Musings on Safety.

[Neil]

All of this talk about safety in the mountains these past weeks has stimulated my idle brain into reflecting on the subject.


What’s one of the the first things the white settlers did when they got to North America? Drove off or killed the wild animals and hostile first nations peoples and ensured themselves a steady food supply.

In our civilization and culture safety is ingrained in our thinking from a tender age. Parents of today’s infants can monitor baby’s breathing and heart rate and check Carbon Monoxide levels in the nursery 24/7. In my lifetime I have witnessed tremendous strides in safety. Seatbelts, air bags, lateral airbags, helmets (how many different ones can one acquire?), ski bindings -when I started skiing some people still were using “bear traps” and the now archaic safety straps were just coming out. The list of safety devices and safety measures that surround us goes on and on.

Look at the line-ups of safety conscious parents waiting in their vehicles outside of schools. Parents who give their kids cell phones so they know where they are 24/7. Now there is talk of gps cell phones to enhance parental monitoring even further. Cameras are everywhere. And home alarm systems. Safety is big business and we line up to pay for it, gladly.

I was out walking with a friend when his cell phone went off. He glanced at the screen and said, "that was my home alarm system, the cleaning lady just left the house". His house was 150 miles away and could have been 5000 miles away.

Safety warnings and tamper proof bottles. Safe sex.

Expressions such as “be safe”, take care, God be with you (Goodby) illustrate the depth to which the notion of safety has soaked itself into our subconscious brain. I think that the concepts of safety, protection and security are encoded right into our genetic makeup.

Beyond safe behaviour and safety “gear” there are the myriads of insurance one can purchase.

This ever increasingly complex, sophisticated and expensive bubble of safety accompanies us from the cradle to the grave and has become an integral part of our thinking patterns. A reflex thinking pattern. Like looking both ways before crossing the street. Some people would argue that the safety bubble sets us free. Imagine trying to compose choreography for a ballet while fending off a grizzly attack or while spearing fish with a forked stick.

Other people feel suffocated by the safety bubble.

Now, when we go hiking we are stepping outside of the bubble. But we all carry a scaled down safety bubble with us. If the bubble has a score of 100 in our normal lives then the most well equipped hiker carries a what? A 10, a 50 a 90? You tell me. Gear, cell phones, group size, trail networks, rangers and safety protocols (start times, leaving itineraries at home, signing out) are all a part of the safety bubbles that we use to protect ourselves when we go for a hike. In spite of that, anyone who goes hiking in the mountains, no matter how well prepared he is, will be judged by some non-hikers as reckless. Anyone who knowingly and voluntarily steps out of the bubble and decreases his chances of survival is going against his own genetic code and one of society’s most cherished and obsessively cultivated values.

For some, hiking is strictly an opportunity to see beautiful nature and get some exercise. I think that the portable safety bubble would have a very high value for these hikers.

For others, a major part of the attraction is in going outside of the bubble. Maybe they feel free or perhaps it’s the simple feeling of satisfaction, derived form depending more on their own resources. Or, it could be their defiant behavior gives them an adrenaline rush. Smaller safety bubbles will be the rule here.

Most of us are on a sliding scale somewhere in between.

How does this grab you? It’s getting dark, and it is zero degrees F, you are 5 miles from your vehicle, and there is no trail. You have no overnight gear and as soon as you stop to rest you feel a chill overtake your damp body. You are alone and will have 2 creeks to cross under headlamp.

Your worst nightmare? A panic attack situation? The result of recklessness and stupidity? Or, the happiest moment of your life?

 

[RoySwkr]

Now there is talk of gps cell phones to enhance parental monitoring even further.

They already exist, the lost and presumably deceased hunter in Bear Brook SP had one so his companion knew where he was

How does this grab you? It’s getting dark, and it is zero degrees F, you are 5 miles from your vehicle, and there is no trail. You have no overnight gear and as soon as you stop to rest you feel a chill overtake your damp body. You are alone and will have 2 creeks to cross under headlamp.

Your worst nightmare? A panic attack situation? The result of recklessness and stupidity? Or, the happiest moment of your life?

I would probably call it foolish carelessness, I have certainly walked out more than 5 miles in the dark but I still had dry clothes and would have turned around sooner if I didn't.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

...How does this grab you? It’s getting dark, and it is zero degrees F, you are 5 miles from your vehicle, and there is no trail. You have no overnight gear and as soon as you stop to rest you feel a chill overtake your damp body. You are alone and will have 2 creeks to cross under headlamp.

