

Of course, scattered human remains (real ones) would convey a message all their own.

[magikwalt]

Being an old grunt I still opt for using the term FNG. We all are at some point. Where this trail is concerned I still consider myself to be a FNG. The different challenges presented throughout the various seasons prevent me from having seen most of them since I climbed it the first time back in 2006. With the extreme lack of snow this winter I feel that I'll have to see another winter to fill in some of those experiences.

Mountain lion on the trail? Absolutely. I did a Thursday solo trip in Nov 06 and saw four seperate paw prints. One was a back/front offset that caused me to consider my options. The prints were in the manzanita portion of the trail about 15 minutes below Flat Rock. I had been seeing a number of deer prints from just above 4,000ft and was hoping to catch sight of them. After that I got noisy, tall and moved on quickly to get above Flat Rock.

[Ellen]

Howdy Walt

I pity any cougar that even thinks of messing with you

I learned the meaning of FNG from a Vietnam vet who did construction work on my house.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[magikwalt]

There's nothing wrong with being a new guy. What everyone should be seeking is to learn enough to become an old guy. I'm lucky in that I am approaching my er...31st birthday.

[AlanK]

31 eh? That's young! Wouldn't that make you a FYG?