EISPIRATEN

SB marijuna seized
http://rimoftheworld.net/columns/gthout ... _operation
"A special marijuana eradication team removed 5,300 plants, with a street value of $18.5 million, from a remote area near Fish Creek east of Onyx Summit today."

Body of Fontana hiker(Lytle Creek/Baldy road) removed from canyon
http://www.sbsun.com/ci_10724464?source=rss
"Crews were able to get within 100 yards of the body by using a 4-wheel-drive vehicle on an unmaintained forest road, a search-and-rescue member at the scene said"

OT: SG river @Whitter Narrows
SoCal wildlife sanctuary faces massive upgrade
http://www.montereyherald.com/ci_10744401?source=rss
"A torrent of opposition to a planned $30 million interpretive center has some advocates worried that the controversy will scare off funding and derail a project intended to enhance understanding of the greater San Gabriel River watershed"

Brief mention of MtBaldy for cross-country girls team
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/girl ... untry-rock

"Her father invited the team to bond by climbing Mount Whitney. First, the girls (joined by a couple of cross-country boys) had to run to the 10,000-foot top of Mount Baldy without getting sick."

Back to SB forest and a lookout tower
http://www.pe.com/localnews/rivcounty/s ... pc#Scene_1
"Patti Palmer has been scanning the top of the forest from Keller Peak for so long, she knows when something doesn't look right"

Ongoing tour of Crystal Lake
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_10758998?source=rss
"ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST - U.S. Forest Service officials offer a naturalist-led tour of Crystal Lake from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 25, departing from the San Gabriel Canyon Education Center, 0.7 miles past East Fork Bridge on Highway 39, above Azusa.
The group will carpool from the center to the lake, with stops at Bichotta Mesa and Valley of the Moon. Topics will include wildlife, geology, landslides and fire ecology.
Bring a lunch and water. Dress appropriately for light hiking over uneven and rocky terrain.
The cost is $5 per person"

Marek fire-vehicle fire
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_10746546?source=rss
"The apparent cause of the 4,824-acre Marek fire in the Lake View Terrace area was "vehicle related," the U.S. Forest Service announced today"

NOTE on Sesnon fire: per canyoneering.net, the fire torched Stoney Point.
There will be a cleanup effort of the litter in the area
http://www.mountainproject.com/v/southe ... /106266636
"There will be a cleanup effort at Stoney Point on Saturday, October 25th, 2008, from 8:00am to 12:00pm.

The event is being organized by REI. Water/drinks, snacks and lunch will be provided, as well as a free REI volunteer T-shirt. Arrive early to sign in.

Questions can be directed to Jean Lim at REI Arcadia - (626) 447-1062 or email at jlim@rei.com"

Incidents:

10/19/2008 16:40 ANF-3950 Overdue Hiker Public Assist San Antonio Peak
10/19/2008 14:13 ANF-3943 Bear Encounter Miscellaneous Little Jimmy Campground

and the usual.

Rumpled (member here) was backpacking near Fish Creek when they were doing the MJ eradication: http://members.boardhost.com/sgva/msg/1224272076.html

One of the fathers of the girls cross-country team on Whitney MR posted that story on the Portal store message board. Amazing that they were on route for 22 hrs, 14 of that just to make it the top.

"Habitat protections scaled back for San Bernardino kangaroo rat"
http://www.pe.com/localnews/sbcounty/st ... f.html?npc

"The remaining 7,779 acres includes portions of Santa Ana River, Lytle, Cable and Cajon Creek washes in San Bernardino County; and parts of Bautista Creek east of Temecula and the San Jacinto River wash in Riverside County"

OT: 'Moutaineer' on Mt.Adams route(Oregon) receives national attention
http://www.yakimaherald.com/stories/200 ... incredible

among many sources....

"Mamoyac's ordeal started the afternoon of Oct. 12 as he retreated down the mountain amid a snow squall, then lost his footing and tumbled down a slope. He fractured his ankle, leaving him unable to walk.

So he spent his days crawling and dragging himself about the mountain, surviving subfreezing night temperatures. After devouring his stash of granola bars, he ate ants, centipedes, a spider and berries.
"

AW wrote:OT: 'Moutaineer' on Mt.Adams route(Oregon) receives national attention
http://www.yakimaherald.com/stories/200 ... incredible

among many sources....