Your worst nightmare? A panic attack situation? The result of recklessness and stupidity? Or, the happiest moment of your life?

When I encounter situations like this my reaction is a sense of enforced calmness, and all systems go on high alert, saying "Use care, stay focused, watch your foot placement, don't do anything stupid." When I'm sitting in my vehicle, and the engine is running, there's plenty of time to say "Whew, thank You for getting me out of a jam".

Thanks for your outline of where we've come safety-wise over the past 400 years or so. What's paradoxical about these systems we've created - according to a hiker friend - is that periodically we need a certain amount of activity that pushes the safety envelope in order to maintain a healthy sense of self. According to him, there are well-documented studies to 'prove' this. Haven't read any myself though. Maybe someone has some references.

Not all of the points you make above are safety-related or fear-based. Some are just plain greed.

Kevin

 

[Davehiker]

This is certainly a thought-provoking discussion.

In reflecting on my hiking "career," I can think of only a few times that I "pushed the envelope." Perhaps I'm one who wants only "to see beautiful nature and get some exercise." I just don't feel that most hiking is that dangerous. I don't usually carry lots of extra gear, and I usually hike solo. I just don't see the sense in relying on GPS, Personal Satellite Beacons, or whatever.

When I've encountered a dangerous situation I'm not prepared for (freezing rain on Mt. Washington, blinding snow above treeline on the presis, or such), I can usually just "back away." I guess it's possible to get in over your head so quickly that you're unaware and can't just "back away," but I don't remember being there. Adequate preparation can usually keep you out of those spots.

As a public safety worker, I see people often who encounter tragedy without warning. We can engineer safety into anything, but there is risk in all we do. No matter how many airbags are in a car, if someone looks down to change the radio station and crashes into an on-coming car, people are going to get hurt.

I suspect that someone who's lost a loved one due to a "stupid" mistake may have a different view of this subject than myself.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

This is certainly a thought-provoking discussion.

In reflecting on my hiking "career," I can think of only a few times that I "pushed the envelope." Perhaps I'm one who wants only "to see beautiful nature and get some exercise."

I think this is at the heart of Neil's question. There are very few of us who say to themselves "I want to get out and hike today and put myself in danger just to get the juices flowing" (OK, there are a few of you who...) but at the risk of sounding confrontational - if you hike long enough, there are situations where, through a variety of circumstances, you find yourself in a jam, and the question is - what is your reaction? Saying "I keep myself safe, so therefore I never get in trouble" is, IMHO, the 'safe' answer.

I'm reading a fascinating book by Laurence Gonzales entitled "Deep Survival", which explores the art and science of survival. What I've learned so far is that in a crisis, our survival depends less upon our intellect than upon our emotional response - the deep, primal stuff programmed into our amydala. That's the bad news. The good news is that we can re-program the amydala. This is how Army Rangers and other elite forces are taught - they're placed in harm's way in many different, controlled situations so that when confronted with real danger they react - correctly. We can do the same thing, but it takes effort and planning.

Anyway, I hope Neil's thread doesn't morph into a safe practices thread, and people take a risk and share with others how they react in a jam. I for one am always looking for a better method of survival.

 

[dentonfabrics]

I got a new video camera and wanted to have some fun with it, so last week I summitted Pierce, solo. It was a beautiful January day, no clouds, no wind, reasonable temps, and no storms in site. No big deal, right?

So I showed the video to a bunch of non-hiking friends and their reaction was "what are you, nuts?? Hiking a mountain like that ALONE??". Everyone was questioning either my bravery or my stupidity for summitting alone in winter.

But to me (and to most of you), it was no big deal. Sure I was solo but I was on a well traveled trail with plenty of gear, in good weather, and had taken every safety precaution.

I guess safety and what one would consider to be a "dangerous situation" is all relative.


bob

 

[--M.]

How I view the realities of backwoods risks has morphed over the years, especially now that I have a family I'm responsible to.

On the other hand, I've always felt it was a function of being on Reality's turf (or however you want to anthropomorphize it, "God's," "Nature's," et cetera), not a function of changing the technology from the human side of the equation. I try to use my stuff to its safest advantage, but I just always keep in mind that whether I get a mulligan on personal safety -- or get whacked with an anti-mulligan -- is something I have limited influence on. I've "gotten away" with plenty, but I've also seen it go bad, so I have a little respect. I acknowledge that I'm not the one calling all the shots.

