january 7 2008

It saddens me to see the number of outdoor related negative articles in the news these days. I know that some of the articles concern human error, others stupidity and a few plain and simple malice. A breakdown of the articles I am speaking of is this; Snowmobilers lost during winter storm, Two backcountry skiers lost feared dead, Man sues boy for reckless skiing, Colorado transplant to Georgia backpacker missing and presumed dead, the list seems endless these days. I am not sure if the availability of mass media is the reason that we are so aware of the accidents/tragedies that occur or if there are simply more people outdoors or if there are more idiots vie-ing for a ever so coveted Darwin Award. This is ridiculous what is going on here? With these reports, found just this week we all must look at the direction our outdoor activities take us and be certain we are prepared and well informed about the areas we are traveling as well as the activities we are participating in. Now I am no alarmist and I would hate to dissuade people from getting out into nature, however know your abilities and take reasonable precautions!!