"Mamoyac's ordeal started the afternoon of Oct. 12 as he retreated down the mountain amid a snow squall, then lost his footing and tumbled down a slope. He fractured his ankle, leaving him unable to walk.

So he spent his days crawling and dragging himself about the mountain, surviving subfreezing night temperatures. After devouring his stash of granola bars, he ate ants, centipedes, a spider and berries.
"

Note to self: Carry more granola bars.

There may be a bit of a backstory on this. I saw the following on another forum:

I thought that this comment from a member of nwhikers was interesting - lykkens was climbing down Mt Adams as the lost climber was heading up, they encountered him before he went missing. For anyone who sees some romanticism in eating centipedes...

"Glad that someone opened up this "can of centipedes". We saw him as he passed us above lunch counter [Mt Adams landmark] at 9400ft, he was under dressed, carrying a tiny day pack and was walking strangely on his crampons. He was aware that he was climbing into deteriorating weather and everyone on our team noted that he looked the least prepared for what he was getting into of the three single climbers we saw heading up as we descended. Our member who stayed at base camp even asked us if we had seen him because she wondered if he was actually going to climb or was just lookylooing. Where he fell was near where we made our navigational mistake, one that was rectified by comparing way points on the 2 gps units that we had on our team. I don't think you need to clean out the shelves at REI and carry all your gear up the mountain, but we had a stove with us in case our water froze or we got caught in a tough situation, on top of the layers (including goggles) that we ended up needing. Experienced means understanding your limits, reading the weather, listening to other climbers, being prepared for an injury if you choose to climb alone... I would not have classified him as any of those things, each individual on our team noticed him and discussed him long before he was reported missing. I'm glad he was found safely and I know the mountain can be a fickle beast, but you must respect it or you will pay handsomely... as will the tax payers of Washington & Oregon apparently."

I'm glad the guy's alive, but it sounds like he was underprepared and kind of pig headed and blew people off when they warned him about the incoming wx.

I thought this quote was a good one, "Experienced means understanding your limits, reading the weather, listening to other climbers, being prepared for an injury if you choose to climb alone..."

Ah, the wonderful effects of "Into the Wild".

From an interview with the survivor:

"There's a lot of changes I definitely will make." He said he probably would climb with other people, instead of alone, and be better organized and equipped. He said he'll take a Global Positioning System unit and a communication device with proven reliable service on the mountain. And he would take twice as much food as might seem needed.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ss ... iving.html

HIGHWAY 39: CALTRANS VS. MOTHER NATURE
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist07/Publicatio ... php?id=283
"Two projects that will address those issues and get the highway reopened are scheduled for construction soon. The first, building two retaining walls near the city of Azusa from Old San Gabriel Canyon Road to approximately four miles south of SR-2, could begin in mid-2009. The second, a $45 million project to reconstruct the roadway, construct soldier pile retaining walls, repair drainage systems, install rock fall protection, and provide asphalt concrete overlay and traffic striping, should begin in fall 2010.

This begs the inevitable question: what happens when the next big storm/fire/slide hits? Varley said the project includes measures to control rock fall and run-off. And Caltrans will continue to maintain the road. As far as future damage is concerned, he said, “That’s the challenge of Route 39.”"

SA Heights/Cucamonga fire
http://www.sbsun.com/ci_10800720?source=rss
"About 200 acres were burned during a small brush fire Thursday afternoon near San Antonio Heights.......The fire burned primarily on the west side of Cucamonga Canyon and was headed into the Angeles National Forest area, Bryan said. "


WATER again......
California's reservoirs at lowest levels in 14 years
http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/th ... 16344.html
Water fines could be imposed
http://www.theacorn.com/news/2008/1023/ ... e/001.html
"The DWR says on its Web site that "California is facing the most significant water crisis in its history"

BUT.....
Dorothy Green of Heal The Bay(deceased): California's Drought Is a Fake
http://www.laweekly.com/2008-10-16/news ... is-a-fake/

"It’s a manufactured drought,” she’d told me. “It’s being staged so that Big Ag can take control of the water supply and sell it back to consumers at a profit.” I asked if we could set up an interview.

