by cynthia23 » Wed May 21, 2008 1:47 pm
TinaB is very friendly and chatted with me quite warmly; but I do agree with PDforeme that people who blow past you without the courtesy of a smile or a "hello" are being rude, and it's also poor etiquette from a safety point of view; you should always take the time, IMHO, to ask "how are you?" to hikers you pass, to make sure they are not in distress (some people will be too shy to grab you by the sleeve and say "help me".) As far as your situation PdforMe, you ABSOLUTELY made the right call to abort the hike. Heat cramps, etc, would not get better, they would just get worse and worse. You can't gut your way through heat exhaustion. Had you acted differently you definitely would have been involved in a rescue situation (like the guy on Saturday.) You're right that "weather rules". My rule is, no newbies on Skyline, ever, on a day with temps over 90. It's just too challenging, and not safe, for a first time. First timers should only go on days when conditions are close to ideal: Palm Springs temps no higher than 85. Try again on a much cooler day.
Q: How many therapists does it take to screw in a light bulb? A: Only one, but the light bulb has to want to change ...