More on Technology in the Wild

National Parks Traveler has a great post on the use of cell phones and personal locater devices in the woods. We wrote on this topic recently, but wanted to jump back to it after reading this latest post. Here's an important comment from a NPS search and rescue guy on a story of a hiker who, after feeling lost in the fog, called for help:

"I know there may be things left out of the letter-to-the-editor, but this guy sets off his PLB and then sets up shelter? Whatever happened to setting up a shelter, getting in a sleeping bag, making something to drink, sleep the night away and see what the next morning would bring in regard to clear weather, finding the trail, seeing the highways below, etc.?" wonders Mr. Farabee. "This guy, it seems to me, has very quickly and all too readily called for the cavalry to come to his rescue. At the seemingly 'blink of an eye' he has put a great many people at risk and to a great deal of trouble. Whatever happened to a little personal responsibility, sucking in his gut and waiting a day or two?"

Absolutely right.

Several years back I was on the south slope of the Brooks Range in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, playing with friends. Half our group decided to do a long hike (a 30 mile circumnavigation of Double Mountain), starting rather late in the day. They stumbled into camp about 1:00 AM, in good shape, but tired. One of our party asked why I hadn't gotten worried and tried to do something after they failed to return after dark (very late August above the Arctic Circle--"dark" was about 10:30 PM). One of my friends responded for me:

"Steve might have been concerned, but wouldn't have done anything until at least noon the next day. These guys were experienced, and relatively well equipped, and sometimes you just get delayed..."

That response was right on. As we ate breakfast with our tired hikers the next day, The same person asked John, "were you worried that we might think something had happened to you?" John replied, "We knew Steve would not have acted until noon today..."

We all need to take some responsibility when out in the woods, on the river, our in the mountains. Take the cell phone if you need to, but let's not use it unless we really have to...

Louv

Leave No Child INSIDE Central Ohio Collaborative posts a new article by Rich Louv.

Got dirt? “In South Carolina, a truckload of dirt is the same price as a video game!” reports Norman McGee, a father in that state who bought a small pickup-load of dirt for his daughter and friends.

Check it out.

Rock Jargon

Every group has its vocabulary. This includes those who climb boulders--the sport's called bouldering.

We used to boulder all of the time to hone our skills for the bigger cliffs, and because it was just plain fun. I suppose folks who listened to our stories of the "problems" we tackled sometimes needed translation.

So, Here's a link to an article that describes the lingo of boulderers.

"If you have friends who engage in animated conversations about “crimps” and “slopers,” spend their time swapping “beta,” or whine about their “shredded tips,” there’s only one rational explanation: You’re hanging out with boulderers. Devotees of bouldering — a form of rope-free rock climbing that requires little gear..." 

Obesity is the Hot Topic

The recent articles on obesity in the Post have sparked some interest and good analysis.

Andrew Sullivan jumps into the issue here by linking to Ezra Kline's piece in the American Prospect. As Kline notes, lots goes into this problem.

"Only in December did the U.S. Department of Agriculture modify the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program to assist low-income families in buying fresh fruits and produce," reports The Washington Post in their feature on obesity. "The addition was blocked for a decade by politics and by industry sectors worried that WIC's food packages would contain less milk, eggs and cheese."

The WIC is a federal program that "provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk." In other words, it's a health program for expectant mothers and young families. And for decades, the program was blocked from encouraging families to buy fruits and produce and instead used to push saturated fat, cholesterol, and more cholesterol milk, eggs, and cheese. Charming.

Time to get our priorities in line, where outdoor activity is mixed with healthy diets, no?

I Am the Walrus

I've had the privilege of watching walrus in their natural habitat. it was a spectacular site, with hundreds of male walrus beached on a small strip of sand and gravel at the bottom of a cliff on Bristol Bay in Alaska. This place is located in Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, a place few have heard of.

Since then, I've been a walrus fan. But because of the geography of walrus, few people will ever get to see them, and climate change will make them even more elusive.

So, check this article from today's New York Times and meet the walrus.

Bass Pro Gets Active

I've been hearing a Bass Pro Shop advertisement on the radio the past few days where folks are encouraged to get their kids outdoors. They spice up this request by giving a 15% discount on outdoor gear if you bring in a video game to trade in for the discount.

Kudos to Bass Pro for this program. Here's more from a Bass Pro press release from a couple of weeks back:

One incentive to get more kids to turn off computers and go outdoors is the Video Game Trade-In. For each video game kids and adults bring in Wednesday through Monday, May 21st through 26th, they will receive a 15% discount off the regular price of Bass Pro Shops branded items in fishing, water sports, tents, sleeping bags and footwear.

Update: You really need to hear these ads, they are a direct attack against the temporary nature of video games, suggesting that going fishing is indeed a lifelong sport. Great job.

Preaching to the Choir?

New book review from the AAI Climbing Blog. Is Last Child in the Woods simply preaching to the choir?

Ultimately, Last Child in the Woods is not all gloom and doom. Louv passionately argues that a return to the “way it was when we were kids” when parents just let their kids run around the neighborhood to climb trees and dig holes and ride bikes and play will at least partially heal a number of these social ills. He argues that it’s time for our culture to reacquaint our children with the outdoors. There is no doubt that those who read this book will be convinced. The only problem with his argument is that he is likely to be making it to the very people who already encourage their children to spend time outside.