“Sure,” she said, “but you’d better hurry. Because, you know, I’m dying.”

Holy crap, they actually care about fixing R39?

If so.... HAAAAAAAAWT!!!!!! 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

Slow news cycle....

Wilderness bill is ready to pass if congress lame-duck session occurs. Article noted Bush will sign....its lot bigger bill now with many states invloved.

OT:Cartographer makes Los Padres trails his latest project
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2 ... is-latest/
"Conant spent a large part of the past five years hiking the rugged terrain of the Dick Smith and Matilija wildernesses, making an extremely detailed map of the region in hopes of getting others to explore the forest in northern Ventura County"

Not much else going on....
OT: Yosemite anyone?
Glacial retreat: Meteorologist notes Yosemite(Mt.Lyell) glacier decline over half-century
http://www.montereyherald.com/ci_10826772?source=rss
"Stock and Devine were accompanied by four tourists who came to see the signature of climate change firsthand, to pay their respects to a Sierra sentinel before it slips away. The trip, organized through the Yosemite Association, cost $360 — and the melting glacier put on quite a show"

Yosemite visitors treated to a new view
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... ss.bayarea
"The $3 million tunnel view project was the first out of the chute of four projects in Yosemite. The others are improvements to a junior ranger center at Happy Isles, a survey of lichen on Yosemite cliff faces and increasing from 13,000 to 17,000 the number of underserved youth participating in a weeklong camp program run by the Yosemite Institute."

Speaking of the size of government...for those interested....
"Rancher's landfill fuels legal furor "
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2 ... -scofflaw/
"His land sits in the middle of a vast patchwork of land that is protected under various conservation agreements. Fishback thinks the government doesn't have the funds to buy his land as part of a larger conservation plan, so it is putting regulatory pressure on him instead. In his suit, he names the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, claiming it is after his land and is part of the ploy to control his property."

BigTujunga canyon auto death...
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/los_a ... ?track=rss
"Lopez was ejected from the vehicle and the driver fled the scene, Sohn said"

Preservation tax OK'd in Pasadena
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_10841889?source=rss
"Neighbors around Annandale Canyon have voted to tax themselves $1.36 million toward the $7 million cost of buying one of the city's last wilderness areas and preserving it as open space"

Veteran’s Day is "Fee Free" on the Angeles National Forest
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/angeles/news/20 ... -day.shtml
"visitors to the Angeles National Forest will not be required to purchase an Adventure Pass for Tuesday, November 11. The Cleveland, Los Padres and San Bernardino National Forests will also be honoring the "Fee Free" day...."

Water again....
Forecasters uncertain about California water
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/story/528643.html
"Meteorologists can't bet one way or the other this year because there is no warm-water El Niño or cold-water La Niña in the Pacific Ocean......Farm and water officials say next summer will be ugly without at least average precipitation this winter. Crop fields will go out of production, adding millions of dollars in losses and unemployment to a bleak state economy"

Historical....
see #1 for the snakes at the bottom of the post...
1)Prudent Beaudry - Los Angeles City Maker
http://www.explorehistoricalif.com/june2008.html
"The company, consisting of a thirteen stamp mill, twelve buildings, and six mines was sold at a sheriff's sale. Prudent saw his opportunity and bid on it. Unfortunately, roving bands of Indians discovered the mine and buildings and burned them to the ground. Prudent was left with $6,000 in insurance, and a strong distaste for mining ventures."

http://www.explorehistoricalif.com/
2)The Pastor of the Valley
"The world may change, as it will. Times may change and men with them. New gods may call and beckon and lead the feet of new generations upon strange pathways. But these great mountains will not change."

History of Highway 39
http://articles.latimes.com/2001/jul/15/local/me-22710

this snipet aught to get attention...
"Because those who now use the canyon are mostly Latino, some government critics have speculated that the highway has remained closed as a means of keeping minorities out of the rest of the forest"

AW wrote:this snipet aught to get attention...
"Because those who now use the canyon are mostly Latino, some government critics have speculated that the highway has remained closed as a means of keeping minorities out of the rest of the forest"

Ah, the charge of racism, the refuge of cowards. Why truly debate when you can merely brand those who don't see it your way as racists?