To Kevin Rooney's point, I've stretched the envelope, and deliberately try to do that every time I go out, but just enough to learn the new skill. My only answer to your scenario, Neil, is: Have I been in that situation before? If so, I'm not too worried, but hope I understand the danger. Kind of like driving Route 128 at rush hour.

 

[chinooktrail]

We all have our own level of comfort, or as you say the size of our personal 'safety bubble'. My bubble had been expanding in recent years.

I have lived in the same house and walked the numerous trails alone for the past 12 years. I used to be a bit nervous, and would occasionally turn around at first. But not for the past 11 years.

Yesterday I was taking the puppy for a walk on the snowmobile trails. I was planning on a 4 or so mile walk to get her good and tired for the night.

At one of the junctions I saw large footprints in the snow walking the same way as me. One set. Normally I would not have given this a second thought, and just continued on my way.

Yesterday was different.

The puppy was being skittish, I walked a short way further, then just turned around and headed back toward home.

Probably this was just a silly move on my part. Most likely it was just someone else out enjoying the day and the fresh air and getting some exercise.

I suppose my bubble is a little smaller again...

 

[Maddy]

At one of the junctions I saw large footprints in the snow walking the same way as me. One set. Normally I would not have given this a second thought, and just continued on my way.

Yesterday was different.

The puppy was being skittish, I walked a short way further, then just turned around and headed back toward home.

Probably this was just a silly move on my part. Most likely it was just someone else out enjoying the day and the fresh air and getting some exercise.

I suppose my bubble is a little smaller again...

Don't think for a minute that you are being silly. One thing that was reinforced to me from reading numerous postings by people teaching "safety courses" in GA to women post Meredith Emerson tragedy is that you should always listen to your gut. If something doesn't seem right, trust your instinct and get out of there. RAD courses teach the same thing.
There will always be another day, another trail.
Over the years, I have also moved along when something didn't seem quite right.
There will always be those people who if you are relating this to them will say..."oh you are just being silly".
Turn a deaf ear to them and listen to your gut.
Dogs often have an innate sense for "sensing" trouble.
Keep listening

 

[John H Swanson]

How does this grab you? It’s getting dark, and it is zero degrees F, you are 5 miles from your vehicle, and there is no trail. You have no overnight gear and as soon as you stop to rest you feel a chill overtake your damp body. You are alone and will have 2 creeks to cross under headlamp.

Your worst nightmare? A panic attack situation? The result of recklessness and stupidity? Or, the happiest moment of your life?

Winter is deceiving. One can spend 8 hours making their way into the woods and return the same route in under 2 hours. The 5 miles you describe could be pleasant or misery. In fact quite a few of my adk 4s met this description, but I was within my comfort zone and one could argue pretty safe. I never felt better than when I was standing on Hough at 3:30pm with my car and destination back at Clear Pond.

I could easily see the picture you paint as one that is well within the comfort zone of many hikers on this board, given some assumptions. There may be no trail, but I could be following out my own broken trail on a bushwhack. I may be chilled when I stop, but I could be in good condition (not fatigued) with ample food. River crossings by headlamp are not necessarily difficult, if you know they are managable. and alone...motivation by ultimate accountability is excellent for the knowlegable within their comfort zone.

Now play the cards the other way....It's getting dark. At zero, batteries as slow and dumb. No spares Cold?, running low on food 5 miles. Is that over two mountains and your leg is cramping or your knee acting up No trail - is that 5 more miles of breaking trail while bushwhacking No safety glasses? Do you need to ford Franconia Brook after a warm spell Is the river even fordable? I guess you see the point. Any one of these could raise anxiety and be an unmanagable event.

For me, having learned not to stack all of these cards against me, I try to keep to one rule. I try not to be breaking trail, off trail (requiring navigating and route finding), after dark. Of course, I have this rule, because when I've been in this situation and it was really not fun. Actually in a crazy kind of way, it was fun, but worth avoiding at the same time.

Thanks for the post. It makes me long for the crunching sound of snow under footstep as the cold woods wrap around me just after sunset.

 

[Neil]

How does this grab you? It’s getting dark, and it is zero degrees F, you are 5 miles from your vehicle, and there is no trail. You have no overnight gear and as soon as you stop to rest you feel a chill overtake your damp body. You are alone and will have 2 creeks to cross under headlamp.

