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The "I Have Zero Faith In Humanity" Thread

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,394
20,184
Sleazattle

Many moons ago I did a backpacking through GNP. One day was particularly miserable with borderline freezing temperatures and a mix of snow and rain. We had permits for one of the only sites that allowed for fires. As the sun was setting a group of about 8 teenagers and one adult passed along. All soaking wet and shivering. They were supposed to go another 5 miles and another 2K of elevation. We encouraged them to stop and warm up by the fire. When we saw they had no cold weather gear and all their shit was drenched we stoked the fire to an inferno and convinced them to stay the night. It took some convincing as they didn't want to break the permit rules. They would have died without a fire. Not only were they not prepared for cold or wet but they were carrying things like normal pillows, canned food and cast iron pans. They explained they had done some weekend trips in the lowlands of Tennessee to prepare themselves, they were part of a church group and their youth minister had made the gear recommendations. I resisted the urge to tell the minister he should pray away the hypothermia. I didn't see which direction they went in the morning but I hope it was back to their cars.
 

boostindoubles

Nacho Libre
Mar 16, 2004
7,875
6,176
Yakistan
@Westy

When I was working in YNP, we had lots of encounters with people backpacking from site to site. We ran into one guy who was two days behind his scheduled itinerary. He had Converse all stars on. He had the frying pan on his belt and when we asked about his bear spray he showed us a fish filet knife. He said he grew up in LA so he could handle a grizzly bear. We tried to talk him into turning around as he was well off his route and heading into an area that has a human curfew of 8pm so the bears can have time to roam around.

He waved us off. I am sure he had a great time.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,394
20,184
Sleazattle
@Westy

When I was working in YNP, we had lots of encounters with people backpacking from site to site. We ran into one guy who was two days behind his scheduled itinerary. He had Converse all stars on. He had the frying pan on his belt and when we asked about his bear spray he showed us a fish filet knife. He said he grew up in LA so he could handle a grizzly bear. We tried to talk him into turning around as he was well off his route and heading into an area that has a human curfew of 8pm so the bears can have time to roam around.

He waved us off. I am sure he had a great time.

I have camped a lot in bear country but that was the only place it ever worried me. Would regularly hear them crashing around in the woods and smell them but just deep enough in the underbrush that I couldn't see them. Fresh tracks in the mud confirmed I wasn't hallucinating. Went to bed at night with a can of bear spray in one hand and my knife in the other. The knife was for putting myself out of misery if the spray didn't work.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Many moons ago I did a backpacking through GNP. One day was particularly miserable with borderline freezing temperatures and a mix of snow and rain. We had permits for one of the only sites that allowed for fires. As the sun was setting a group of about 8 teenagers and one adult passed along. All soaking wet and shivering. They were supposed to go another 5 miles and another 2K of elevation. We encouraged them to stop and warm up by the fire. When we saw they had no cold weather gear and all their shit was drenched we stoked the fire to an inferno and convinced them to stay the night. It took some convincing as they didn't want to break the permit rules. They would have died without a fire. Not only were they not prepared for cold or wet but they were carrying things like normal pillows, canned food and cast iron pans. They explained they had done some weekend trips in the lowlands of Tennessee to prepare themselves, they were part of a church group and their youth minister had made the gear recommendations. I resisted the urge to tell the minister he should pray away the hypothermia. I didn't see which direction they went in the morning but I hope it was back to their cars.
permit regulations kill
 

eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,275
13,558
directly above the center of the earth
I have camped a lot in bear country but that was the only place it ever worried me. Would regularly hear them crashing around in the woods and smell them but just deep enough in the underbrush that I couldn't see them. Fresh tracks in the mud confirmed I wasn't hallucinating. Went to bed at night with a can of bear spray in one hand and my knife in the other. The knife was for putting myself out of misery if the spray didn't work.
Last time I was in Grand Teton I was fly fishing on the Snake downstream from Jackson dam by a few miles. It was late afternoon with thunderstorm cloud cover. I heard a muffled rustling in the thicket on the bank behind me of something really large. All my neck hairs stood up. I had that bear spray out of the holster and the safety off in a flash. I kept my eye on the thicket as I reeled in my line and made my way upstream to the bank. I walked backwards all the way to the dam never taking my eyes off the thicket. That scared the crap out of me. My ranger buddy confirmed that there is a big bear that lives in that area.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Last time I was in Grand Teton I was fly fishing on the Snake downstream from Jackson dam by a few miles. It was late afternoon with thunderstorm cloud cover. I heard a muffled rustling in the thicket on the bank behind me of something really large. All my neck hairs stood up. I had that bear spray out of the holster and the safety off in a flash. I kept my eye on the thicket as I reeled in my line and made my way upstream to the bank. I walked backwards all the way to the dam never taking my eyes off the thicket. That scared the crap out of me. My ranger buddy confirmed that there is a big bear that lives in that area.
Some squirrel just fucked with you so hard
 

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,938
13,187
He was on MSNBC last night from somewhere on the jersey turnpike as he drove home. He was grateful for the news coverage it had received, but pissed that faux newz wouldn't give it any time whatsoever.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,394
20,184
Sleazattle
Worth a reminder that Biden's son died of cancer presumably from exposure to burn pits. Republican platform consists entirely of sticking it to the libs/conservative moderates.