While racism itself isn't pretty, using the charge of racism as a tool is no better.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHHAHAHAH

What a fat load of crap! Huge fat giantass load of STUPID.

On top of that, I'm a minority!!!!!!!! Hispanics are the MAJORITY. Friggin' A... at least they should get the terminology right when they're retards.

I think its on the LA times too, trying to stir up trouble....heres another LA times writer....
"In some parts of Southern California, it's mainly white guys who pig up the wilds, shotgunning outhouses, ripping doughnuts with their 4x4s, leaving old couches, beer cans and bullet casings strewn along the creeks. "
http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/lgarret/096/azusa.htm

but there is a clear resolution regarding the San Gabriels...
http://latinocongreso.org/resolutions07 ... .php?id=53
"WHEREAS the United States Forest Service, which manages the Angeles National Forest, has not provided adequate facilities for areas with high concentrations of Latino visitors, interpretive and other services for Latinos, and improved access to the forest for those dependent on public transportation, and sufficient employment opportunities for Latinos, blacks and women of color; and"

Well...maybe it will all be settle with a plan I had no idea was happening until today...

http://www.nps.gov/pwro/sangabriel/index.htm
"As directed by Congress in July 2003 (P.L. 108-042) , the National Park Service (NPS) is conducting a “special resource study” of portions of the San Gabriel River and its tributaries from the city of Santa Fe Springs to the north, and the San Gabriel Mountains within the territory of the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy. This area includes portions of the Angeles National Forest, as well as many communities along the San Gabriel River.....
The NPS study team is evaluating the resources within the study area to determine whether there are nationally significant natural or cultural resources, where there are recreation needs and opportunities, and whether there are areas suitable for inclusion in a national park unit..

bold added...who knew? San Gabriel National Park?

Going back to Hwy 39(or SR39 or FAS 1274) one thing I noticed is that the cost back in 2001 was $10 million for a lot of the work....now its $45 million cost...but for the most far reaching idea historically...

With Traffic at a Crawl, Planners Talk of Tunnels
http://articles.latimes.com/2005/sep/18 ... e-tunnel18
"A complex of tunnels and surface highways under study by the city of Palmdale would slice 23 miles directly though the San Gabriel Mountains from the Antelope Valley to Glendale, cutting the commute in half. It could cost $3.1 billion or more....Stretching for 23 miles through the San Gabriels, it would take at least six years to build. Its two tunnel segments – one of 4.5 miles, the other five – would be the longest and widest in the U.S. for automobiles"

No mention of how much that tunnel study cost.....

My opinions:
-Things regarding race: Author needs to slam head against wall repeatedly, and lose job.
-National Park in the SG's? Limits access even further! Retarded.
-Big road with tunnels: Waste of money. Isn't CA in debt bigtime as it is? I don't see how it would free up capitol by providing a quicker commute to Palmdale.

"Sheriff Says 360,000 Marijuana Plants Seized in 2008"
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local ... -2008.html
"In one single grow site discovered in the Angeles National Forest this year, 116,000 mature plants were found..."

"Wrightwood's winter parking woes addressed"
http://www.pe.com/localnews/sbcounty/st ... 7.html?npc
"The California Highway Patrol plans to increase patrols and Caltrans will post more "no parking" signs to counter what Wrightwood residents say has been a growing problem in their San Gabriel Mountains community"

Weather modification...
http://www.mtshastanews.com/news/x17729 ... s-concerns
"PG&E cloud seeding programs comply with all regulations.........
Other research, such as a report filed by the Office of Environmental Heath and Safety at UC Berkley, rate silver iodide as a “class C non-soluble, inorganic, hazardous chemical that pollutes water and soil, and one of the key manufacturers of silver iodide, Deepwater Chemicals, warns of potential health effects of silver iodide in their Material Safety Data Sheet. The Federal Clean Water Act, regulated by the EPA, notes that “silver iodide is considered a hazardous substance, a priority pollutant, and as a toxic pollutant.”"

Plenty of water drought news, but none worthwhile....

"At $800 bucks an ounce, gold digging bounces back" in entirety
http://blogs.ktla.com/news_custom_bill/ ... dents.html
"Deep in the Angeles National Forest, along the East Fork of the San Gabriel river, prospectors are going for the Great Lottery TIcket in the streams.