Your worst nightmare? A panic attack situation? The result of recklessness and stupidity? Or, the happiest moment of your life?

The above image has its roots in reality. It was about a 12 hour day and it was a loop so there was no broken trail to follow. From the ridge of Wyman we watched the slides of Giant Mountain turn a deep red in the setting sun as we dug our headlamps out. I was not alone, I was damp and easily chilled if I stopped but I had ample dry clothing in my pack.

I was extremely happy to be there, every lungful of air I took in was a pure elixir. The 2 crossings were a snap.

I think now that my primary reason for writing that piece was to reflect on the psychological impact of stepping out of the "cradle to grave" safety bubble. I feel the impact most when I do solo bushwhacks. It can be more intense in summer, especially when in bear country (ever since being charged by a grizzly while solo bushwhacking I have to stare into this fear, even when I am in the east). In winter there is one's trail which is not unlike an umbilical cord leading back to safety.
I feel the least amount of impact when following a marked trail in summer.

 

[sleeping bear]

When I read the presented scenario it scares the crap out of me. Cold, no overnight gear, five miles to go, getting dark, stream crossings... yikes. Niel's additional information makes me feel better about the situation, but still probably not one I'd like to be in. I'll agree with what someone else said, I don't want to be off-trail after dark.

I actually found myself in a similar situation last winter though. I was supposed to go skiing early afternoon with a friend. They gave me a bunch of run around and at 3 I decided to go without them. An hour later I was on the trail. The plan was to ski along a trail, then follow a creek to a lake and then cut back to the trail and back out to the car. The temp was warm and the sun was out. My two dogs were with me. I followed the creek for what seemed like forever and still no lake. Then I started to doubt myself and whether I was really where I thought I was. I pulled out my GPS to double check and ease my mind, except I had forgotten to bring batteries for it. It was getting dark. I decided to continue for another 20 minutes and if I hadn't found the lake I would just follow my tracks back (I was already and hour and a half in). Fortunately, just around the next bend was the lake. Bushwacking from the lake back to the trail was easier than I thought (it was really close, 1/2 mile maybe). On the way out I took a nasty spill coming down a hill, took a good couple of minutes to get back up. I arrived at my car just as it was really getting dark.

The decision to go by myself so late in the afternoon was dumb. I was fairly well prepared for the trip- with the exception of the lack of batteries for my GPS. My heart absolutely sunk when I realized that I could not rely on the GPS to check my location. I learned a lot from that little ski trip and will not ever put myself in a similar situation if I can help it.

 

[skiguy]

I learned a lot from that little ski trip and will not ever put myself in a similar situation if I can help it.

Well said. This is the Key....don't get yourself in a situation to begin with. Also as already said I think it is important to trust your gut. Which IMO only comes with experience and good planning.

 

[timmus]

Thanks Neil for that very accurate description showing how our society is wrapped (too tightly IMO) is safety mesures.

Sometimes when I go to bed at home, I think of the last peak I visited, how it is up there at this moment, in the dark with the wind blowing, with absolutly no one on it.

Yes, I definitly like being miles away from my car, in winter, at dark, because I feel vulnerable. For me it's a recall of how weak humans are vs nature. I need to be concious of that in order to stay alive in the next trips.

My safety bubble includes little extra power bars, a down jacket, and most important, energy to walk an unexpected 8 miles extra.

 

[KayakDan]

I can't say that I go out looking for life threatening risks. I'm somewhat safety conscious like most people. But I do like to push the edge a bit once in a while,just for the rush. I thnk it's a good thing,and it helps you to define the line between exciting and dangerous.
New at xc skiing,but second time out I had to try the intermediate trail. Not so bad,so-off to the black diamond trail. I like to think of it as the "expedited learning curve".
I tend to push when I'm sailing too. If it's not a rush,we must be slacking off.
Sea kayaking-why start slow? The first trip was a three day run on the coast of Maine-crazy conditions. I love the rough water and I will admit to doing some stuff that scares me to think about it,but what a rush it was! Running through Lower Hell Gate at full flood-4ft standing waves,paddling backwards trying to regain control. Yeah,I'd probably do it again.
"We can do this" Those are the words that start most of our hair raising adventures-but now she's on to me,and I have to really do my homework to convince her.
I think it comes from having lived the boring suburban thing for so many years. How many people live a life so bland that they can't remember what they did last weekend? Not for me.
Sometimes I push Mrs KD a bit more than she's comfortable with,and then tell her " look back. look where you were,and what you just did-that was you-and that was amazing."
It seems to be an interesting paradox. The overweight,diabetic co-workers with a Big Mac in one hand,and a cigarette in the other saying "Gee,you guys camp in the winter-that sounds dangerous" Go figure.

