I have two daughters I am equally proud of Meghan and Sarah. One has a blog:
http://www.unitedstatesofsarahlook.com/
Great weather, seventies breezy with big cumulus clouds.
In the picture below, there are two different parties lead climbing on Old Rag Summit. Most of the climbs on Old Rag are of higher grades and leads can be pretty bold. It takes a lot of knowledge and effort to enjoyably climb on Old Rag. It would not be unusual for climbers to miss out on a large part of their climbing day just to hike in and find the start of their route.
Imagine:
You hiked uphill with lots of climbing gear for over an hour before you have even started your bushwhack.
You can hear the hissing of a rattlesnake in brush so thick you can not see your feet.
You just spent an hour bushwhacking trying to find the base of your climb.
It seems like every branch in the park is getting snarled on your pack.
Your exposed skin is branded by spots of red inflammation caused by stinging nettles, abrasive rock, swarming bugs.
Among these frustrations some crazy people in orange grabbed you aside to remind you about Leave No Trace.
AND YOU THINK
YA RIGHT! I JUST WANT TO BAG MY CLIMB AND GET AWAY FROM ALL THE BAD STUFF ON THIS MOUNTAIN AND IF I TRAMPLE A FEW STUPID WEEDS OR HAPPEN TO LEAVE AN EMPTY PLASTIC WATER BOTTLE THAT THE WIND BLEW OFF THE CLIFF TOUGH. THIS IS REAL SURVIVAL STUFF. REAL WILDERNESS IS SURVIVED NOT PROTECTED BUDDY!
(Note: My satire is over the top and there is actually some correctness within the above. The early settler who killed the rattlesnake in his back yard to protect his toddlers has my extreme respect. The person who was in a 747 crash in the wilderness and did normally unethical things to survive has my respect. If someone in your party just sustained a life threatening injury than your priorities must change. There are no black and white rules, it is all fluidly changing with hundreds of variables. You truly have the lead. The Bridge and the Conn(authority for ship's control) in Navy parlance. The person on scene who on a moment by moment must make the best judgement they can.)
BE A PROUD MAMMAL THAT NOT ONLY BOLDLY STRIVES AND SURVIVES BUT DOES IT WITH SOME STYLE AND CLASS BECAUSE YOU HAVE A BRAIN WHICH ALLOWS IT.
HYPOTHETICAL STYLE SCORES FOR A DAY IN VARIOUS OUTDOOR ORGANISMS' LIVES (IN MY OFF -THE-CUFF, TONGUE-IN-CHECK WAY):
NEWBIE HIKER WHO ALMOST DIED BUT WHO IN THE END DID OKAY (ALL THINGS CONSIDERED) 7.5.
(Despite: The fact they left accidental impact.)
RAVENS ON THEIR BAD STYLE DAYS 8.
(I have a huge soft spot for ravens.)
RATTLESNAKES (who just brutally killed the mouse) 7
(Note: This reflects my prejudice against death not so much the snake's style).
LEAD CLIMBERS WITH YEARS OF EXPERIENCE ON A GREAT DAY 9.1.
LEAD CLIMBER WITH YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND ON A BAD STYLE DAY 1.5 .
MAMMALS IN GENERAL ON BAD SYLE DAYS 1.8
(oops upon appeal 5.5)
PLANTS ON BAD STYLE DAYS 8.5
GROSS PAIN INFLICTING NOTHING GOOD TO SAY FOR THEM STINKY BACTERIA 9.0
(After all how much control over style can a bacteria be scored on.)
SUBURBAN COMFORTABLE NEWBIE HIKER WHO PURPOSELY AND UNCARINGLY LITTERS 1.5
GOD (9.99...... ) out of 10
(Everyone can improve).RATTLESNAKES, RAVENS, EARLY SETTLERS AND HUMANS THAT ARE NEW TO THE OUTDOORS ARE JUDGED WITH DIFFERENT HANDICAPS THAN YOURS. I ALWAYS EXPECT MORE OF BOTH MYSELF AND CLIMBERS.
PLAN AHEAD BE PREPARED
BE SURE TO CLIP INTO YOURSELF
WHEN POSSIBLE APPLY GRACE, STYLE. CLASS
Old Rag is a precious climbing resource. For certain types of climbing it is the only resource within a few hours drive of mid-Atlantic climbers' homes. Obtain Betta, read up, talk to climbers who know the mountain well, scope out what Old Rag is about and carefully and thoughtfully use it for the reasons it is unique. If everyone pitches in the climbing experience on Old Rag will be much the same twenty years from now as it was twenty years ago.
Once understood and approached appropriately, the bad and survival stuff fades to obscurity and the precious and aesthetic stuff crescendos to the forefront of importance. For yourself and the rest of us celebrate life, boldly explore, protect your safety but go a step further and do it responsibly, cleanly and with style.
Note: A January 2009 blog entry has additional climbers advice.
Below are some Old Rag Mountain Stewards involved in some ascending training.
In my opinion our simple orange T Shirts are simultaneous emblems of EXTREME PRIDE and ABJECT HUMILITY (like any other symbols assumed by practitioners of responsible formal ethical systems.)
On this wonderous day a beautiful multi-spectral beatle was accidentlally fatally injured by the MOST caring of responsible stewards who was trying to celebrate its magnificence in a photograph for the world to share. In a flash of a moment before the accident I was conscious of the danger and did not warn fast enough.
Another steward concerned about pain versus quality of life took the beatle's life and ended its suffering.
On almost everyday I am on the mountain I am concious of things I did but should not have or at least could have done better. A branch unintentionally broken or a centipede accidentally stepped on.
Perfection strived for but life is messy, mistakes are made.
How do I judge my actions?????
Who am I to even judge actions?????
When do you turn off reflection and just live????
Even simple can be complicated????
DAO DE JING
Let Go
FORGIVE YOURSELF
ROAR IN CELEBRATION OF LIFE FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOPS !!!!
An idyllic June day at Byrds Nest
Double click on the picture and the rattlesnake is still very hard to see. From the end of the big sawn off log look down to the rock on the trail below and see if you can spot the Rattlesnake.
Lots of amazing nature.
While not pictured here we received an amazing amount of botanical/nature training. Living large on a wondrously great solstice/father's day.
Red Admiral Sitting On The Trail Near The Summit
No comments:
Post a Comment