Originally Posted by
Miele Man
Reading jamawani's posts it sounds as if he's quite knowledgable about Yellowstone and what's required to pass through/camp there and when. It also sounds as if he's trying to WARN the OP that the OP's plans are a hazard to the OP and jamawani gave the reasons for that. In my opinion, ANYONE such as the OP who thinks he can outrun an adult Grizzly bear is woefully misinformed/ignorant of the real risks they pose to anyone afoot in the spring when those bears are just out of hibernation. Jamawani even state that the bears just being out of hibernation is one of the reasons the park is closed at that time to visitors. I believe the 'pity' pcomment was because jamawani opities the OP if things turn out to be bad.
FWIW, in the past I've advised people NOT to partake of a certain activity at a certain time due to the far higher risks at that time. in some cases i got to attend the funerals of a few whom Lady luck abandoned to Mr. Murphy when those people i'd advised chose not to follow my advice - advice i might add that was gained over many years of experience and an intimate knowledge of the conditions/risks at various times of the year.
Why do some people ask for advice yet ignore good advice from people who live near the place rhe person plans to go to?
Cheers
Yes, you are right. And the internet has made the problem worse. With extreme sports and extreme TV shows, people without any of the requisite skills or preparation think they can do it, too - - and do it in national parks. For many years I have had friends in the park service and forest service. National park rangers have an especially difficult job with the millions of tourists that flock to places like Yellowstone every year. This past year there were multiple buffalo gorings despite every effort to warn tourists. An experienced hiker was killed by a grizzly. There have been multiple maulings in the past few years. I have seen children climb protective fences at the brink of Lower Falls while their parents are 5 feet away, blissfully unaware. 15 or so years ago a family tried to sue the NPS after their son died when he fell into the canyon durin a winter snowmobile trip. And, yes, park staff tends to err on the side of caution.
I have a friend who is a ranger at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. She took a few years off because of the number of emergencies she has had to deal with - most of which were completely avoidable. I have seen a woman heading down the Bright Angel Trail in high-heeled shoes. I saw a middle-aged man and his son arrive at Phantom Ranch in the middle of a 105-degree afternoon. The man was in bad shape. He was airlifted out, but died.
This is one reason why national parks have regulations. Not to mention to protect the park resources - plants and animals. Tourists still pick the wildflowers, feed the chipmunks, chase after bears on the roadside. There is a reason why the park closes critical habitat during spring feeding and fall rut. It is unfortunate that some cyclists here think that their personal desires trump the core purposes of our national parks.