KTLA photographer Greg Theroux and I waded into the rippling stream, beneath mountains that experts say still contain 80% of all the gold that ever was in the California mountains, and joined the Gold Rush.

The amateur prospectors we found were characters, but they also had character. A closely knit group of strangers, they watched for each other's equipment and protected each other's "winnings."

Grizzled straight-from-Central-Casting gold digger Martin Jennings, through his Gabby Hayes beard, said about Gold Fever, "Got it.Yeah, I believe I got it." Newcomer Tricia McLain said gold "is a hobby that turns into a passion." Delores Rodriguez, sitting on the bank, sifting sand from the stream, said she's determined to find one more nugget "so all eight of my grandchildren will have one."

Mark Keene runs Keene Engineering, maker of gold mining stuff selling world-wide. Waving a $5,000 gold nugget for effect, Keene said the $800/ounce has his phones "ringing off the hook."

Declining to appear with us on KTLA, the National Forest Service was clearly unenthusiastic about encouraging any more prospectors. And with the group Public Lands for People's president saying "the state is out to close sixty rivers" to prospecting, maybe we shouldn't have been surprised that the Forest Service wasn't taking any questions"

there is a video(2 mins 38 secs) currently available at www.ktla.com/video..not sure how long it lasts but today is on page#4 of videos....

"Homeless man ordered to pay $101M for setting Calif. fires, sentenced to 4 years in prison"
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/s ... 3631.story
"The 2006 fire raged for more than a month and cost more than $78 million to suppress. It injured 18 people, destroyed 11 structures and was the fifth-largest fire in California history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection"

Fires...
http://laist.com/2008/11/18/the_latest_ ... gle_co.php

Map of closure area..
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/angeles/orders/ ... -08-03.pdf

SA Heights
http://www.mcall.com/topic/la-hm-guide8 ... 0247.story
"Surveying the region in the late 1800s, developers were quick to see the potential in the scenic mesa at the mouth of San Antonio Canyon in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. Plans called for a lavish five-story resort hotel at the center of the mesa, complete with a soaring arch and a pair of observation towers with promised views of the Pacific Ocean....."

Incident...
more of these than usual...but typically at the same places...I think Eaton Canyon is like more than 5 already this year....

11/16/2008 16:02 ANF-4369 Injured Hiker Search & Rescue Icehouse Canyon, Mt. Baldy Road

Lost hiker gift guide, other outdoor goodies
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/hagn ... ential-age

DamOTclese wrote:

AW wrote:"Because those who now use the canyon are mostly Latino, some government critics have speculated that the highway has remained closed as a means of keeping minorities out of the rest of the forest"

There are always conspiracy-minded racists who think that the white man is keeping them down to the point of absurdity.

The highway closed because the 2002 Curve Fire melted several miles of the highway and rescue people dispatched to drag the last remaining holdouts who stayed in the canyons had the tires on their rescue vehicles burning when they collected the holdouts and dragged them down the mountain.

The 2005 flooding that came ground undermined the bridge pilings of the first major steel bridge around mile marker 29 to the point where someone can pass their friggen arm under the pilings because the gap was so big.

Caltrans employs a high percentage of cheap Mexican/Latino/non honkey employees which is typicall of the traditional Southern California labor pool environment. If racists were actually calling the shots and not Caltrans, the vague invisible superhuman racists would allow Hispanics to be unsafe.

Some times I think that the United States will always be saddled with race hate, and I think that it's getting worse, not better. And I think that Christianity is the core problem driving race hatred inasmuch as religious "leaders" motivatre their flocks to harbor hate.

I'm not sure what church you go to, but Christianity does not harbor hate! Christ said, "love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and love your neighbor as yourself". 8)
It is true that people have done horrific things in the name of Christ, as have other religions. These are problems with mens hearts, not Christianity!
My 16 year old niece was killed, and my nephew was injured last Saturday, on their way to a band competition. Their car was struck by an illegal immigrant who was driving drunk at 6:30 in the morning. This man had been previously arrested for drunk driving, and had been released without having been reported to immigration, because the police were afraid of being accused of profiling. This is a volital subject and a flashpoint region as it is in our area. The reason I bring this up, is that their family is strong believing Christian family, and when interviewed by news media Bill and Cindy Tracy(my brother and sister-in-law) of the suspect said,"justice must be done, but this man has a soul, and is loved by God." Forgiveness is what is foremost on their minds, despite the family's pain!
There is no hate in their hearts, because of they're Christian faith!
Here is a link to the video.
Sorry to get all heavy on you.
http://www.abc15.com/mediacenter/local. ... navCatId=3

DamOTclese wrote:I think that religion is the core problem driving race hatred inasmuch as religious "leaders" motivatre [sic] their flocks to harbor hate.