 

[sleeping bear]

I think situations like the one I described, and what Timmus said, are actually sort of good things to do- provided nothing actually goes wrong. They are humbling experiences- reminds you that it IS dangerous out there. My ski trip wasn't bad and I certainly could have followed my tracks back- but it was just scary enough to remind me to be more careful. I was also in a bad/funky mood when I decided to head out that afternoon, which I believe clouded my judgment (another good lesson).

 

[cbcbd]

Neil, I like the in-depth look and agree with your assessment of how things progressed to almost fear of anything popping our safety bubble and dare making us uncomfortable.

I like to push my limits and by careful experimentation one can find one's limits in a "safer" environment and learn about yourself - when to go, when to stop, when to turn around, when to chalk it up to rational, when to chalk it up to irrational, etc.

But some activities do carry a very harsh line between living and dying - to me, in these cases, obsessive safety must be practiced because a moment of inattention could cause your life. There are also moments in "no-fall" zones - People who are not in it will never understand the reasoning or motivation for putting yourself in that situation. It's hard to explain that you can have some pretty good control in situations that seem extremely dangerous and unsafe. The rest of my life already seems stable enough... I need some uncertainty in my outdoor pursuits.

Again... it's what we crave and keeps us ticking. Keeps me ticking and pushing. I will keep at it until I am broken and exhausted but my mind will be more resilient in the end.

When I encounter situations like this my reaction is a sense of enforced calmness

I like that because its one of the main teachings of survival - don't panic, force yourself past that feeling of lack of control. It takes practice, but with experience it can be overcome. In cases of panic I like to laugh at the absurdity of my situation - seems to help lighten the mood and enforce me to calm down. Laughing is a great cure for many things... laughing and talking to yourself

 

[skiguy]

I like that because its one of the main teachings of survival - don't panic, force yourself past that feeling of lack of control. It takes practice, but with experience it can be overcome. In cases of panic I like to laugh at the absurdity of my situation - seems to help lighten the mood and enforce me to calm down.

You should read if you have not already the book "Deep Survival" that Kevin already mentioned. The author talks directly to what you have described here. A must read for outdoor folks.

It can be found Here

 

[carole]

For others, a major part of the attraction is in going outside of the bubble.

What is going ‘outside the bubble’ for one is different for another. As I strap on my stabilicers, put snack, hat, gloves in my pocket and head across the parking lot for a climb up, to me, a little mountain, is to the guy also starting out at the same time obviously a major expedition with his large pack, crampons, ice axe and rope. You see I am quite familiar with and comfortable with the terrain, he apparently is not. When one steps out of the familiar and comfortable is when they step outside the bubble

How does this grab you? It’s getting dark, and it is zero degrees F, you are 5 miles from your vehicle, and there is no trail. You have no overnight gear and as soon as you stop to rest you feel a chill overtake your damp body. You are alone and will have 2 creeks to cross under headlamp.

Your worst nightmare? A panic attack situation? The result of recklessness and stupidity? Or, the happiest moment of your life?

If you are familiar with the situation, feel comfortable in your ability then it may be no big deal. If you have no idea how you got there, why you’re in that situation you can panic or you can use what skills you have acquired and work your way through the situation. (Makes for good trip reports )

 

[Pete_Hickey]

How does this grab you? It’s getting dark, and it is zero degrees F, you are 5 miles from your vehicle, and there is no trail. You have no overnight gear and as soon as you stop to rest you feel a chill overtake your damp body. You are alone and will have 2 creeks to cross under headlamp.

Your worst nightmare? A panic attack situation? The result of recklessness and stupidity? Or, the happiest moment of your life?

I remember when something like that happened to me after severely scratching the cornea of both eyes. Just kept on going...

I do have a worst nightmere. Two of them. I hike alone a lot. Falling through the ice on a lake is one. The other one, is falling into a 12 foot deep spruce trap. I remember one time, falling into a spruce trap which was just about head-hight-deep, and I had a REAL hard time getting out. Thoughts of the 12 foot deep ones worry me... but not enough to stop me from hiking alone, off trail in winter.