How about, why so many dodos?
Is it better highways, high tech devices & more free time allowing easier access & maybe a false sense of security? More info available on-line so people can see places to go?
If I have a cell & GPS can I call for a rescue from a situation that is daunting & life threatening.
Expeienced people make things looks so easy, their just walking there, why can't I do that?
I'll probably get ripped for this, however, I've got to go here....
Many of the recent events have been people falling off wet rocks near the tops of waterfalls. In another thread put together by one our VFTT'ers, Channel 5 had a recent piece on Waterfalls of New England. I also love the idea of story having people go explore pretty places in a newscast of 30 minutes when 10 minutes are for sports & weather & the rest being pretty depressing.
I watched the Videos, they were well done & very nice, I need to get to VT.
I noticed that in most of the them, someone is walking near the top or along side of at least one waterfall in each clip. I did not have the sound on, I hope there was some warming that you need to be really careful when waking above a waterfall & that our VFTT'er & others were experienced in walking on wet rocks & it's harder than it looked. Or that some falls & cascades allow easy walking on & don't have a high injury risk if you slip & fall & some do. Falling down Race Brook, either the lower falls or upper falls likely ends badly unless your head doesn't hit any rocks.
Without the sound, it looked like a very nice human interest/travel segment. Any discussion on whatr to wear on your feet. 'can I wear flip flops like I do when I get my feet wet at the pool or beach' boat shoes? (my rockports are awful when wet)
The crowd most likely to wear flip flogs likely shouldn't. (Likely a sub-group of the population who might wear jeans & sneakers up Washington as the 1st family hike - maybe Franconia Ridge once featured in Walking Magazine BTW, since no one dies there & it has nice weather unlike Washington - sarcasm) Those of us here probably have some type of water shoe or teva type sandal. We also have a fair amount of experince on wet rocks to be able to know the limitations of crocs or flip flops & proabbly could get away with it.
"A man's got to know his limitations" In the outdoors, you need to know your gear's limitations too.