Dude, you paint with a pretty broad brush. "Religion" and "Religious Leaders" are hardly some monolithic bloc. There are ultra-Orthodox Jews, Orthodox Jews, Reformed Jews, and liberal Jews. I would be willing to bet that even within each of those groups that the view of the leaders of various synagoges would differ widely.

I don't mean to be rude, but if you think about it, your remarks could lead towards "hate" towards a group of people: religious people.

If Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us anything, it is that we need to judge people by their actions not by their skin color, ethnicity, country of origin, religion, accent etc.

DamOTclese wrote:Caltrans employs a high percentage of cheap Mexican/Latino/non honkey employees which is typicall of the traditional Southern California labor pool environment. If racists were actually calling the shots and not Caltrans, the vague invisible superhuman racists would allow Hispanics to be unsafe, wouldn't they? And the road is closed because it isn't safe.

Some times I think that the United States will always be saddled with race hate, and I think that it's getting worse, not better. And I think that religion is the core problem driving race hatred inasmuch as religious "leaders" motivatre their flocks to harbor hate.

Bizarre that natural disasters can be blamed on invisible racists, though.

Ma man, I can't figure out what you are saying here.. Can you sum it all up/ rephrase it so it is clearer?
Thank you.

*hits a trash can with a stick very loudly*

Order, damnit.

TacoDelRio wrote:*hits a trash can with a stick very loudly*

Order, damnit.

About a month or so ago I had a conversation with another poster on this board about how this forum had managed to remain free of political discussions (a good thing we agreed). It wasn't but less than 48 hours before someone broke the silence, though. I guess we jinxed it. And now we see what political discussions can lead to - RELIGION!

Ah, the good ol' days.

HAHA!

Well, as long as nobody gets a bad taste out of this forum from political discussions. That's really what the off-topic section is for. Y'all talk about whatever the hell ya want in there so the rest stays nice and stuff, sorta. Sorta nice. Keepin' it real.

TacoDelRio wrote:HAHA!

Well, as long as nobody gets a bad taste out of this forum from political discussions. That's really what the off-topic section is for. Y'all talk about whatever the hell ya want in there so the rest stays nice and stuff, sorta. Sorta nice. Keepin' it real.

My religious leaders all say that I have to hate you now.

HikeUp wrote:About a month or so ago I had a conversation with another poster on this board about how this forum had managed to remain free of political discussions (a good thing we agreed). It wasn't but less than 48 hours before someone broke the silence, though. I guess we jinxed it. And now we see what political discussions can lead to - RELIGION!

Ah, the good ol' days.

I know. Next thing you know, we'll be arguing about the weather.

Actually, what's amusing to me is that things here can get more out of hand talking about, say, GPS than politics and religion combined.

Of course it'd be all too easy to change that, which is why I tend to stay our of discussions of politics and religion, at least on a hiking board.

On the other hand, I am willing to be heretical...

"GPS works!"

AlanK wrote: On the other hand, I am willing to be heretical...

"GPS works!"

I've got a large wooden stake. Anyone have any firewood and matches they can spare? We'll have a "roast" to "honor" Alan of course.

Hikin_Jim wrote:

AlanK wrote: On the other hand, I am willing to be heretical...

"GPS works!"

I've got a large wooden stake. Anyone have any firewood and matches they can spare? We'll have a "roast" to "honor" Alan of course.

No fire permit Jim. This kind of hiker heresy is usually dealt with with lightning bolts instead.

Sorry! Lost my head for a second.
Carry on! Nothing to see here!
Proper time and place etc

My avatar rings true at the moment. I have no idea what the hell is going on. Thank you, Russian Standard Vodka.