McRat
New member
A concerned friend and competition shooter advised that I carry and I seriously considered it.
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Last March, I had an instance before a hike where I idiotically mistook a snowmobile trail for a parking lot trail and as soon as I went off the hardpack, I sunk and wound up balancing on my skid plates... four tires spinning in place. A man in a snowmobile came by (This was 11:30 or so at night, for a 1:00am start) and offered to come back with his truck. He towed me back to the road and offered to let me come back to his shop to warm up. I figured I'd slip the guy some cash for helping me, particularly when I saw his place and realized how little he must have.
As soon as we arrived at his garage, the door shut behind me. Within one minute he told me he was off his anti-psychotic meds. By the third minute he was wrapped in a passionate argument against government and computers, and before long he's offering me 'a genny'. After politely listening and quickly finishing the beer, I said I have to be going.
Things went wrong here. I found myself looking down the stainless-steel barrel of a Ruger Python .357, "YOU'RE A COP, AREN'T YA?!?!"
For the next hour I did everything to keep this guy in his 'calm zone'. Now and then the gun would point my way, and that 3/8" hole looked like the grand canyon each time. He kept handing me another Genny, and sharing unusual viewpoints, interspersed with threatening questions like the first.
I kept drinking them - one because it was demanded, two because it might keep me from running screaming into the night, and lastly - because if state police ever find a six pack of Genessee beer in my system, my friends would know it was under duress.
Suddenly I mention that I think I saw my friends drive by and that we were off to hike Waumbek before spring officially starts. He laughs and says, "You and your friends sound CRAZY, man."
The guy starts to open the garage door, I say thanks and start walking toward the door. Just when it is halfway up, he stops the door and yells, "HEY!"
I'm not sure if I should take my chances and slide under the door and bolt for the car, or see what's up. I slowly turn to face him expecting to see that gun, and then nothing but a bright light that I'm not afraid to enter.
He finishes, "Hey you wanna exchange numbers in case you're back in the area?"
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In hindsight it IS kind of funny, but I decided I needed to reassess my handgun policy.
I can tell you with 100% certainty, that if I had a gun on my person, I was scared enough to use it.
Assuming I pull the gun, who is more likely to hesitate in a gunfight - a computer nerd with minimal handgun training...or a certified psychotic who already had his gun out... who suspected I was sent my the government to spy on him?
I support the right to self-defense in general. In this case, there was a good chance someone would get shot. Assuming that I wasn't the victim - I may have killed a man who today might be back on his meds, living a better life, and perhaps even willing to help another hiker in need.
He towed my car, got me drunk, scared me $#!+less, but I'm alive to hike, and he's alive to snowmobile.
This is why I've decided not to carry on the trail.
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Last March, I had an instance before a hike where I idiotically mistook a snowmobile trail for a parking lot trail and as soon as I went off the hardpack, I sunk and wound up balancing on my skid plates... four tires spinning in place. A man in a snowmobile came by (This was 11:30 or so at night, for a 1:00am start) and offered to come back with his truck. He towed me back to the road and offered to let me come back to his shop to warm up. I figured I'd slip the guy some cash for helping me, particularly when I saw his place and realized how little he must have.
As soon as we arrived at his garage, the door shut behind me. Within one minute he told me he was off his anti-psychotic meds. By the third minute he was wrapped in a passionate argument against government and computers, and before long he's offering me 'a genny'. After politely listening and quickly finishing the beer, I said I have to be going.
Things went wrong here. I found myself looking down the stainless-steel barrel of a Ruger Python .357, "YOU'RE A COP, AREN'T YA?!?!"
For the next hour I did everything to keep this guy in his 'calm zone'. Now and then the gun would point my way, and that 3/8" hole looked like the grand canyon each time. He kept handing me another Genny, and sharing unusual viewpoints, interspersed with threatening questions like the first.
I kept drinking them - one because it was demanded, two because it might keep me from running screaming into the night, and lastly - because if state police ever find a six pack of Genessee beer in my system, my friends would know it was under duress.
Suddenly I mention that I think I saw my friends drive by and that we were off to hike Waumbek before spring officially starts. He laughs and says, "You and your friends sound CRAZY, man."
The guy starts to open the garage door, I say thanks and start walking toward the door. Just when it is halfway up, he stops the door and yells, "HEY!"
I'm not sure if I should take my chances and slide under the door and bolt for the car, or see what's up. I slowly turn to face him expecting to see that gun, and then nothing but a bright light that I'm not afraid to enter.
He finishes, "Hey you wanna exchange numbers in case you're back in the area?"
-----------------
In hindsight it IS kind of funny, but I decided I needed to reassess my handgun policy.
I can tell you with 100% certainty, that if I had a gun on my person, I was scared enough to use it.
Assuming I pull the gun, who is more likely to hesitate in a gunfight - a computer nerd with minimal handgun training...or a certified psychotic who already had his gun out... who suspected I was sent my the government to spy on him?
I support the right to self-defense in general. In this case, there was a good chance someone would get shot. Assuming that I wasn't the victim - I may have killed a man who today might be back on his meds, living a better life, and perhaps even willing to help another hiker in need.
He towed my car, got me drunk, scared me $#!+less, but I'm alive to hike, and he's alive to snowmobile.
This is why I've decided not to carry on the trail.
