From: eugene@amelia.nas.nasa.gov (Eugene N. Miya)
Subject: [l/m 5/1/92] DISCLAIMER -- Distilled wisdom (1/28)      XYZ
Followup-To: poster
Organization: NAS Program, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 92 11:20:11 GMT
Reply-To: eugene@amelia.nas.nasa.gov (Eugene N. Miya)

Archive-name: backcountry-faq/part1
news.answers: follows Disclaimer.

Distilled wisdom (panel 1)

DISCLAIMER:
"Books are not a substitute for skill, nor can they make safe those who do not
practice the principles of safety.  Books are not substitutes for training.
We do not wish to discourage people who have age old urges.  But they can
answer simple problems and questions.  It is urged that the inexperienced
avail themselves of instruction, training, and mentorship.  We would
counsel you remember the virtues of progressive training: ... you crawled
before you walked and walked before you ran.  It would be well to take
your pioneering in little nibbles rather than big leaps.  Try the easy off
trail walks first, then the easy peaks, then the harder ones, always covering
yourself with a good route of retreat and plenty of time to make it.  And
always herald the philosophy of Norman Clyde: The mountain will always be
there tomorrow.  Aim to be able to say the same of yourself."
Adapted from the words of (the late) Hervey Voge and David Brower.

Be warned:
1) The "outdoors" are HAZARDOUS, LETHAL, FATAL, TERMINAL w/o extreme prejudice.
As of this count, three readers of this group are now former-readers.
Anyone, including highly experienced people, can be killed.
2) The information given in this chain of postings should be taken with
a grain of salt.  Failure to heed this advice goes back to warning 1.
3) There is no such thing as an "outdoors expert."  Experienced people
realize this.  The mountain does not know that you are an expert.
4) A memorial to my friends, our friends, our fallen comrades,
our admirations is integrated as a rec.climbing FAQ panel.  Why climbing?
Most were climbers.

	"A man's got to know his limitations..."
		--Harry Callahan, Magnum Force
			[Also quoted by Galen Rowell]

news.answers: This post is the first part of a 28 part experimental FAQ
post (a chain).  The other 27 parts are listed in the contents below.
The other 27 parts are posted one day at a time. These additional parts
are NOT posted to news.answers but can be read by temporarily subscribing to
rec.backcountry.  The composition of all attributes in
the contents and Header were deliberately set for the instrumentation and
experimentation toward discussion self-moderation and maintenance
(for instance "FAQ" appears no where in the Subject line; the host is also
a special host, etc.).  The chain's headers (Subject line) are useful like
a light house beacon.  The post is issued at the same time from the same
host on each of those days: this makes a useful network metric.  Failed
postings imply either the posting host dying, or a network connection
dropping/failing.  These posts are also a useful test of literacy
(how far you read, how well you read, etc.).  Occasionally you will see
uninformed people read and comment about them (they didn't reach this
paragraph, or the message didn't reach them, or they have not figure out
what's going on [clueless]).  There is alot going on here and its all
very deliberate.  Well,...  not all. ;^)

TABLE OF CONTENTS of this chain:

1/ DISCLAIMER						<* THIS PANEL *>
2/ Ethics
3/ Learning I
4/ learning II (lists, "Ten Essentials," Chouinard comments)
5/ Summary of past topics
6/ Non-wisdom: fire-arms topic circular discussion
7/ Learning (3)
8/ Fletcher's Law of Inverse Appreciation and advice
9/ Water Filter wisdom
10/ Words from Rachel Carson
11/ Snake bite
12/ Netiquette
13/ Questions on conditions and travel
14/ Dedication to Aldo Leopold
15/ Leopold's lot.
16/ Backcountry mortality
17/ Information about bears
18/ Poison ivy, frequently ask, under question
19/ Lyme disease, frequently ask, under question
20/ "Telling questions" backcountry Turing test
21/ AMS
22/ Words from Foreman and Hayduke
23/ A bit of song (like camp songs)
24/ What is natural?
25/ A romantic notion of high-tech employment
26/ Other news groups of related interest, networking
27/ Films/cinema references
28/ References (written)