Comments for Finding Wilderness

Comment on Why are biologists baffled when predators attack humans? by Bruce Hemming

Bruce Hemming — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 14:38:13 +0000

Like you I do not believe or trust the so called experts on animals attacks. That is why I am collecting a list of animals attacks here http://savewesternwildlife.org/sww-forums.html The wolf attacks stories disappeared the fastest off the internet to keep the public in the dark about the true nature of wolves. You might also want to check out my web site.

Comment on Tips for backpacking with kids in wet weather by JT Philips

JT Philips — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:53:59 +0000

Rain boots are no longer just utilitarian. They come in all sizes and styles. Many people wear their rain boots as a fashion statement or accessory. You can find your baisc yellow rain boots, but Kamik rain boots come with hearts and daisies and more. Kamik rain boots are not cheap rain boots, but you get what you pay for – good quality, long lasting and stylish.

Comment on Was the cougar playing? No, it wanted to eat him. by tetontransplant

tetontransplant — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:01:45 +0000

Indeed. Animal behavior is complex. My point is that we shouldn’t ignore the most obvious explanation out of a preservation bias for the animal and the species.

Comment on T.J. Langley — A heart for wilderness by tetontransplant

tetontransplant — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:16:27 +0000

That is a good idea about cell phone towers.

I discuss T.J.’s attack on the page “How to Fight Bears”. My original report was in Vol 1, Issue 2 of the magazine. The essential aspects were that he was walking down in sort of an auto-pilot mode, as he described it. I.e., not paying a lot of attention to his surroundings. He surprized a sow with cubs at a bend in the trail, The bear charged immediately. He abandoned the attempt to get his pepper spray when it became entangled with his binocular straps and he fumbled with the safety. (It was on a chest harness.) The bear attacked and he was pushed off of the side hill at one point, almost going down a steep hill. He tried to play dead for awhile but feared that the bear would actually pierce his scull. (There is at least one case where a victim’s skull was pierced by a grizzly’s canine. He died with one round discharged from his short .270 rifle. See Vol 1, Issue 2) At a certain point T.J. decided it was fight or die, so he started fighting. Primarily he was able to keep the bear’s jaws away from his face by straight-arming the bear (in the neck I think). I didn’t have the chance to go back and talk to him about how he used his hands, etc.

Comment on T.J. Langley — A heart for wilderness by RaddGuyy

RaddGuyy — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:51:14 +0000

Wow, sounds exactly like the kind of trip that you would do. So many unknowns, surely everyone will wonder what happened but I have heard stories of wind microbursts and other anomalies that could definitely contribute to these kinds of events. Do you have any thing that you wrote up about his bear attack?
Just shows that while experience and skill reduce risk, they don’t eliminate it by any means.

When you look at the Search & Rescue costs associated with these events, it makes me wonder if subsidizing some centralized cell phone towers in the most popular backcountry areas wouldn’t make sense. We talked about that very thing a number of years ago and while it sounds expensive it really isn’t when you have to put multiple helicopters/planes in the air more than a few times per year.
Certainly wouldn’t have made a difference this time but in 80+% of events it probably would.

Comment on T.J. Langley — A heart for wilderness by Jason Griffitth

Jason Griffitth — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:54:48 +0000

Clark is in the center left, and Luahna is the center right of your picture. The Walrus Glacier is prominent. TJ fell of the opposite side of Luahna. Thanks for the kind thoughts, he will be missed.