reuben
Trail Wise!
Gonna need more Camels at the next refugio...
Posts: 11,082
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Post by reuben on May 12, 2019 7:49:30 GMT -8
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RumiDude
Trail Wise!
Marmota olympus
Posts: 2,361
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Post by RumiDude on May 12, 2019 8:40:40 GMT -8
It is sad when stuff like this happens.
The good part is that these incidents are really a rare thing for even the AT.
The bad thing is that it corrodes our sense of security when hiking popular trails like this. It adds another worry, even if it is an overblown worry, to our experience.
Rumi
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crawford
Trail Wise!
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.--Edison
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Post by crawford on May 12, 2019 10:56:45 GMT -8
A lady at work last week couldn't believe I hiked on the AT without some sort of personal protection. She perceived all kinds of dangers and I tried to logically dissuade her of difficulties and dangers with little success. Unfortunately, this is the sort of thing that can create, in an uninformed/unexperienced public, fear about what is otherwise a very safe activity.
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snappypepper
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www.alltheadventures.com
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Post by snappypepper on May 12, 2019 11:18:47 GMT -8
We are hiking in that area in a few weeks, it’s one of our favorites. I’m so sad that a life was lost in this senseless act and I hope the woman who survived can heal mentally as well as physically.
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driftwoody
Trail Wise!
Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
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Post by driftwoody on May 12, 2019 11:38:21 GMT -8
The drive to the trailhead is more dangerous. This awful attack is news because of its rarity.
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RumiDude
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Marmota olympus
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Post by RumiDude on May 12, 2019 13:16:22 GMT -8
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swmtnbackpacker
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Back but probably posting soon under my real name ... Rico Sauve
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Post by swmtnbackpacker on May 12, 2019 18:58:27 GMT -8
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Post by High Sierra Fan on May 12, 2019 19:53:25 GMT -8
He had been let off with probation just a short while ago? That needs to go under a microscope.
ETA: Ah. The let’s not get involved syndrome. Tragedy.
“Hensley said he knew Jordan was a threat, but hikers refused to press assault charges and testify against him in court. So deputies charged him with what they could.”
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RumiDude
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Marmota olympus
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Post by RumiDude on May 12, 2019 19:58:22 GMT -8
I think if they are thru-hikers they may not have wanted to stick around to testify in court.
Rumi
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Post by High Sierra Fan on May 12, 2019 20:22:29 GMT -8
I think if they are thru-hikers they may not have wanted to stick around to testify in court. Rumi And now some one is dead. Hope they enjoy Katahdin!
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Hungry Jack
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Living and dying in 3/4 time...
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Post by Hungry Jack on May 13, 2019 2:26:57 GMT -8
As we have seen too many times, people with a mental illness can become unpredictably dangerous in some cases.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 13, 2019 3:57:54 GMT -8
I doubt if there is any way to prevent such an occurrence in the future. We have a large population and there is no way to know when or why any one of us is going to go off the deep end. The best that we can do is to be aware of our own personal space and surroundings and try to react quickly enough when something like this happens. A fast attack by some nut with a machete would be something that no one would ever anticipate and will not turn out well no matter what anyone does. This could have happened anywhere. I hope that the woman survives.
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ErnieW
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I want to backpack
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Post by ErnieW on May 13, 2019 5:45:12 GMT -8
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RumiDude
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Post by RumiDude on May 13, 2019 7:00:38 GMT -8
I think if they are thru-hikers they may not have wanted to stick around to testify in court. Rumi And now some one is dead. Hope they enjoy Katahdin! Say you are on a long road trip to say ... St. John, Newfoundland, Canada from your home in California. You are going to see the country, taking your time visiting many points of interest on the way. You have saved, planned, bought a VW Combi w/camping gear, and arranged a leave of absence from work. You start your trip and are doing well. But in West Texas you encounter a seemingly deranged guy while boondocking on BLM land. This guy threatens you, scaring you enough to call 911 and get the sheriff department to come out and arrest him. You get delayed a couple extra days. The DA's office tells you they can charge him with a couple misdemeanors but if they charge him with more, they will need you to stick around indefinitely until his trial to testify. You ask how long that may be and they tell you they don't know. What do you do? You don't have enough money to just hang around West Texas. Your leave of absence cannot be extended. The case could come up in a month or it could be six months or longer. Even when you do get a date, the defense could ask for more time or whatever. The judge could order a psychiatric evaluation which could take even longer. My guess is that 99% of people faced with such a situation would decline to press charges and continue with their trip. Is that the right or wrong thing to do? Rumi
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FamilySherpa
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Tangled up in Rhododendron
Posts: 1,791
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Post by FamilySherpa on May 13, 2019 7:22:57 GMT -8
And now some one is dead. Hope they enjoy Katahdin! Say you are on a long road trip to say ... St. John, Newfoundland, Canada from your home in California. You are going to see the country, taking your time visiting many points of interest on the way. You have saved, planned, bought a VW Combi w/camping gear, and arranged a leave of absence from work. You start your trip and are doing well. But in West Texas you encounter a seemingly deranged guy while boondocking on BLM land. This guy threatens you, scaring you enough to call 911 and get the sheriff department to come out and arrest him. You get delayed a couple extra days. The DA's office tells you they can charge him with a couple misdemeanors but if they charge him with more, they will need you to stick around indefinitely until his trial to testify. You ask how long that may be and they tell you they don't know. What do you do? You don't have enough money to just hang around West Texas. Your leave of absence cannot be extended. The case could come up in a month or it could be six months or longer. Even when you do get a date, the defense could ask for more time or whatever. The judge could order a psychiatric evaluation which could take even longer. My guess is that 99% of people faced with such a situation would decline to press charges and continue with their trip. Is that the right or wrong thing to do? Rumi i dont know that i could ever say what is right or wrong in that scenario, but I'd say moving on with your trip is perfectly reasonable.
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