Terrains

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SSSdave
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Re: Terrains

Post by SSSdave »

I do not like to gamble taking chances unless I have something figured out well. Some people in the summer backcountry obviously don't have much experience on snow and ice or crossing streams because they do stupid things. Often without even bothering to slow down and think how they are miles away from civilization. Usually because they don't have the wisdom to understand when they ought to turn around and bag it. Instead they don't want to waste time or have to climb up or down where they came. Or are too stubbornly bull headed with ego. So go for it out in the backcountry where a mistake can be mighty serious. I'm an old alpine skier often booting up to steep powder shots so have alot of respect for steep snow especially when it is firm much less ice.

There are alot of dangerous things out in the backcountry and I've had some close calls, most of which were decades ago when I was still young and stupid. In any case some places I carry my huge pack or heavy view camera, ordinary folk would be afraid to venture even without a pack. The person I've backpacked with the most is an accomplished rock climber that has been up most of the big Yosemite walls and much more. The only time during the last couple decades I put myself in a particularly scary situation was when the two of us climbed up to this billygoat spot during the incredible 2009 poppy bloom in the Merced River canyon. In this image the little gray line way down below is highway 140 beside the river. The added red line is where I crossed and it is of course steeper than the wide angle lends image tends to show. What one cannot see is the increasingly steep exposure dropping away out of frame right:

Image

Things got worse where I went but it was getting too late in the afternoon and I needed to work my way back down solo. Even though this below was the by far best subject, I didn't bother to spend the time to take it and instead continued working my way out. As it was, I reached my car in dimming dusk.

Image

Although we got the goods below, I was out of my comfort zone enough to question the adventure.

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