From: jahn@guinness.Idbsu.EDU (Greg Jahn)
Subject: Re: Cairns, Flags, and Fixed Wands
Reply-To: jahn@guinness.idbsu.edu
Organization: BSU - Data Center
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 22:06:17 GMT

In article <jwT-2t_@engin.umich.edu>,
lowrie@convection.engin.umich.edu (Robert Byron Lowrie) writes:
|>In article <1992Jul27.183408.4261@src.umd.edu>, frankpit@eng.umd.edu
|>(Bernard Adrian Frankpitt) writes:
|>> In article <eric.712022536@milton>, eric@milton.u.washington.edu
|>(Eric Hirst) writes:
|>
|>[cairn-kicking religious experience deleted]
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

It is, it really is, a religious experience.

|>> > 
|>> > Without pausing, I obliterated the cairn with a gentle kick,
|>> >		"
|>> > So, was I nice, or was I naughty?
|>> > 
|>> > Eric Hirst
|>> > eric@milton.u.washington.edu
|>> 
|>> You were nice Eric, I would have had no hesitation at kicking the
|>> cairn maker over the edge with his cairns. Route finding is at least
|>> half the fun in these situations.
|>> 
|>> Bernie
|>
|>If a route is so heavily traveled as to compel someone to construct cairns,
|>then cairns are justified to help keep most people to the same path, and
|>therefore minimize the clibmer/hiker's environmental impact.
|>
|>Do you suggest we also kick over those nasty "Short-Cutting Causes Erosion"
|>signs?
|>-----------------------------
|> Rob Lowrie
|> Aerospace Engineering Dept.
|>

So, would everyone agree that we've touched some raw nerves here?
I'm compelled to mention that ALL the folks I've hiked with have a
strong reaction to excessive unnecessary cairning, and now after
reading these posts I feel even less alone.  I would still like
a cairn supporter to respond to my comments on profuse cairning
on deeply rutted and VERY OBVIOUS unofficial trails ... this still
strikes me as sick and neurotic - AND, quite common.

As I read this argument, it struck me that what we may have here
is a clash of philosophies/perspectives.  More and more every year
I've found myself thinking that in many ways there are two types of
people ... the ones that feel compelled to support an organized world,
and the ones that can't help but want to subvert it.  I think that
my religous experience associated with cairn kicking satiates that
desire to subvert to growing 'order'.  I've yet to hear a valid objection
to kicking down cairns that just simply do not fulfill a purpose 
other than to satiate someone's desire to either make their mark or
try to establish order in the wild. For many years I used to wear a 
watch that didn't work ( I never got around to fixing it, but since
my grandpa gave it to me I liked wearing it).  I was amazed at how
upset some people got that I would intentionally wear a broken watch.
It was as if I was doing something unforgivable and they thought I
was a danger to society. My suspicion is that the folks that seem to
be mostly unconditional supporters of cairn building wouldn't have 
liked my broken watch.

btw, cutting switchbacks is an entirely different issue which is a
no-no ... and for a reason that I can understand.
---
Greg Jahn, Boise State Univ.|"You'd eat your young alive
/ jahn@guinness.idbsu.edu / | for a Jaguar in the drive.
/ dosjahn@idbsu.bitnet    / | You lie too much, you lie too badly"
/ (208)385-3891.thephone  / |          - Joni Mitchel


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