And since LawDog stole my rant about WSJ columnist Joseph Rago calling Bloggers "Fool", and our readers "imbeciles"...I'm left with the subject that everyone who has watched more than ten minutes of news in the last two weeks has been thinking but noone wants to say in public:
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?
I'm not without sympathy for those climbers or their family and friends. But let's get serious. What kind of hubristic men are they, to attempt a climb in DECEMBER on an 11,235' mountain? With a storm front moving in! Did they go up that mountain without checking the long-range weather forecast? It's OREGON, it's DECEMBER. At least one of them had been in those mountains before. They were all experienced climbers. What degree of "middle aged group crazy" were they suffering from to undertake a fool's mission like that? Would someone please explain that to me? Because I simply do NOT understand.
I have a friend who lives close to the area where these men disappeared. She says the locals are amazed these guys attempted a climb like this at this time of year. "NO local would do something that insane. It's NUTS! Don't they know it's WINTER up here?"
Mother Nature is a Bitch. She will slap you down faster than you can blink if you challenge her. This is a terrible price to pay. These men had obviously NOT been reading about fellow climbers Christine Boskoff and Charlie Fowler. These Colorado climbers went to China in November and have not been heard from since Nov.8, according to an AP story in today's paper. They were in 20,000' peaks in Sichuan province in the southwest area of China.
And let's talk about the money being expended looking for these missing climbers. I know what some of you are thinking. "You can't put a price on human life!" No, you can't. OTOH, these men didn't put much value on their lives to put them at risk so carelessly, either. Also, given the conditions on the mountain, this hasn't been a rescue search since about day three or four. Calling it a rescue search was a sop for the sensibilities of the families and friends of the missing. What all of the realists among us know is that it's been a recovery search. I hope I'm wrong, I honestly do.
So now my question is, why is the State of Oregon or the County of Wherever, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars searching for bodies that won't be found until next Summer?
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2 comments:
I've long considered that males of middle age, instead of climbing mountains,jumping from perfectly good aircraft, taking mistresses of their daughters' age, or buying that expensive sportscar whoud be better served by getting a tattoo or poking holes in themselves to insert jewelry.
It's marginally safer for all involved, less costly, and it more redily identifies the man in case he attempts one of the former activities.
I gave up rock climbing, skydiving, philandering and driving fast in my late youth. I don't have illustrated skin nor holes that I haven't had stitched up shortly after said holes were opened (Monet is dead. I wouldn't put anything on my body that I wouldn't hang on my wall).
Those silly Oregonians leave that attractive nuisance in place all year. I figure unless they fence it off, folks will be in there all the time like drunks at an unlocked motel pool. I'm not paying the overtime to do a recovery mission, but I'm not gonna put myself in jeopardy of becoming a meat popsicle, either.
Maybe they'll send a bill.
Next time, maybe somebody will just get a tattoo.
Regards,
Rabbit.
I live a few hours north of Mt Hood in WA state. Being originally from the Midwest, even I have the common sense to check the weather forecast before contemplating heading in the vicinity of the mountain passes near us.
I pity the National Guardsmen who had to put in time searching for them instead of making Christmas/Hannukah/etc plans with their families because these 3 lacked basic common sense. It's too bad the families won't see a bill for the time military assets were used in the search or the overtime the sheriff's dept ran up looking for them.
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